I have been trying a few learning resources to help unlearn some of the notions that electrons flow through as energy.

Chiefly this resource is what I have used:  

[Amasci - IN A SIMPLE CIRCUIT, WHERE DOES THE ENERGY FLOW?](http://amasci.com/elect/poynt/poynt.html)

My questions are:

Does energy transfer from the battery through the load through B-fields, i.e. "electromagnetic current" and not really through any other means? Is "Electricity" simply heavily concentrated electromagnetic fields when flowing through a conductor? For example, an arc between two high voltage electrodes is the electromagnetic energy jumping the gap, the heat and light of the arc are just by-products of this?

The resource shows an E-field existing between the circuit path:
[efields](http://amasci.com/elect/poynt/fig7.gif)

What if the path were something like a wire surrounded by a magnetic insulator, would the e-field be pointless, or not "care" that anything is blocking it just existing on either side to create a difference in potential?

Would there be less energy available? I am greatly interested in how energy is transferred through the wire, at least correctly.

(addition)

Does the insulation of wiring (i.e. plastic) also help in reflecting some of the energy so that it does not drop over a distance? This could sense, being that an exposed wire may pick up energy in the air, and an insulated keep it out.