As electricity became more common, new applications began to appear. Examples include electric motors, electric heating, irons, and phonographs. People began to grow accustomed to these new electric appliances, and their need for reliable electricity increased. is trend culminated with the invention of the radio. No nonelectrical appliance could perform the same function as a radio. If a person wanted to listen to the airwaves, electricity was required. As radio sales exploded in the 1920s, people found that reliable electricity was a necessity. By the late 1930s, electricity was regarded as a basic utility (Philipson and Willis, 1999).