This is likely one of the most frequently asked question and there almost as many answers as there are questions.
Certainly the most obvious aspect is not being connected to the power grid and being supplied with utility power. However it goes well beyond this.
Without municipal utility power how will you carry out all the normal task of daily living. Perhaps your finances will permit you to substitute a generator set and live goes on as usual except for being a bit noisier.
Unfortuanately the cost of diesel and gasoline is already above $4.00 a gallon in many places. When a typical generator set burns half or even a whole gallon an hour it quickly adds up.
Because so many people have seen or heard of solar power this is probably what most people think of as an alternative.
Prepare for sticker shock!
To replace that 5000 watt genset you paid $400 for at Wal-Mart or Costco will cost around $3.00 per watt or $15000 minimum. Unless you plan to go to bed at sunset and rise at dawn with the sun , you also need batteries and an inverter to have lights during dark periods. Unless you are a real shrewd shopper this could easily add another $5,000 to $10,000 to the price tag.
Obviously some hard life style choices are necessary.
This is where state of mind comes into play. Most people cannot afford to sustain the lifestyle they had with grid power.
You can use a wood burning stove for heat. But most cooks will become frustrated with learning how to regulate the cook stove to get the right heat. If one stove is expected to both heat the house and provide heat for cooking meals be prepared for more compromises.
Keep in mind that many wood stoves still require a fan of sorts to circulate the warm air for an even heat in all parts of the home.
Most people end up with a heating stove and a separate cook stove. Quite often the cook stove ends up burning propane.
When several adults come indoors for the big evening meal after getting dirty outside doing chores there is a rush for showers.. Heating one pot of water on the stove is not going to work. One or more persons will end up without hot water. That is enough to turn the dream of living off grid into a nightmare.
Several options are available. A propane fired heat on demand water heater is one excellent choice. Works well summer or winter.. You could use solar heat collectors to warm water for washing but beware of cold climates. The tank mounted outdoors to collect solar heat will also chill off at night and may even freeze when the weather goes below freezing temperatures. A propane hot water tank is not a good option since the standby consumption may be as much as the in use amount.
How about all that water we are heating up? It comes from a well and that requires power for a pump. Very few places can make do with a hand operated pump. If you live in an area blessed with lots of wind you could use a windmill to pump water up to fill a cistern. This is not always a workable solution especially in winter where you may encounter freezing temperatures.
Using surface water from a creek is dangerous because you have no knowledge or control over what contaminants may originate someplace upstream.
And after you dump the used water down the toilet or sink where does it go? Unless you treat it, you will end up with a smelly mess in a cesspool.
An outhouse is simply a decorative cover over a cesspit.
As you can see there are numerous details you need to deal with if you decide to live off grid.
Many people complain about building codes and health department standards. Think of it in another way. How would you feel if a neighbor half a mile away did something to contaminate your drinking water source?
Or if you purchased a low priced property only to discover the building collapses with the first winter storm.
Codes and standards are intended to protect everyone including you from yourself.
In some cases wher the application really does not make sense for your particular situation you can often apply to the local municipal authority for a legal variance.
This is a process whereby you get permission to have or do something at variance with the established bylaws. Rules and Regulations.
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