Mina

Cutting the Grid Apron Strings One Appliance at a Time

Ive been thinking a lot about reducing our electric and natural gas bills as of late. Who hasnt? Its a crazy world out there and prices keep rising, not to mention the fact that as a culture in general, were very vulnerable in the area of electricity and fossil fuel dependency.

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Our goal or focus as a family has been to 1) reduce our utility bills and 2) to become less dependent on utility companies in general. Living "off grid" meant either going with solar or wind power and producing our own energy. There really wasnt any other alternative in our minds.

But after reading a few blogs, conversing with Brenda of Freedom Acres Farm, and then reading Michael Bunkers book, Surviving Off Off-Grid, Ive learned a lot over the last month and its changed my mind a bit about our choices.

Going on solar power or wind power should only be seen as an intermediate step because youre only trading one dependency for another. isnt to say you shouldnt use solar power, wind power, or some other alternative power source, but it isnt the grand solution to end all issues. Seeing solar as a way to ease into a life of less dependency is a more realistic option. And before one can even consider an alternative power source, youve got to cut back on your current dependency. Brenda really helped me see the need for this (thanks, Brenda!).

Now if I were to suddenly go through my house and trash every electrical appliance or gadget, Id certainly have a mutiny on my hands, quick as a wink! And I wont attempt to list all our energy dependent appliances, but what Im trying to do is cut the apron strings to the grid one appliance at a time. Let me give you an example...

has been our coffee pot for the last several years. Its usually used on a daily basis, heating the coffee for about 2 hours before the hot plate shuts off unless we think about it and turn it off manually (not often). We like it a lot except that it stopped working the other day despite my regular cleanings and maintenance. Normally, we would have immediately gone out and purchased something similar, but this time, I talked with my husband about considering alternatives.


One option that we already had in the back of a cabinet is a French Press. I purchased this a couple of years ago when we were traveling, attending a retreat, and I needed my own low-acid coffee. Its a straightforward alternative in which you place the grounds inside the bottom, pour boiling water over them, stir, let steep for a minute, and then gently press the plunger down over the grounds. You can then pour your coffee. The French Press is easy to clean and simple to operate.


The drawback to the French Press is that it cant go directly onto a heat source (at least mine cant), the glass could easily break, and it doesnt keep the coffee hot. Think of this as an immediate coffee maker in which the coffee should be consumed as soon as its brewed. Mine will make about 3-4 regular cups, so its fine if you have a small group. However, if you want another cup, youd need to start over.

A second alternative was an old fashion percolator; my husbands preference. We purchased this stainless steel model at an army surplus store before our camping trip to the coast. Another uncomplicated device, which holds coffee grounds in a basket containing small holes, while pumping heated water up a tube into the basket, allowing the water to wash over the grounds and then drain through the holes back into the pot. The cycle repeats itself until its brewed to your preference. Since the holes in the basket are small, large grounds dont come through, but smaller grounds do. Some opt to use a paper filter inside the basket to prevent this.


Now you might be thinking that this little change isnt much and so why bother? Whats the difference in a little ol coffee pot? Its a small change indeed. But little things add up over time. Imagine changing 12 of your appliances over the course of a year? One per month? That would start to make an impact, now wouldnt it. Maybe not in terms of the world, but in your own immediate world, it certainly would! And if youre considering solar power, youre more than likely going to need to reduce your electrical usage if you want to go off grid anyway.

If we were to install solar realistically (and believe me, weve looked into it with 3 different companies), we could only generate 60% of what we are currently using. Wed still need to purchase the additional 40% of electricity - ON A GOOD DAY! That means, to be totally off-grid, wed need to reduce our energy consumption by 40-50% before the solar was ever installed. Puts things into perspective a bit more, doesnt it?

Ryobi Power Usage Meter

A power meter will help give you an idea of how much each appliance is using in terms of kilowatt hours and how much thats costing you as well. We purchased ours, but I understand some local libraries will allow you to check these out if they have them. A quick google search showed me several right off the top. Once again, you may feel that your appliance isnt using that much electricity, so why bother. But a drop on the bucket adds up!

Obviously, each person will have that one appliance they just dont want to give up and theyd rather pay to use it. is exactly why we should be allowed to govern our own lives and not have the government tell us what we can and cannot use. Whats important to me, may not be important to you and visa versa.  But its good to know there are alternatives, what they are, how to use them, and if possible, obtain them as a back up. Just in case.

What appliances have you cut off from the grid and what did you replace it with? Sharing ideas is what helps each of us think outside the box!

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