16 Commonly Held Amish Myths Busted!

9. Myth - They Don't Use Electricity

Amish Simpsons
Wikipedia

Ah the big one! If an American is asked what is so unique about the Amish people the most likely answer would be that they are not allowed to use electricity.

Surprisingly this is quite wrong.

Whilst it is true they are not on the electrical grid and therefore their houses do not have electricity, it is false that they don't use it. They do so in many forms, from generator driven water pumps to wind turbines to solar powered lighting. They use all manner of electrically juiced power tools and employ battery-powered equipment such as the running lights for driving their horse buggies at night.

The ethos is simply that they do not want to be part of the big system, part of the infrastructure of a modern society, but there's no problem with electricity that has been generated in-house.

Much like the tax issue covered in the opening item, this is one of the most common misconceptions about the Amish.

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A Welsh semi-retired television producer and actor known for low end work that astonishingly people actually watched and even garnered some awards. Originally residing in the electrically-challenged Amish areas of Pennsylvania he has written a few books (Hollywood Pants and Hollywood Horrible Hints and Terribly Fake Tips vols 1 & 2) which you can buy on amazon and all great book stores. After a brief stint in Australia he now finds himself back in the Welsh valleys of his home country noting that it hasn't changed a bit!