The Amish don't reject electricity itself — they reject what it connects you to

The Amish use electricity every day. They have it in their barns, their workshops, their homes, and their businesses. What they avoid is the electrical grid — the wires that connect your house to the power company and to the wider world. That distinction matters, because it explains why an Amish carpenter might have power tools in his shop but no lights in his living room.

The rule isn't about the technology. It's about what the technology does to community and family life. A generator in a barn doesn't pull you into dependence on a distant utility company. A grid connection does. That's the actual boundary most Amish communities draw, and it's why the answer to "do they use electricity" is almost always "yes, but not like you do."

Key Takeaways

  • Most Amish communities permit electricity from generators, batteries, and solar panels, but not from the public electrical grid.
  • The restriction exists to preserve community self-reliance and limit dependence on outside systems, not because electricity itself is sinful.
  • Amish businesses often use more electrical equipment than Amish homes, because the rules focus on how electricity affects family and social life.
  • Different communities have different rules — what's forbidden in one settlement may be permitted in another.
  • Amish people use electricity in hospitals, in rental homes, and in vehicles they don't own, because the rule applies to what they control in their own lives.

Where the Amish do use electricity

Walk into an Amish workshop and you'll see power saws, pneumatic tools, and electric motors running machinery. Most of these run on compressed air or hydraulic power generated by a diesel engine or electric generator on the property. The electricity comes from a source the family owns and controls, not from a utility pole.

Amish farms use electric fencing, electric milking equipment, and refrigeration powered by generators or solar panels. Amish businesses — carpentry shops, bakeries, furniture makers — often have more electrical equipment than English (non-Amish) businesses, because the work demands it. The constraint is not "no electricity" but "electricity we generate ourselves."

In hospitals, rental apartments, and other spaces the Amish don't own, they use grid electricity without hesitation. An Amish person will ride in a car with an electric starter, sit under fluorescent lights in a clinic, and use an elevator in a hotel. The rule applies to their own homes and property, not to spaces they temporarily occupy.

Why the Amish restrict grid electricity

The Amish concern is not that electricity is dangerous or immoral. The concern is that grid electricity creates dependence on outside systems and erodes the boundaries between the Amish community and the wider world. When your power comes from a utility company, you're entangled with that company's rules, rates, and infrastructure. When it comes from your own generator, you're not.

Grid electricity also historically enabled technologies that the Amish saw as threats to family life: television, computers, and constant connection to outside information. A generator in your barn doesn't bring those things into your home. A grid connection makes them available at the flip of a switch. The rule about electricity is really a rule about what you let into your house and how much you let the outside world shape your daily life.

Different communities interpret this differently. Some permit solar panels and batteries. Some allow limited grid use for specific purposes — a few communities permit grid electricity in businesses but not homes. The underlying principle is consistent: technology should serve the community's values, not reshape them.

What counts as "Amish-approved" electricity

Generators powered by diesel, gasoline, or natural gas are standard in Amish homes and businesses. These sit on the property and produce electricity on demand. The family controls when it runs and how much it costs.

Solar panels and battery systems are increasingly common, especially among younger Amish families and in communities where the bishop permits them. These are renewable, require no fuel delivery, and keep the family independent of outside utilities. Some communities that forbid grid electricity have embraced solar because it aligns with the self-reliance principle.

Hydraulic and pneumatic power — compressed air systems driven by a small engine — let Amish workshops run power tools without direct electrical wiring. A single diesel engine can power an entire shop through air lines, which is why you'll see Amish carpentry shops that look as mechanized as any English workshop.

Batteries and inverters are used to store power from generators or solar panels, letting families run lights and small appliances without running the generator constantly. Twelve-volt DC systems (similar to car batteries) are common for lighting in homes and buggies.

How Amish rules vary by community

There is no single Amish authority that sets these rules. Each congregation, led by a bishop, decides what technology is permitted. One settlement might forbid all grid electricity but permit solar panels. Another might allow limited grid use for a business but not a home. A third might be stricter about generators in homes but looser about what equipment can run in a workshop.

These decisions are made through church leadership and community discussion, not through a written rulebook. A young Amish person moving to a different settlement might find the rules noticeably different. What's normal in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania might be forbidden in a settlement in Ohio or Indiana.

The rules also change over time. As solar technology became cheaper and more reliable, more communities permitted it. As LED lighting improved, more homes adopted battery-powered lights. The principle — self-reliance and community preservation — stays constant, but the technology permitted to serve that principle shifts.

What happens when Amish people need grid electricity

If an Amish person needs medical equipment that requires grid electricity, or if they rent a home or workspace that has grid power, they use it. The rule is about what they choose to install in their own homes, not about avoiding electricity in all circumstances. An Amish diabetic will use an electric refrigerator to store insulin. An Amish business owner renting a commercial space will use the grid power that comes with the lease.

Some Amish communities have negotiated specific exceptions. A few permit grid electricity for water pumping or heating, because the alternative — hand-pumping water or heating with wood — became impractical as families grew. These exceptions are rare and require church approval, but they show that the rule is about principle, not absolute prohibition.

The difference between Amish and Mennonite electricity rules

Mennonites, who share Anabaptist roots with the Amish, have different rules about technology. Most Mennonite communities permit grid electricity, cars, and modern conveniences. Some conservative Mennonite groups have restrictions similar to the Amish, but they're less common and less strict.

The Amish restrictions are distinctive because they're enforced through shunning — if a member violates the rules, the community limits social contact with them until they repent. This social pressure is what makes the rules stick across generations. Mennonite communities typically don't use shunning, so their technology rules are more flexible and more varied.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Amish people use phones?

Most Amish communities permit phones, but with restrictions. A shared phone in a barn or workshop is common. A phone in the home is usually forbidden because it would interrupt family time and let the outside world intrude constantly. Some communities permit cell phones for business use but not personal use.

Can Amish people use computers?

Most communities forbid computers in homes. Some permit them in businesses, especially for record-keeping or accounting. A few communities have negotiated limited computer use for specific purposes. The concern is the same as with grid electricity: computers connect you to the wider world and can distract from community and family life.

Why do Amish people ride in cars but not own them?

Owning a car would make it too straightforward to leave the community, travel far distances, and become independent of the local area. Hiring a driver keeps the family rooted in the community while still permitting necessary travel. The rule is about what you own and control, not about the technology itself.

Do all Amish communities have the same rules?

No. Each congregation sets its own rules through church leadership. A community in Pennsylvania might permit something that a community in Ohio forbids. Young people moving between settlements sometimes encounter noticeably different rules about what technology is permitted.

Can Amish people use electricity in public places?

Yes. The rules explore to their own homes and property. An Amish person will use grid electricity in a hospital, a store, a rental apartment, or any space they don't own. The restriction is about what they choose to bring into their own lives, not about avoiding electricity in all contexts.