If someone still believes that in absolutely all countries of the world sockets are installed at 220 volts, then he will be greatly disappointed. In fact, 220 volts is found primarily in the expanses of the former Soviet Union, Europe, a number of countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. In North America, 110-120 volts dominate. In addition, the power supply networks of countries differ not only in voltage, but also in frequency. With the same number of Volts, there can be different Hertz indicators. Why is everything so complicated?
It’s worth starting with trump cards: when electrification in Russia was just beginning (at the sunset of the existence of the empire), the country, like in the United States of America, used the 100-127 Volt standard. However, already in the 1960s it became clear that the existing networks could not cope with the ever-increasing volume of electricity consumption. As a result, it was decided to transfer the networks to a voltage of 220 volts. Already by the end of the Soviet Union, the standard that is used in the young national republics to this day - 220 Volts 50 Hertz - finally won over its entire space. It was necessary to switch to it solely for reasons of economic profitability.
But is energy consumption really less in America than in Russia? In fact, with the United States (and many other countries), everything is as often "difficult". It all started back in 1880, when the notorious Thomas Edison patented his three-wire electrical network with a neutral conductor and two wires for +110 and -110 Volts. Such a network was the first capable of powering an incandescent lamp. The latter required 100 volts, but Edison laid down 10% for losses that inevitably occur at the moment the current moves through the conductor. The famous inventor's network used direct current.
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A little later, another famous inventor, George Westinghouse, proposed the idea of using alternating current for domestic consumers. A real war has begun between Westinghouse and Edison! The latter, however, lost it, and in 1898 a standard of 100-127 Volts appeared. These were three-wire networks of two phases and grounding TN-C-S. This technology is still used in many countries, including the USA and Canada, for the simple reason that in order to work most household appliances such a network is more than enough, with the exception of the most "gluttonous" like a boiler, a washing machine or slabs.
When it became necessary to introduce 220 volts everywhere, it turned out that in the case of the United States, completely changing the power grid is not economically viable. The Soviet Union and Europe in this regard were largely “helped” by the fact that many countries were rebuilt almost from scratch in the post-war decades. Therefore, it was easier and more cost-effective to introduce fundamentally new networks. In the United States, they took the path of least resistance. There, 220-230 Volts are supplied to houses only if necessary as an additional network. It is important to understand that in this case it is not just about replacing the wires in the house, but about completely rebuilding transformer stations or even building new ones.
In continuation of the topic, read about why in the Soviet Union entrance doors opened inwards.
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/060422/62643/