Demonstration Title: Calculating Your Hydro Bill

Part 1: Understanding Electricity

When the hydro bill arrives in the mail, most people just check the total amount owing and pay it. They don’t think about how the hydro company calculates the charges. But, knowing a little about how you are charged for electricity can help you find ways to save money and detect electrical problems in your house.

Whenever you turn on a light or electrical appliance, electrons begin moving through the wire, creating electricity. The rate of flow of electrons through a wire is measured in units called amps, which is short for amperes.

The symbol I is used to represent amps or current.

All electrical devices resist the flow of current. This resistance is similar to friction. The energy that is used to overcome resistance appears as heat. Electrical resistance is measured in units called ohms.

The symbol R is used to represent resistance or ohms.

It takes hard work to overcome electrical resistance. The volt is the unit of electromotive force needed to move a current of one amp through a resistance of one ohm.

The symbol V is used to represent volts.

To calculate voltage, you multiply the amps or current by the ohms.

V= I X R