What are you doing to reduce your dependencies on the grid?

as my father would say to say me as a kid.. it going to get here when it get here ..

 

Well, actually I think this may well turn out to be a very informative site. I am going to start compiling a list of what you could do.

Start with turning off all appliances , lights , tv's computers when not directly using them . Don't just walk out of the room and say to yourself that you will be back later . Turn them off.

Switch to cfb anywhere you can. All of mine already are. They use a heck of a lot less power.

My outdoor lights are on solar, including my spot/flood lights. Self contained and include motion detectors. Got them at Home Depot. About $70.00 each, but well worth it.

If your using a desk top computer, get rid of the old crt (big moniter) and instead buy a flat screen. Best Buy. com had 17" moniters for around $100.00.

Buy a solar battery charger to recharge all your household items, especially the kids things. Also buy the metal hylide type batteries as they seem to last longer after recharging.

If you live on a well and it is a direct run with a small type pressure tank, consider buying and setting up a large water tank, and pumping your well into that and then running that into your house. Less power for the pressure pump then the well pump and it will make your well pump last a lot longer . Instead of that on and off routine all the time

Turn your thermostat down to 55 d. at night or even lower if you can. Buy a heavier blanket instead

Git rid of elect blankets and just buy a down comforter instead

Try and do without your elec heating pad and instead go to the old fashioned hot water bottle.

This would be a great place for everybody to put their .02 in. Everything helps and it will also lead you into solar.

 

i have three blankets along witha thick quilt to sleep under at night on the bed along with fannel sheets also ..i turn the apt thermosat down to 50 degrees inside the apt for the heat and when i get up in the morning turn it up to 70 dergees to warm the place up for the morning shower after eating and doing breakfast dish and then going to take the morning shower and shave etc..

once iam dressed and ready for work i turn off the thermosat and let it apt stay at one temp all day when iam gone for the day .

 

This is an OLD thread !! WAY OLD .
Pull the doorbell transformers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TN-Mr Andy is a gent I know / read ..
SM regurgitates old post's this one is way off on many items !!
The costs are way off & learn some but PLEASE 2017 is the date of RE .

 

I can use a laptop instead of desktop if I need something I can charge on 12V. Thermostat is at 50 F. I use down and fleece comforters daily. In winter I use grid fleece clothing or USMC Happy Suit components for warmth and we have zero degree sleeping bags if necessary.

If power is out I can use the 12V marine battery and inverter for charging small electronics. If water is out we can haul our own from local water spigots and use a 12V shower and composting toilet. If electric or natural gas stove is out we can use a propane stove or other fuel and stove options.

Coleman PerfectFlow 2 Burner Propane Stove
Zodi 12V Shower
12V Marine Battery
12V Battery Charger
400W Inverter
3x 5 Gallon LC Industries Water Cans
5 Gallon Composting Toilet

To Buy List:
Aquatank II (60 Gallon)
Eccotemp L7 Portable Tankless Water Heater
1000-2000W Inverter

 

I have water storage that is well above the level of the house I can resort to if the grid fails. I am going to be working on the gutters around the barn , we should be getting a lot of rain this year I hope .
This will also go into ponds and other storage, mostly for the garden and filtered for the animals too. Raised beds makes it easy to recover water and redirect it.
I may get a second wind mill to compensate for winter overcast.
Roughly $500.-$600. and work day an night ,so long as there is wind.
I may also add another pair of 6 volt deep cycle golf cart batteries to the system that will further add to my storage capacity.
I have yet to hook up the solar water heater , it's a little heavy to handle alone but where there is a will there is way.
I've gone to shutting off the gas water heater till I actually need it which saves a lot of gas .
I'm on propane.
Being the winter is coming on I'll be using the wood stove more often and there is plenty of wood around the place for me to use.
I'll likely be doing most of my cooking on it the winter . during the summer months I use the microwave a lot because it doesn't add heat to the house.
I found something interesting, I may modify my wood stove "again" and add a convection oven heating/circulating unit to the oven door. Though it's electric ,if the stove is going,(wood burning) the heating elements of the convection oven may not actually need to come on, being thermostatically controlled .
I have enough solar/inverter 110 AC if I really want to go that way .