Electrical Power Box

[Mortblanc]

Nothing is free. I gladly pay my power bill each and every month and would not have purchased this piece of land (retreat #4) if power had not been available.

The cabin was retreat #3 and after 2 1/2 years I got power run to the house. My bill was $25 per month and I rejoiced that I had power for only $0.70 daily. I got sick to death of constantly worrying about the batteries, worrying about the solar panels, worrying if I was going to have enough juice to get through the weekend, worrying like a Mayan High Priest if the sun was going to shine, having the TV black out in the middle of a game or auto race, turning on the generator to heat water for a shower, plan meals around zero refrigeration!

I built that place 15 years ago and left it 10 years ago and let me tell you, what I could stand at age 48 I can not stand at 63. Off grid life is complicated, very hard work, if you do not have a butt load of money. It generally sucks in the winter and sucks in the summer, especially here in our seasonal extremes.

Where the old retreat is located the temps have been above 90f every day since May. Winters, the temps will go below 0 f on a regular basis.

Where I am now we have temps around 90f right now and when winter comes we will have temps below freezing for all of January and
February. I have seen snow fall at Christmas and not leave until well into Feb.

I an sure that is not the impression most British people have of the southern U.S.

The backup set I have in the home now is for emergencies only. I never use it except to test it occasionally.

The vehicle setups get used more often as part of the general camping gear.