The Energy System · 3–5 minutes

How does electricity reach your home?

Follow the path from the power station to your power point, then see who organises the market and who sends the bill.

Step 1 · Follow the electricity

Tap any stop to learn what it does, or use Next to follow the electricity from the power station to your home.

Behind the scenes: who organises and bills it

Power stations

Generation
What it does
Coal, gas, hydro, wind, large solar farms and big batteries convert energy into electricity and feed it into the grid. There is no big warehouse of electricity: what is generated has to match what is being used, second by second.
Who runs it
Generation companies. Each one offers its electricity into the wholesale market at a price.
Worth knowing
Rooftop solar is generation too, but it sits at the other end of the journey, on your roof.
Who's who in the energy system →

Explored 1 of 7 stops

Quick check

Your retailer sends you the electricity bill. Which part of the journey does your retailer own and run?

Make a prediction first, then reveal the answer.

Assumptions and limitations
  • This is a simplified picture. Real networks have many more stages, and electricity flows in both directions as rooftop solar grows.
  • Business names and arrangements differ by state and network area, and Western Australia and the Northern Territory have separate systems.
  • Voltages are indicative. This page is general education, not engineering or regulatory advice.

Understand the science

Want to learn more? The articles go deeper on how it all works.