The idea of life without utility bills may seem like a fantasy to some people. However, thanks to ever-growing technology advancements, it’s becoming progressively less difficult to live self-sufficiently. Here are just a few ways that you can start living off-grid.
Water
Coming off the water mains requires finding your own way to supply water, as well as getting rid of your waste. Most people will choose to live off the rain and water in the ground either by having rain barrels or digging out a well. You can then install a treatment service that purifies this water. When it comes to drinking water, some may prefer to buy it at the shops, as water purification can be expensive.
To get rid of your waste water you’ll then need to install a septic tank as you won’t be connected to the sewers. This tank will hold all your waste and can be disposed of yourself or collected by a waste maintenance service. It’s also possible to recycle a lot of your waste water with a greywater recycling system. This takes drainage water from the kitchen sink, bathroom sink and shower and recycles it for use on plants or for toilet flushing. Be aware that you may have to switch to bio-friendly cleaning products as you don’t want to poison your garden plants with chemicals.
Electricity
Solar panels are thought to be the way of the future, collecting energy from the sun and converting it into electricity. Getting these installed on your roof could allow you to disconnect from the mains. There will be cloudy days and so it can be worth buying a backup generator for home use such as a propane or gas generator. Of course those wanting to stay green might prefer to steer clear of these fuel dependent generators. Home wind turbines and mini hydroelectric generators are just two other green methods of supplying power that might be worth investing in if you live by a river or somewhere windy.
Gas
For keeping the home heated, there are several options that you can pursue. Your main priority should be to insulate your property as much as possible, which will keep your home warm and prevent you needing to switch on the heating as much. This may include loft insulation, double glazing and cavity wall insulation.
Even with the most insulated home, you’ll still have to find a way of heating water, which will mean finding a home source. LPG tanks are the most common solution and the most efficient. For those that want to stay clear of fossil fuels, switching to old fashioned burning of wood could be the alternate option. You then have the alternative solution of simply running all heating off of electrics. This may require more solar panels or another generator to prevent you from churning through the electricity as often. You can buy electric appliances such as heaters and ovens and boilers for this purpose.
