It’s not strictly speaking correct for a bunch of reasons but from a practical point of view looking at electricity as water flowing through a system much can be understood.

Working with electricity can be get complicated, confusing, and at scale dangerous. But for many of us we take how it works for granted – turn something on it works. When it breaks we may check the basics like the fuse and then it that doesn’t work buy a new one. We also don’t really appreciated how electricity is created and therefore the cost of using it, or reducing it. Here we take a very simple look at electricity to understand the practical basics which may make your life a little easier and cheaper.

Picture a raised water tank, a downward pipe attached to a hose and a fire a few metres away

Water = Charge – the electrons in the system that can move around a bit.

Water Flow = Electrical current – the thing that carries the energy. Measured in amperes (A or amps).

Water pressure = Voltage – the force that pushes the energy from one place to another, from a higher energy level to a lower one like the water in the tank being forced downwards through gravity. Measured in volts (V).