<P> Extremely bright arc lights were too bright , and with the high voltages and sparking / fire hazard , too dangerous to use indoors . In 1878 inventor Thomas Edison saw a market for a system that could bring electric lighting directly into a customer 's business or home , a niche not served by arc lighting systems . After devising a commercially viable incandescent light bulb in 1879 , Edison went on to develop the first large scale investor - owned electric illumination `` utility '' in lower Manhattan , eventually serving one square mile with 6 `` jumbo dynamos '' housed at Pearl Street Station . When service began in September 1882 , there were 85 customers with 400 light bulbs . Each dynamo produced 100 kW2 -- enough for 1200 incandescent lights , and transmission was at 110 V via underground conduits . The system cost $300,000 to build with installation of the 100,000 feet ( 30,000 m ) of underground conduits one of the most expensive parts of the project . Operating expenses exceeded income in the first two years and fire destroyed the plant in 1890 . Further , Edison had a three wire system so that either 110 V or 220 V could be supplied to power some motors . </P>
<P> Extremely bright arc lights were too bright , and with the high voltages and sparking / fire hazard , too dangerous to use indoors . In 1878 inventor Thomas Edison saw a market for a system that could bring electric lighting directly into a customer 's business or home , a niche not served by arc lighting systems . After devising a commercially viable incandescent light bulb in 1879 , Edison went on to develop the first large scale investor - owned electric illumination `` utility '' in lower Manhattan , eventually serving one square mile with 6 `` jumbo dynamos '' housed at Pearl Street Station . When service began in September 1882 , there were 85 customers with 400 light bulbs . Each dynamo produced 100 kW2 -- enough for 1200 incandescent lights , and transmission was at 110 V via underground conduits . The system cost $300,000 to build with installation of the 100,000 feet ( 30,000 m ) of underground conduits one of the most expensive parts of the project . Operating expenses exceeded income in the first two years and fire destroyed the plant in 1890 . Further , Edison had a three wire system so that either 110 V or 220 V could be supplied to power some motors . </P>
when was electricity first used in homes in the us
when was electricity first used in homes in the us
September 1882
September 1882