Start / The revolution of electricity

The revolution of electricity

Electricity represented a revolution for society. Initially for industry in the late 1800s. Then for homes and rural areas. In Sweden, the revolution was possible due to hydroelectric power. Cities grew up. For homes and rural areas, electricity eased the workload, especially for women.

Articles

Before Vattenfall

In 1882, Thomas Alva Edison switched on the electrical current at the Pearl Street Station in New York. However, there remained a number of problems for the power industry to solve. A Swede was one of those who formulated the answer.

A new way of living

The entry of electricity into the home changed the way people live forever. Electric lighting changed the daily rhythm of everyday life. And in the home, heavy tasks disappeared from household work, which was of huge significance, not least for women.

Electrified railways for 100 years

In 2015, it will be the 100th anniversary of the electrification of the Malmbanan railway. That was the first stage in the continued electrification of the railways. But it was not obvious from the start that Vattenfall would be responsible for providing electricity for the Railways.

How electricity conquered the countryside

Thanks to an intensive educational and information campaign by Vattenfall and others, the Swedish countryside was electrified. But it was local distribution associations who took financial responsibility for the development.

Vattenfall's marketing

It was only prior to the deregulation of the electricity market in the early 1990s that marketing and advertising first became crucial for Vattenfall. The 'två hål i väggen' (two holes in the wall) campaign had enormous impact with the public. However, publicity and information campaigns were nothing new.

How to pay for electricity?

The attitude of electricity customers to electricity supply has changed from having been a momentous life-changing event when electrification began, to becoming a matter of course when you press a button. But for a long time electricity bills were difficult and obscure documents that created great frustration.

The 2000s – marketing in adverse conditions

The successful 'Two holes in the wall' campaign marketed a 100 per cent Swedish company. The acquisitions in Poland and Germany in the early-2000s transformed Vattenfall into a European player, labelled by the press as a 'European energy giant'.