Before Electricity
....What Life Was Like In The UK

by Bella Winterfold
(UK)

Imagine living without electricity. There was a time long ago when people had to cope without it!.

It sounds incredible to those who live in this modern age, but once upon a time there were no electronic devices, computers, internet service or even electric lighting.

Could you live like that? If you didn’t know any different you’d be more than happy to. If you had to do it now, life would certainly be different.

Lighting: Here in the UK it gets dark right after 4:00 PM on winter evenings. We grumble about the lack of daylight, but we turn on the lights using a wall switch and we can see clearly.

Go back 150 years and life was nothing like that. You had to light candles or oil lamps, running the risk of fire. There were lamplighters walking the streets lighting the streetlights and business electricity didn’t exist.

Heating: Heating, like lighting, was done mostly with fire, and it wasn’t as reliable or consistent as the coal, gas, and oil burning methods of heat we have today. Back then your heating system was a good old-fashioned fireplace, and if you wanted additional warmth while in bed, a warm body next to you or a bedpan filled with hot coals were your best options. Scorching the sheets was definitely a possibility.

Eating: Most people come home from work, pull a package of meat or frozen dinner out of the refrigerator, and use their electric powered microwave, stove or oven to heat it up. It wasn’t that way a few centuries back. Refrigeration didn’t exist unless it was winter and you could place foods outside.

Everything had to be bought or killed fresh and it was cooked on an open fire or wood burning stove. Rotten meat was never thrown out like it is today. You ate it, after spicing it heavily and burning it well-done.

Cleaning: You’ve probably seen the washing process of past centuries illustrated on television and in the movies. You may have even come across an old washboard in an antique store at some point.

Cleaning in the old days was hard labour. Those who lived back then scrubbed their clothes, swept and mopped their floors instead of vacuuming, and heated their irons in a fire before smoothing the wrinkles from their clothing. Domestic chores took a lot of time to do. That’s changed today, thanks to electricity.

Our Most Popular Energy Efficient Home Pages
Our Homepage Our Energy Blog Energy Efficient Lighting Outdoor Solar Lighting Energy Efficient Doors Refrigerator Door Alarm Energy Efficient Insulation Energy Efficient Home Heating Energy Efficient Roof Blog Subscription	DIY Window Treatments Energy Efficient Home Audit Energy Conservation Energy Efficient Dishwashers Energy Efficient Student Energy Efficient Garage Energy Efficient Clothes Line Energy Efficient Window Coverings Energy Saving Tips Energy Efficient House	Energy Efficient Office Energy Efficient Car Pool Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Energy Efficient Garage Doors Energy Usage Our Energy Guide Contact Us Energy Efficient Refrigerator Green Insulation Kids Educational Online Games