There is not that much of a difference between 115/110v/120v or 220v/230v/240v. Appliances designed to run on 240v are normally quite happy on 220v or 230v. Miele sells several appliances, including their large commercial washing machines which have 240v on their electrical plate, but run just fine on USA 220v power.
Multiple family dwellings (apartment buildings, and so forth), may or may not have 220v power coming into each unit, it all depends upon how things are wired from the conduit to the building's main panel and on up to the circuit breaker or fuse box for each unit.
IIRC, many homes in the USA get 220v power from the electric company to their panel, where it is split into two, providing 110v power. If a circuit requires 220v power two lines in the panel are made into "one" thus giving the proper amount.
Apartment buildings and other homes may have 220v power coming into the building, but it is distributed as 110v to each unit's fuse box/panel. This is where many persons wishing to install European laundry and kitchen appliances, or even anything else running on 220v power found a nasty and expensive surprise. Not only didn't their apartment have the proper power, it doesn't even come into their building. This requires major electrical work both to bring the proper power in from the street to the main panel, then wiring to bring that power up to the unit.
Again, the above battle Miele fought with countless persons who wanted their appliances, but either could not or would not expend the effort and funds to have 220v power where there was none.
As for the battle between gas and electric, remember not every area of the USA had the luxury of both gas and electric service. Often while there was electric service, gas was not piped to their area or street. Wanting to have such service would require the gas company to lay pipes, something they often would not do for just one customer on block, that is unless there was a pipe already running past their house.
As coal was phased out for heating and hot water fuel, many homes, especially in the Northeast went to oil. This could mean electric was used for the dryer and range. There was a big fear that gas would cause one's home to "blow up", a thing some still believe. Also until recently, oil was much cheaper than natural gas in most areas of the USA.
ToggleSwitch makes a good point: USA housewives by and large stopped boiling their laundry once automatic washing machines came upon the scene, while it was common to see boil washes in the UK and Europe up until rather recently. There simply wasn't a perceived need for a washing machine that heated water.
Most laundry rooms, or at least the washing machine, in the USA was located near the source of hot water. This meant basements, or kitchen areas. Either way the hot water from the central tank, (which could also be on the ground floor), didn't have to travel very far. Given the vast amount of water top loaders used, even if the first gallon was cool or tepid, the balance would be hot enough. What the hot water did not take care of in terms of cleaning, stain removal and whitening, Americans added LCB, gallons of the stuff to get the job done.
European homes, including apartment flats OTHO generally required eletric power in greater amounts than on this side of the pond because of several factors.
First, aside from coal, there isn't that much in the way of natural resources such as petrol, aside from UK and northern countries. It is still quite common to find flats in the UK and Europe without central heating, and certianly without central hot water boilers. One installs such things when one fits out the flat. So consider there may be one, two or more hot water heaters, electric "space" heaters, perhaps the range, a washing machine, perhaps a dryer, along with everything else that ran on electric power. Right there alone you are going to have a larger power need than most American homes/flats.
Multiple family dwellings (apartment buildings, and so forth), may or may not have 220v power coming into each unit, it all depends upon how things are wired from the conduit to the building's main panel and on up to the circuit breaker or fuse box for each unit.
IIRC, many homes in the USA get 220v power from the electric company to their panel, where it is split into two, providing 110v power. If a circuit requires 220v power two lines in the panel are made into "one" thus giving the proper amount.
Apartment buildings and other homes may have 220v power coming into the building, but it is distributed as 110v to each unit's fuse box/panel. This is where many persons wishing to install European laundry and kitchen appliances, or even anything else running on 220v power found a nasty and expensive surprise. Not only didn't their apartment have the proper power, it doesn't even come into their building. This requires major electrical work both to bring the proper power in from the street to the main panel, then wiring to bring that power up to the unit.
Again, the above battle Miele fought with countless persons who wanted their appliances, but either could not or would not expend the effort and funds to have 220v power where there was none.
As for the battle between gas and electric, remember not every area of the USA had the luxury of both gas and electric service. Often while there was electric service, gas was not piped to their area or street. Wanting to have such service would require the gas company to lay pipes, something they often would not do for just one customer on block, that is unless there was a pipe already running past their house.
As coal was phased out for heating and hot water fuel, many homes, especially in the Northeast went to oil. This could mean electric was used for the dryer and range. There was a big fear that gas would cause one's home to "blow up", a thing some still believe. Also until recently, oil was much cheaper than natural gas in most areas of the USA.
ToggleSwitch makes a good point: USA housewives by and large stopped boiling their laundry once automatic washing machines came upon the scene, while it was common to see boil washes in the UK and Europe up until rather recently. There simply wasn't a perceived need for a washing machine that heated water.
Most laundry rooms, or at least the washing machine, in the USA was located near the source of hot water. This meant basements, or kitchen areas. Either way the hot water from the central tank, (which could also be on the ground floor), didn't have to travel very far. Given the vast amount of water top loaders used, even if the first gallon was cool or tepid, the balance would be hot enough. What the hot water did not take care of in terms of cleaning, stain removal and whitening, Americans added LCB, gallons of the stuff to get the job done.
European homes, including apartment flats OTHO generally required eletric power in greater amounts than on this side of the pond because of several factors.
First, aside from coal, there isn't that much in the way of natural resources such as petrol, aside from UK and northern countries. It is still quite common to find flats in the UK and Europe without central heating, and certianly without central hot water boilers. One installs such things when one fits out the flat. So consider there may be one, two or more hot water heaters, electric "space" heaters, perhaps the range, a washing machine, perhaps a dryer, along with everything else that ran on electric power. Right there alone you are going to have a larger power need than most American homes/flats.
