3 Off-grid ways to save money on your electric bill

04/22/2017 / By JD Heyes

In our topsy-turvy world, it’s hard to predict from one week to the next what will happen. Political unrest at home and abroad, the potential for nuclear war and even a global economic collapse loom large on the horizon.

But while those macro-issues are certainly cause for concern, most people are just trying to live their lives, often struggling financially just to make ends meet. It does seem as though many of us are working longer and harder, but have less to show for it.

One of the biggest expenditures we dread each month is the electric bill. Like everything else, it keeps going up and no matter what we do to keep it under control, nothing seems to work. If we manage to cut some costs year-on-year, the next thing we know, the electric company gets permission to raise rates again.

It’s a never-ending cycle. (RELATED: Read Off-The-Grid Couple Creates A Life Without Bills, Builds Home For $30,000.)

The good news is, there are some ways to save big dollars on our monthly utility bills that actually won’t cost you anything to implement. Even better: Now that the warmer weather of spring is approaching, it will be easier for you to begin constructing these fascinating power alternatives.

If you’re leaning towards an off-the-grid existence altogether, these ideas and innovations will really help (h/t Off The Grid News):

— Compost hot water heating system: Regardless of who developed this system – an MIT professor or a backwoods farmer – it’s pretty ingenious. The crux of the system is winding a hose capable of withstanding higher temperatures through a compost pile, then routing it to the portion of your home where the shower is.

Compost piles generate heat during the process of breaking down substances. Think about it: Sometimes piles of hay or grass mulch can spontaneously combust, so you know that compost piles which contain some of those same elements are going to generation some heat. Use this to your advantage. Here’s a video to help you design it:

— 5-gallon bucket swamp cooler: Don’t let the name fool you – this is really cool, and what’s more, it’s effective.

If you live in the West or Southwest region of the of the U.S. no doubt you’re very familiar with a swamp cooler concept. You know that when water evaporates, it will expend just a fractional amount of energy while removing heat in the process, kind of how human sweat glands function.

Swamp coolers work on that same principle.

“Obviously this system doesn’t exactly serve those of us who live in traditionally humid summer climates, but there’s one extremely handy way to harness the science of a swamp cooler and combine it with a ridiculous level of portability,” Off The Grid News reported. What’s more, it takes very little energy to operate – far less than even a small solar panel array can produce. Stay cool in the summer!

How to make one? This video explains the process:

— Geothermal climate control: This device also requires a low-watt pump and fan, but it also fits well with even small solar panel arrays and does not require much in the way of energy.

You can use well water to cool your home in the summer, as noted by Mother Earth News, and you can also use it as a heater. The device is known as a heat pump, and heating and cooling comes from the ground, which – just a few feet below the surface – tends to remain a cool 50-60 degrees year round. (RELATED: Read Grid Down? 6 Ways To Cook When There’s Absolutely No Electricity.)

This video explains the process and how it works – and how it can dramatically save you money each and every month: