Back in the pioneer days, the families who settled the American west by homesteading in covered wagons were able to carve out a decent living without the need for electricity, but they were not addicted to televisions, computers and the many labour saving devices that we have here in the 21st century. But that does not mean that you have to give up all your modern conveniences if you want to become more self reliant and unplug yourself from your power company in order to live off the grid. On the contrary, it is modern advances in technology that are making it easier and less costly for homeowners to generate their own power using alternative means.

Let us take a moment to consider the benefits of making your own electricity instead of simply buying it from your local electric company. First of all, the costs of buying power are becoming increasingly expensive for two reasons. In the case of electricity that is generated by burning fossil fuels such as diesel or coal, all of these precious natural resources are reaching their limit of availability, and it is a common principle of economics that when the supply goes down and the demand goes up, prices naturally rise.

There is the second cost of burning fossil fuels which is the effect that has on our environment. You only have to pick up a newspaper or turn on the television news to see reports of damage and disaster happening somewhere in the world because of climate change. It is getting increasingly more difficult to deny that the burning of fossil fuels is contributing to the greenhouse effect that leads to global warming and climate change. So if we can depend less on these old fashioned ways of making electricity and turn to new, alternative techniques, we can have a positive effect on the ecology of the earth as well as saving money.

There are those who will argue that it is very expensive to convert a home to solar power or making use of the wind to generate electricity, but as more and more consumers are taking advantage of these alternative energy sources, the price equipment needed to harness them continues to go down. Not only do solar panels and wind turbines cost less than they used to, but more information is becoming available about how to do-it-yourself and build homemade solar panels and windmills.

The internet is an excellent place to start looking for sources of new, alternative energy information to help consumers become more self reliant and more environmentally responsible as they unplug themselves from the grid and start enjoying a better lifestyle with their own home made energy.