Basically, if you get a power bill, you’re on the grid.
The grid is the huge network of power lines that connects your home–and pretty much every other building in America–to power plants, allowing you to get electricity in your house without really ever having to think about it.
Meters track who uses what electricity, and money changes hands accordingly. If you have solar panels, you’ll still draw power from the grid at night, but you’ll give it back during the day when the sun is shining. Giving power back to the grid will cause your meter to run backward, which means a smaller utility bill.
To learn more about the power grid, click here.