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Going Off-Grid the Smart Way
The constant increases in power costs and the threat of being left without electricity in over-burdened areas are seeing many people investigating the Dos and Don’ts of living off-grid. This can be a surprisingly costly undertaking, but if you do things properly you can bring expenses down a lot.
Remember, you don’t need to do everything at once, and small changes can make a huge difference.
Convert Lighting and Appliances
If you are still using incandescent light bulbs you may as well be literally setting fire to your money. Even the newer light bulbs have limitations when it comes to saving energy when you have a lot of them going at once.
Replace all your light bulbs with LED ones. Doing this will considerably reduce the amount of electricity you’re using, and greatly impact the size of the solar system you need.
Converting your cooking appliances and geysers to alternative power is the next big change you should make. Electric ovens and water heaters use massive amounts of power and will drain your solar system quickly. Replace devices with a solar power-friendly alternative where you can and use gas-powered options for the rest.
You’ll have to bear this in mind when you want to play the online ... more

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