utilities

Water, gas, electricity

Utilities are essential services—electricity, gas, water, sewage—delivered to homes and businesses through infrastructure networks.

The term also refers to the companies providing these services or the bills they send: My utilities run about two hundred a month.

In computing, utilities are small programs that perform system maintenance tasks.

More broadly, utility means usefulness or practical value: The utility of this approach remains unclear.

energy

electricity

Energy from charged particles

powerEnergy transfer rate
gasFormless, expanding substance
electricPowered by current

grid · meter · kilowatt · megawatt · blackout · outage · renewable · solar · wind · hydroelectric

water

water

Clear essential liquid

sewageLiquid refuse in drains
sanitationCleanliness for public health
drainageLiquid removal system

wastewater · treatment · reservoir · purification · filtration · tap · potable · aquifer · chlorination · fluoridation

infrastructure

pipes

Cylindrical fluid carriers

wiringInstalled electrical conductors
conduitsChannels for conveying substances
ductsEnclosed passage tubes

cables · mains · easement · right-of-way · underground · overhead · installation · maintenance · upgrades · capacity

communication

telephone

Voice communication device

internetInterconnected computer systems
cableHeavy-duty woven line
broadbandFast internet access

fiber-optic · wireless · cellular · landline · satellite · telecom · bandwidth · connectivity · provider · subscription

rental

included

Made part of

billAmount owed, written
splitSeparation into parts
allowanceFixed periodic payment

deposit · tenant · landlord · apartment · flat · lease · submetering · prepaid · shared · communal

software

tool

Device for a task

functionPurpose or duty
helperOne who aids another
moduleIndependent functional component

script · library · subroutine · executable · command-line · batch · diagnostic · system · application · program

Categories

industriesbusiness, factories, education, health, supply chain
infrastructurehighways, road construction, railway expansion, power grid, roads
adultingpaying bills, taxes, budgeting, grocery shopping, cooking
business expensespayroll, office rent, salaries, wages, office supplies
Cost of Livingrent, gas prices, groceries, housing, healthcare
Shared Responsibilitiesrent, bills, mortgage, childcare, co-parenting

Opposites

necessity vs. luxury

utilitiesluxuries

Non-essential costly pleasures

luxury goods · extravagances · indulgences · discretionary spending · frivolities

public/regulated vs. private/unregulated services

utilitiescompetitive markets

Economy with many rivals

luxury retail · artisanal goods

usefulness vs. uselessness (utility as concept)

utilitiesuselessness

Lack of practical value

inutility · futility · impracticality · worthlessness · pointlessness

Phrases

public utilitiesRegulated essential service providers
utilities includedServices bundled with rent
water utilitiesOrganizations supplying household liquid
electric utilitiesCompanies distributing electrical energy
city utilitiesGovernment-provided essential services
energy utilitiesProviders of electricity, gas

Family

utility, utilize, utilitarian, utilization, utilized, utilizing, utilizes, utility knife, utilizer

Familiarity: Top 20,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G