Living off the grid
Filed under
Off the Grid
Let’s face it, most people are not ready to live off the grid. The average American household uses over 8,900 kilowatt-hours of electricity and somewhere around 144,000 gallons of water each and every year.
While living off the grid might not be possible for everyone, more and more Americans are actually choosing to unplug. In fact a couple years back, Home Power magazine estimated that over 180,000 homes in the U.S. were generating their own power.
So what does it mean to truly live off the grid?
Well it’s not as simple as running a couple light bulbs off a solar panel. To truly say you are living off the grid, you have to find a way to generate your own power, water, heat, and yes even your cable TV.
So how do you unplug?
Slow and steady wins the race: While, pulling the plug may seem like a pipe dream, there a few things you can do while you wait for your earthship to be built. Most of us waste more than we actually use. Being mindful of how you use your resources is the first step towards energy independence.
- Turn it Off - Sounds simple, but turning off your computers, lights and other electrical items can dramatically reduce the amount of power you use.
- Use Power Strips – Turing it off doesn’t necessarily mean it’s really off….. Did you know that the electrical gadgets in your house are probably using power even when they are turned off? By plugging them into a power strip you can cut off their power supply by simply flipping a switch.
- Pull water from thin Air – Believe it or not you can actually generate fresh drinking water from the air in your house. Check out this cool piece of technology that produces water from the humidity in the air….. EcoloBlue 28 Atmospheric Water Generator
Other Resources & Stories for living off the grid:
I am a long time off-grid homesteader and live in a solar cabin I designed and built for under $2000. I use solar and wind power electricity, solar composting toilet, passive solar heating and passive cooling.
No house payments and no monthly utility bills- life is great!
You can see my cabin here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXu45MHrnTk
LaMar
bohzo (hello)
Very interesting blog with good tips. I will never forget visiting Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the remote part, some did not have electricity, water, or plumbing.
I was so shocked at how well they adjusted and how tough they are as a people, survival to me seemed nearly impossible, for them it was simple. The most shocking thing was they seemed happy and were much more tribal and had to rely on neighbors.
Have a great day!
I grew up without electricity ( actually didn’t HAVE it until I was about 30) so I know it is totally possible. We used propane to power a lot of things like the refrigerator, lights, stove, etc. Didn’t have tv, or anything like that so didn’t need it for that…
If you have a hand pump on your well you can use that to draw water but we always used a gas engine. If you have a wood stove you can actually get along without a water heater, oven or range as you can do all that with a flat topped wood stove.
Yeah, there are definetly ways to live off the grid but until I HAVE to do that again, I will use the grid. =)
some off the grid people are insane in my book in there waste and inefficency if you have to dig a deep well put up solar pannels run refrigeration ect you kidding your self its an ugly waste of time. you should be spending more time hunting fetching water cutting wood harvesting wild food then messing with these obtrusive remnets of your urban life … you cant take it all. rediculious.