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Mains electricity (as it is known in the UK and some parts of Canada; US terms include utility power, power grid, domestic power and wall power; in much of Canada it is known as hydro) is the general-purpose alternating-current (AC) electric power supply. It is the form of electrical power that is delivered to homes and businesses, and it is the form of electrical power that consumers use when they plug items such as domestic appliances, televisions and electric lamps into wall outlets.
The two principal properties of the electric power supply, voltage and frequency, differ between regions. A voltage of (nominally) 230 V and a frequency of 50 Hz is used in Europe, most of Africa, most of Asia, much of South America and Australia. In North America, the most common combination is 120 V and a frequency of 60 Hz. Other voltages exist, and some countries may have, for example, 230 V but 60 Hz. This is a concern to travellers, since portable appliances designed for one voltage and frequency combination may not operate with, or may even be destroyed by another. The use of different and incompatible plugs and sockets in different regions and countries provides some protection from accidental use of appliances with incompatible voltage and frequency requirements.

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