jan 8, 1906 - Somewhere 1903 to 1906? Power companies, particularly in the US, begin running full time, instead of just at night

Description:

Californian meter-reader Earl Richardson saw that American households were prevented from using new appliances, especially electric irons, by the fact that power companies only ran electricity at night, simply to power lightbulbs. He conducted a poll of homes he visited, asking them if they would like 24 hour electricity for just one day a week - Ironing day, and brought the results back to his power company. He managed to persuade them into prolonging the time they generated electricity, and soon, homes were being powered day and night, allowing electric appliances like irons to be speedily popularized.

Added to timeline:

Date: