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What would the world be like without electricity?

Electricity

What would the world be like without electricity?

Mis à jour le

January 26, 2026

4

Min reading

Surely you have ever wondered what the world would be like without electricity. This is a normal concern when you look at all the inconveniences that a small power outage can cause.

So imagine that due to a storm, a cold wave or a terrible technical collapse, all power plants stop operating on a global scale? In this case, all electrical and electronic devices would stop working simultaneously.

Even if you are one of those who believe that the end of the world can only happen in movies, such a scenario should make our civilization reflect on our dependent way of life. Would we go back to the Middle Ages without an electrical appliance?

Understand the importance of electrical energy

Produced centrally by power plants, energy can be:

  • nuclear : with as source a fossil energy extracted from uranium or plutonium, minerals extracted from the Earth's subsoil;
  • thermal : with coal, gas, fuel oil, biomass, lignite or industrial residues as an energy source;
  • solar : with The sun as the only source of energy ;
  • hydroelectric, tidal power or tidal turbine : drawing their source of energy respectively from natural watercourses, tides or even water currents;
  • aeolian : with wind as an energy source.

The energy produced is then sent to the various consumers through the transport and distribution network set up by the electricity suppliers. Better still, with the development of solar panels, each household can largely produce its own electricity (this is what we call: self-consumption).

To meet his ever-increasing electricity needs, humans have found a way to transform and domesticate every potential source of energy. This productivism is possible by the exploitation of industrial means of production to produce electrical energy in large quantities and to supply or cover as many households as possible.

Electricity plays a very important role in our daily lives. For example, your kitchen is certainly full of household appliances (dishwasher, food processor, oven, coffee maker, etc.) that you use every day. Likewise, your smartphone or computer only works because you have recharged it beforehand.

To go further, your car only starts because its battery sends an electrical impulse to the rest of the system. When you imagine a Electric blackout, you should also simply consider a return to the Stone Age.

Is it possible to survive without electricity?

If you think about it carefully, you realize that we are even more dependent on electricity than on oil. If we are already used to electricity, to the light every night, how will we be able to Managing an electrical blackout, especially if it were to last several hours or days?

Although this worst-case scenario may seem frightening, we must not forget that before the invention of electricity, there was life on Earth. The only way to survive at that time was to look for solutions to the various problems that could arise.

How can you heat yourself without electricity?

In winter, for example, heating is essential. In the event of a power outage, one might wonder how to stay warm without a boiler. All you have to do is go back to the good old days wood fire. To do this, you have to dry the wood, cut it and set it on fire if necessary.

Before it spread, electricity was not that essential. How to make a wood fire in a city apartment? If you do not have a garden or a favorable space to take advantage of the heat of the wood fire, you can buy insulation kits in stores to reinforce the insulation of your door and window frames.

The other option to fight against the winter cold is the chimney. If you have a regular fireplace in your home, now is the time to use it.

How to light up in the event of an electrical blackout?

An electric blackout is the ideal moment to highlight some notions of survivalism. To enlighten yourself, you can quickly manufacture An oil lamp. To do this, you will need a small box, a wick and some oil. All you have to do is put the wick in the box and add any oil.

The process is admittedly more complicated than simply flipping a switch to make the light shoot out. You can also go to specialized shops where a plethora of oil lamps, kerosene lamps, flashlights or wax candles will be offered.

Although they are not as powerful as an electric bulb, they can still light you up properly.

black-out électrique

Photovoltaic solar energy: a remedy for the lack of electricity?

Today, it exists Modern system devices that can allow you to live without electricity at least for a while. The concrete effects of repeated power cuts are more numerous and more catastrophic than one might think. Darkness, heat, and excessive cold are certainly the most common, but there are much worse things.

Take the health sector for example. Hospitals, laboratories and maternity hospitals need electricity. Can you imagine a cut that occurs during surgery? If other options were not provided, what would be the impact on the patient's health?

As far as the environment is concerned, the production of electrical energy is responsible for approximately 35% of CO emissions2 all over the world. Environmental impacts range from the extraction of raw materials to recycling and waste management, including, of course, treatment. Electricity has become almost indispensable to human activity. Is that really what we need?

With progress, solar energy can be used to charge smartphones and other small devices. Is it powerful enough to replace electricity? The question is still being asked. Photovoltaics, such as hydrogenerators or wind turbines, are nevertheless one of the ways to obtain current.

A world without electricity would certainly be less pleasant to live in. We should say goodbye to all the comforts offered by electrical and electronic devices. Contrary to what one might think, however, it would not be Not the end of humanity.

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The answers to your questions

What are the consequences of overpowering?

Exceeding capacity leads to financial penalties and can impact the size of the contract. Adjust the correctly subscribed power makes it possible to avoid these additional costs.

What are the PP1 and PP2 alert days?

These are signals sent by RTE during periods of tension on the electrical network. The Sirenergies tool informs you in real time to anticipate your uses.

Which taxes are particularly relevant for farms?

Farms are subject to taxes such as TICFE or TICGN. Sirenergies verifies their application, identifies cases of exemption and accompanies the procedures to reduce the tax burden.

How to properly define your subscribed power?

The subscribed power must be calculated according to the consumption profile and uses (heating, industrial processes, tertiary equipment). One fine analysis makes it possible to ensure the adequacy between real need and contract.

What are the main taxes applicable?

Among the taxes include TICFE, TICGN, CTA, CJA and TURPE. They represent a significant part of the bill and vary according to consumption profiles. Understanding them well is essential to optimize costs.

Pourquoi mon contrat est-il en kVA et ma consommation en kWh ?

Le kVA mesure la capacité maximale que votre compteur peut supporter à un instant T, tandis que le kWh mesure la quantité d'énergie consommée sur une durée.

Why launch an energy tender?

Un appel d’offres permet de mettre en concurrence plusieurs fournisseurs d’électricité et de gaz afin d’obtenir des conditions contractuelles optimisées. C’est une démarche transparente qui permet de choisir l’offre la plus adaptée aux besoins budgétaires et techniques de l’organisation.

How to optimize taxes and contributions?

Tertiary companies are concerned by taxes such as TICFE or TICGN. Sirenergies checks the accuracy of invoices, identifies possible exemptions, and helps correct errors to sustainably reduce costs.

The answers to your questions

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