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By Cath Buhr


There are many reasons why people choose to live the off the grid. Perhaps they live in a rural area and aren't close to city services. Others just prefer to be as self-sufficient as possible, and others are hoping to lower their overall carbon footprint. While there are many great reasons to go off the grid, it does cost money to set up your energy systems.

While you will be thinking about everything from getting water to generating electricity, one of your easiest off-the-grid actions will be to set up propane service. Propane can be used to heat your home and run your dryer, water heater and stove. Of course, you will need to find propane tanks for sale. You will find that propane tank prices differ by size but also by condition. You can purchase a new propane tank for sale or a refurbished tank for quite a bit less. At Thrifty Propane, for instance, you can purchase new or refurbished tanks. This company also gives free tanks if you buy a certain amount of propane all at once.

To keep energy costs down, it is recommended that you buy your propane when the propane prices are low. You might not be thinking about heating expenses in July, but this is often when you should buy your propane as prices tend to drop during the hot months of the year. For those who are concerned about the environment, it might also interest you to know that propane is considered a green fuel. No greenhouse gases are emitted from propane, which makes it a much better source of heat than wood or coal.

In addition to looking at propane prices and propane tanks for sale, you will need to create some type of septic system on your property. This can range from a full septic system to waterless composting toilets. The composting toilets tend to be much less expensive, but many people prefer building a septic system, as it is closer to the typical bathroom you would find in a house that is still on the grid. In addition to paying for the septic system, you also will need to learn all about the upkeep and maintenance required for these systems.

One of the biggest decisions to consider is how to get clean water, and you shouldn't even buy a property until you are sure that there will be some convenient way to ensure access to water. On many properties you can construct a well or groundwater containment system, but there are certainly some places where a well or other type of groundwater system will not be an option. These also can cost $10,000 or even more to construct, so this will be a big, but necessary expense.

When it comes to electricity, solar power is certainly the easiest to set up and acquire. Not all areas are great for wind power, but most properties have areas where it will be ideal to set up solar panels. This solar energy must be stored in large batteries in order to be truly off the grid. Most people in residential areas with solar panels actually are still linked to the grid and simply generate their own electricity and the excess goes back into the grid. This is different from using propane tanks where you truly are not connected to natural gas lines. So it is wise to make sure that you know how to store as well as harness solar power or wind power.




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