Where does the electricity go when the power is off?

Electricity is the flow of electrons through a conductor, such as a wire. When the power is off, the electrons are still there, they just have nothing to push then around. Think of the water pipes in your house. If you go outside and shut off the water, the water stops flowing. There is still water in the pipes, but if you turn on a faucet, no water will flow out. In a wire, the electrons are trapped in the atoms that make up the wire unless a potential difference, or voltage, exists to make them move. This voltage comes from the power generating station.