So, where does electricity come from?
Bayswater Power Station, New South Wales Australia
The electricity we use in our homes and communities is produced, or generated, in powerhouses and powerplants.
Nearly 200 years ago, Michael Faraday discovered that moving a piece of wire through a magnetic field could create an electric current.
The same effect is obtained if the wire is held stationary and the magnetic field is rotated around it. This is the basic principle used in electrical generators today.
Across Australia there are many powerplants in operation, fuelled by coal, gas, hydroelectricity and other energy sources.
In eastern Australia many of these powerplants are connected together in the national electricity grid, which allows electricity to be sent where it is needed when it is needed.