Maybe it is because we have had electricity longer. You guys have been dealing with it, what? 60 years or so? When was it that the US Army wired up that place?
;-) sorry
Seriously, part of the problem here is that we have reminants of the Edison vs Westinghouse wars from the early 20th century and some folks won't change. We are lucky not to have DC grids.
Once you come down off the national grid the local power companies are free to offer whatever they want or whatever the customer wants. You can make a case for any of the various schemes that enter buildings.
Life might be easier if we did have a single national standard for services but then the IBEW would lose some of the mystique that makes it the sectet society it is.
Metrics is another whole question. That is a commie plot and we think the French were behind it. ;-)
Some believe it was just a way to charge the same for a smaller bottle of whiskey. (750 vs a "fifth")
