Bega District News
By JO DODDS
Tuesday, 12 September 2006
LIKE many city folk I'd long nurtured the dream of a quaint rural lifestyle - fresh air, clean water, and self sufficiency. So when I met my partner and moved to a 50 acre bush block in the Bega Valley Shire I was thrilled to find myself in a mudbrick house on solar power. There has been a steep learning curve since I left 'the grid' six years ago.
We run five panels, 400 amp hours of no maintenance gel batteries, a 2800 watt digital inverter generator, which is simple to use and easy to start if the need arises. The system cost about $8,000.
We have a TV, video and DVD player, a stereo and the usual kitchen gadgetry. After some teasing I have convinced my partner that the hairdryer is not an enemy agent but I did eventually buy one with a really low wattage and am careful about usage if it's first thing on a winter's morning (which is of course the time one is most likely to need the dryer!).
We unplug anything that sneaks a phantom load. This is the electricity that most of our electrical goods are using even when turned off, to keep internal clocks running and help equipment start up faster. It amounts to the electricity used by like a normal light globe on day and night.
Now when I drive through a city and see the houses and businesses needlessly lit up I am amazed. I have cut my need for electricity by about 50 per cent. My lifestyle (and my hairstyle) hasn't suffered. I've learned to vacuum when the sun shines and turn off lights in empty rooms. At night my home is truly quiet with no electrical buzzing anywhere. And I haven't seen an electricity bill in years!
The biggest revelation has been how easy it is to reduce my usage, save money and contribute less greenhouse gas emissions. Imagine the difference we could make if we all changed how we use electricity.
e.d. Jo is a member of the Clean Energy for Eternity (CEFE) working group
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