Electricity rules our lives. Without electricity, all of the modern world’s inventions and advantages would disappear overnight. Given how reliant we are on the current* situation, why not get to know electricity, and how it interacts with your life, better by browsing through these facts?
*(Ba-doom-boom-ttsh.)
#1 – The Feud Of The Century
Not this century, mind you; the 20th. This feud had Nicola Tesla in one corner; Thomas Edison in the other. Both famed inventors who have legions of fans decades after their respective deaths, but did you know these two powerhouses were involved in a nasty feud?
Edison developed direct current (DC) electricity. Tesla worked for Edison, and he thought that alternating current (AC) would be safer. Edison reportedly offered Tesla $50,000 if he could prove it. Tesla did; Edison didn’t pay; Tesla quit and founded his own company.
In the following years, Edison went to great lengths to try and prove Tesla’s AC was more dangerous than his own DC innovation. It didn’t work; AC won the day and became the staple for power grids the world over.
#2 – Electrical Power Surges Can Spike Your Electricity Bill
If you ever receive a huge electricity bill and can’t think what caused it, then there’s a good chance you didn’t cause it at all. If there is a power surge or a lightning strike, then you could find yourself facing a bill because of it.
Thanks to capacitors produced by the likes of Captech, you don’t need to worry about a power surge being dangerous to you, but it could be dangerous to your wallet. If you notice your bill spiking for no obvious reason, then it’s worth a call to your supplier to find out what might be going on.
#3 – LED Light Bulbs Are More Energy Efficient
Not only are LED lightbulbs outright more attractive than their conventional rivals, they are also far more energy efficient. Conventional light bulbs use six times as much electricity as their LED equivalent, so if you want to cut your electricity bill, then this is one switch that will really make a difference!
#4 – Electricity Is Fast
Really fast; in fact, it’s as fast as it’s possible to travel without breaking Einsteinian physics. Electricity travels at the speed of light, which is why flicking on a light switch seems so instantaneous.
#5 – Electrical Heat Is The Most Expensive Heat
If you’re cold over the winter, then plugging in an electrical space heater is the most expensive way of rectifying the problem. Electricity is far more expensive, so if you have other options available for heating, these would be far preferable.
On the upside, electricity is quite efficient at providing instant heat– gas, for example, can take up to half an hour to warm a home. So if you’re going to use your space heater, then do it when you arrive home from work and need to increase the temperature at quickly as possible.
How many of the above did you know, and did you find any of these facts a little bit — sigh — shocking?