Going off the grid to spite BC Hydro? Probably not a (very) smart move.

October 27, 2011
Phillip Vannini, Professor and Program Head (MAIIC)

For the last few months I have been travelling across Canada to document the lifestyles of individuals and communities living off the grid. The fieldwork—funded by Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council—has enabled me to understand in depth why people live off the electrical grid—amongst many other “grids” typical of contemporary civilization.

Because of my research, as of late I am often asked whether it would be wise to move off the grid to spite BC Hydro and its policy of pushing so-called smart meters on people and cutting them off the grid if they refuse to comply. My answer? Probably not. But it is worthwhile to consider it.

Moving off the electrical grid is for most people as dramatic a lifestyle change as giving up one’s car or quitting cigarette-smoking. Like smoking, electricity consumption is an addiction. Like car-driving, electrical energy use is deeply embedded into our everyday life. Now, moving off the grid is not synonymous with surrendering electricity altogether, but it would require most people a great deal of adaptation.

There are several reasons why people live off the grid. For some it’s a way of exercising independence and fostering self-reliance. For others it’s about enjoying the challenge. Other individuals have entirely different reasons, like reducing costs, minimizing one’s environmental impact, or maybe embracing a back-to-the-land lifestyle guided by minimalist principles and connection with nature and sense of place. And for some entire communities situated in remote areas of the country tying to the grid simply is not an option.

But after a few dozen interviews and a lot of miles on the road I have learned two certain things already. First, living off-grid requires a few skills that many of us have lost—or never had in the first place. And second, it requires a great deal of adaptation, for which motivation and commitment must be strong.

To live off the grid in British Columbia, as an individual home-owner, one necessitates a hybrid system. Solar power isn’t enough—a quick look at the weather forecast will be enough to convince anyone of this. Wind is a useful addiction to any photovoltaic system, but not every location has enough wind to warrant the investment. Micro-hydro is a popular option, but not every property is large enough or steep enough to allow for the exploitation of small creeks. Geo-thermal—let alone tidal—energy are simply too costly for most individuals. Generators powered by fossil fuels are loud, stinky, and thirsty. Hardly any better than your typical smart meter.

In sum, to live off the grid in British Columbia requires the capacity to study very carefully what options are best for your particular property and your desired lifestyle. After a lot of information-processing a few skills then will come in handy. Like gathering wood for heating, chopping it, and carrying it home. Or like lighting propane lights, cooking meals in solar ovens, warming up water in showers-in-a-bag, and growing fresh food to reduce dependency on refrigeration. And let’s not forget pinning clothes under the sun rather than drying them—your typical drier is the biggest single source of electricity consumption. Oh, it goes without saying that you and your family would need to learn to live without having the TV, computer, stereo, Play Station, and printer on all the time. And vacuum-cleaning, hair blow-drying, and toasting might need to be restricted to summer days.

If living off the grid isn’t for everyone—it certainly isn’t for those without the basic know-how, without the initial capital investment, without the propensity to sacrifice convenience a little, or without the physical skills to tackle a few problems along the way—it is, however, a treasure chest of learning lessons for all of us. In fact, if there one thing that living off the grid can teach us all is how to live with less. With fewer appliances, for example, with reduced energy consumption, and with less disinterest toward our planet’s limited resources. In short, moving off the grid requires a great deal of adaptation. And from this process of adaption we all could learn a lot.

But spite? Just spite? That’s not enough in my mind. Negative emotional energy of that kind had better be channeled towards the corporation and government that are supposed to serve all of our needs, rather impose their own on us all. And if beyond spite there were genuine curiosity on your part in going off the grid, as well as determination, and stamina, and resilience, then hey, stick a sign on that old meter of yours that reads: “Gone off-grid!” and happy trails!

Phillip Vannini is a Professor in the School of Communication & Culture at Royal Roads University and Canada Research Chair in Innovative Learning and Public Ethnography. His research on off-grid life coast to coast to coast can be followed online at: http://publicethnography.net/off-the-grids-blog