Electricity — the flow of electrical power or charge — is a basic product of nature and one of the most widely used forms of energy in homes. It is generated from energy sources found in the environment, such as sunlight, coal and wind.
Houses themselves are, in effect, electrical devices, fed directly from utilities to power almost all appliances, from heaters to hair dryers. It is thus valuable for inspectors to have some understanding of where electricity comes from, what it powers, and what variables contribute to its costs.
Facts and Figures
- The cost required to generate electricity varies minute by minute, reflecting its real-time demand throughout the day. Most consumers, however, pay rates based on average prices over long periods, saving them from volatile price fluctuations.
- According to 2008 statistics, Tennessee had the highest per-capita annual energy consumption of any state in the U.S., coming in at 15,624 kWh, and Maine had the lowest at 6,252 kWh. The national average electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 11,040 kWh.
- In 1879, the California Electric Light Company in San Francisco became the first company in the United States to sell electricity. They produced and sold enough electricity to power 21 lights.
- Compared to other sources of energy, such as natural gas, households are predicted to become increasingly reliant on electricity over the next quarter-century. China, India and smaller developing Asian countries will experience the highest growth in demand as they switch from outmoded forms of energy.
- The Three Gorges Dam in China is the world’s largest electricity-generating plant of any kind. When it opens in 2011, the $26 billion dam will have a maximum operating capacity of 22.5 GW, enough to power 3% of all households in China, which is equivalent to its entire current wind-energy fleet.
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