Talking About Green

‘Off the grid’ living has grown up since the 1970’s, when hippie communes were formed with people from all walks of life who came together to live a simpler life. Of course, this ‘radical’ idea outraged the ‘establishment’ at the time. However, consider that only in the last 100 years or so have all of our homes been hooked together with the maze of water lines, gas lines, phone lines, and electric lines that power most homes today.  Living near a large Amish community, I know that so many alternatives are possible, and self-sufficiency is a viable alternative for those who want it. Dare I say that off the grid living has gone mainstream with the urgent push towards eco-friendliness? Now these ideas do not seem quite so crazy after all, as people have finally realized that our world has a finite amount of resources, and our huge and steadily growing population is using them at an alarming rate.

Off Grid Homes

Some veterans of the ‘off the grid’ lifestyle live in cabins in the woods. Water is brought in via well, a running water source like a creek, or even a pond or cistern, and the cabin is likely heated with wood. Electricity may be supplied with a generator, or they may use alternative forms of energy, like solar panels, to power lights and other equipment.

For those who crave an off-grid lifestyle, but who also are not comfortable without some of their modern conveniences, RV living might be an option. There are rental spaces in parks and in other remote areas, complete with hookups for water, sewage, and electricity. Another bonus to RV living is that your life is completely portable. Are you tired of the cold weather in Ohio? Head south on Interstate 77 and you will soon find a warmer place to stay.

For those people who are interested in finding existing off- grid homes, there are even specialty real estate sites to help you. Wherever you choose to live, chances are there are some homes which already meet your off-grid criteria, or can easily be retrofitted.  You will be amazed at the variety of homes available that are fully sustainable. For a checklist of what questions to ask when looking at eco-friendly properties, this link can help:  Buying Off Grid Property.

Self-Sufficiency

Living off the grid is all about being self-sufficient. Yes, chopping wood for heat is a lot more work than setting the temperature on a gas or electric furnace. Solar and wind power can help to power the home passively. However, the monetary savings are substantial, and the sense of pride that off-gridders feel is often the primary reason for this lifestyle choice.

One of the most important considerations for those intending to occupy the property full time is water. Does the property have a strong stream or a well? If not, find out how deep the neighbors had to dig to find water, or look into a cistern system if that is prohibitive.

Incentives

To help defray the cost of installing renewable energy sources for your home, there are many incentives available from the state and local government, as well as local agencies and utility companies.  To find the programs available in your area, check out www.dsireusa.org/. Depending upon your region of the country and which type of renewable energy works best, there are many sources of funding help and often breaks on taxes for installing renewable energy sources.

Guest blog post by Denise Gabbard of Discount Vouchers, where you can find dixons.co.uk discount codes among hundreds of other discounts and promos

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