How to Live Off-Grid in 2021 | HouseRituals.com

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Nowadays people tend to choose alternative, more eco-friendly ways of living. One of them is living off-grid.
Basically, living off-grid means being disconnected from the public power grid.
Off-grid lifestyle has a lot of advantages, such as no utility bills and more fresh air. However, it is pretty expensive and requires some special preparation.

XXI-st century paradox: people from the less developed countries are racing for the latest technology innovations and comfortable living while in the most developed countries there is a growing trend to return to living in harmony with nature. In other words – turn to the living off-grid.

The off-grid lifestyle is based on self-sustainability and self-sufficiency. People who turn to this way of living get themselves off the power grid, centralized sewage system or gas pipeline. The main principle of such living is to live independently from the public or private energy sources and networks.

In addition, the off-grid lifestyle goes along with the ecology as such a way of living highly contributes to reducing the human impact on the environment.

However, like everything in this world, this phenomenon also has its pluses and minuses.

Pros of living off-grid

Independency from power monopolists – you are in charge of the electricity, water and heating supplies that come to your home;
No utility bills! In other words – peace of mind;
Nature, fresh and clean air, organic food;

Cons of living off-grid

Cost. Although you won’t have to pay the utility bills after you set up your off-grid home, the whole installation of this type of household has its price. And pretty considerable one. Like thousands of dollars.
More responsibilities. For example, in the event of major malfunction – it’s all standing on your shoulders. Thus, you’ll have to fix it yourself or to call a specialist to help you out and pay for it.
Transition. If for the past years you’ve been living in the apartment that has a TV in each room and fifteen different types of lighting turned on all the time – transition to the off-grid lifestyle will be a great challenge for you (to put it mildly).

Nevertheless, if you are still honestly determined to upgrade your life to the highest quality – read below and start calculating your savings!

Important: each step has to be discussed with the professionals. The information below will only provide you with a picture of what to expect if you decided to go OFF-GRID.

3 Main Off-grid House Elements:

Electricity
Heating
Water and sewerage

Electricity

There are three most famous ways to produce electricity in the off-grid house: wind turbines, hydro-power plants, or solar power plants. It’s up to the weather conditions and nature if only one equipment will be sufficient to provide enough power for your home, or a few different power plants will have to be combined at the same time. Properly installed power plants, depending on their size and power can produce enough electricity for any household.

In short – the more sunny, windy or rainy climate – the fewer expenses to generate the electricity.

Heating

There’re many options to heat your autonomous house, such as propane gas, gasoline, oil, and other carbon-based fuels. However, the most common heating solution is the firewood stove. Why? Because it is affordable and accessible all over the country. Moreover, you can grow, harvest and store the wood yourself!

TIP: elk and oak – are the best woods for burning purposes.

Besides that, people also use the waste of the certain corps to produce the biofuel. If none of these methods sound attractive to you – don’t worry! The off-grid community says that there’s no guilt in simply buying the fuel from the store.

Water and Sewage

The most popular alternative for independent water supply is the well. The deeper it is dug – the cleaner water will be.

Another way to create an independent water source is to install a septic system. To put it as simply as possible – it’s a huge metal tank hidden under the ground that with the help of certain bacteria filters the wastewater flowing from your home into the drinking water.

TIP: Ask the professional to empty and clean the septic system at least once a year.

All things considered, technological progress and higher innovations are indisputably important for any country’s development. Nevertheless, such progress has also the dark side – the natural resources are not infinite. Therefore, it is extremely important to consume deliberately.

The off-grid lifestyle is a praiseworthy idea that shows the consciousness of human beings. People from the off-grid community are not only aware of their own health and self-care, but most importantly they see the challenges of climate change with their eyes wide open.

How to Live Off-Grid

Pros of living off-grid

Cons of living off-grid