How to Live Without Electricity
In this day and age, almost everything is done using electricity. It has become such a constant and integral part in our lives that we use it without a second thought. But what if one day, something happens of catastrophic proportions that we lose power for good? How would that affect each and every one of us?
Facts and Statistics. If you think life without electricity is impossible, then here are some few facts to make you think otherwise:
1.2 Billion People Have No Access to Electricity Yup, you read it right. That’s 16% of the world’s total population. Most of them are found in Africa, with 85% of the population living without electricity. Energy Access Outlook in 2017, estimated the number of people with no access to electricity at 14% of the world population. Either way, that’s still over a billion people! In contrast, almost everyone in Europe, North America, Eastern Asia, and Japan are enjoying electricity right in their homes. Below is a map and a graphical representation taken from worldmapper.org to illustrate this point.
60% of the World’s Energy is Consumed by 20% of the World’s Total Population: Much of our fossil fuels, nuclear fuel, and renewable sources of energy are controlled by the major key players such as the US and Japan. Distribution with the rest of the world is negatively impacted by the fact that a few powerful countries have most of control over these energy sources.
2.5 Billion People Have No Access to Decent Fuels for Cooking. For these people, they make use of a stove which uses wood, agricultural waste, charcoal, or animal dung. Over 90% of households in some countries cook with unclean fuels. Cooking through this method usually poses health risks from exposure to smoke. So, if you find cooking with electricity or gas stoves difficult, imagine what they must go through to get a decent meal. The duration of a power blackout depends on the triggering factors. A storm may only cause electric interruptions for a day or so but in SHTF scenarios, these outages may become permanent. In case of a war, a nuclear explosion can cause an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) which causes extremely high voltage surges, & can cause electrical system damage.
Oil (kerosene) lamps, on the other hand, can produce brighter and steadier light than candles. A single lamp can illuminate the whole room and only uses one to two cups of oil per night and around two liters per week. Lamp oil costs about $3 per liter. As long as it’s available, oil lamps are a good option but take care as they can be a fire hazard if they tip over or get broken. If you’re afraid of running out of light, you can buy solar powered lamps and at under $20, you can stock up now. They can be carried or hung up. Some lamps may take a full day or more of bright sunlight to recharge. For this reason, buy several of them and alternate them so one is always charging. Solar powered lighting is a long-term solution to a permanent power outage. If you take time to learn about how to build a solar power system for your home now, you can at least have supplies on hand if they are needed. Even better, you can build the system and start using it now so when SHTF and the power goes out, your home won’t even be affected.
Last but certainly not least, you can purchase a portable or whole home generator. Just keep in mind that generators require fuel to operate and in a long term SHTF situation, fuel may be in short supply if it’s available at all. Solar powered lighting is one of the best options, if you can do it. Save your generator for cloudy days when your battery storage runs low or while a solar panel is being repaired or replaced.
Heating On those cold winter nights, you can use a fireplace to heat up the room. Although not as energy efficient as other methods, a good strategy would be to build the fireplace in the middle of the house and install vents to let the heat flow into the different rooms of the house. Each room can have a built-in floor vent near the outside walls to let cool air back to into the fireplace. Through this process of convection, your rooms can stay warm and cozy. You can also add extra insulation on your walls to prevent heat from escaping as much as possible. Even better, as one of our readers suggested, would be to consider a wood fired boiler or woodstove or a supplemental solar heater as seen in the video below: If you need to cool down, you can install a skylight that can be opened in the morning to let the cool air in. It doesn’t cost a lot of money. Plus, it can give you additional lighting in the day as well as a nice view at night.
Cooking. Even without electricity, you are still left with a lot of options. If you want to go old school, you can use a wood stove. But if you want something more modern, you could always use a propane gas stove. And without your electrical appliances, food preparation can be done manually. Doing them by hand may not be as fast or as easy, but you can still get the job done. Food Preservation One of the biggest problems in having no power is, of course, food preservation. How do you keep your meat and other perishables from spoiling? Well, there are refrigerators that run on propane or kerosene. There are also portable battery-powered refrigerators available in the market. They can be recharged through your car battery or a solar power system.
Water. Most city provided water and even most water wells depend on electricity to pump water. Without electricity, you won’t be able to access your water. You are going to have to find a nearby source of fresh water, plan for a way to get water from your well using a hand pump, store tons of water now, or move closer to a fresh water source. If you are living in the country, you may have a spring or a well on your property or in your local town area that can be an emergency source of water.
Rainwater Harvesting. One of the ways that you can prepare to have access to an ample supply of water if you are living without electricity is to setup a rainwater harvesting system on your property. Always check to make sure that whatever system you build is within the bounds of the water rights laws and regulations in your state.
Communications. Today’s Information Age provides easy access to information. If the phone lines, which operate on a different system, are not affected, you may still be able to use landlines without electricity. If cell towers aren’t down and you have a solar powered cellular phone charger, it may still work. You may want to use short-range communication using a Citizens Band (CB) radio. These typically come in pairs, they don’t cost a fortune, and need six to eight AA batteries. They come in handy while traveling or when separated by short distances from family or friends, but not for long distances.
Entertainment. Some of the things you might have a hard time living without are your television, stereo, and other entertainment devices. Using these entertainment systems enables you to relax and unwind so adjusting to a life without it will undoubtedly be hard. But this may also be an opportunity for you take up new interests and hobbies. Learn to play an instrument, take up wood carving, play cards, and catch up on some reading. Think about skills you can learn that interest you and would be entertaining but can also help you during a survival situation or in a situation where the power goes out.
Livelihood. If market trade is still up and running and you are not yet a self-sustaining household, you will still need to have a livelihood. First, you need to consider your skills. What things are you good at? Are you skilled in building, carving, etc.? Next, can you make a living out of those skills? If you can, then you can still make a living for your family. If currency is no longer of value, then think of supplies you can trade with such as livestock, produce, or farm crops.
Homesteading. Many people who want to be prepared to live without electricity turn to homesteading. This lifestyle change can be significantly different for everyone, but it basically involves creating, raising, or otherwise producing what you and your family need by using your land and skills. You can still go to the grocery store if it’s available and you need something, but homesteaders produce a significant amount of what they need to survive without relying on stores or public utilities.
Urban Prepping. If homesteading in a rural or even in an urban area isn’t your thing, that’s okay. Many people are preparing for preparing to live without electricity using urban prepping. The urban prepping lifestyle focuses on finding and securing needed resources from the types of found materials, water sources, etc. that are more readily available in urban areas. Urban preppers typically place a heavy focus on stockpiling supplies, but many urban preppers supplement their stockpile by foraging for wild edibles, and/or building and maintaining an aquaponics or hydroponics system for additional food and nutrition. So, if you live in an urban area, focus on learning the crucial urban preps for city dwellers and keep building your skills.
Alternative Energy. Electricity from public grids is not the only means to power up your home. You can invest in alternative sources of energy that are renewable, such as solar, wind turbine, and hydroelectric sources. A popular example would be to use a solar power system or even a bicycle generator. You can order one or install one for yourself. The benefit of a bicycle generator is not only does it provide power; it is also a great way to exercise. Another example would be to use alternative fuel such as propane, biodiesel, biomass, and ethanol.
Conclusion. After reading all these, life without electricity may not seem so daunting anymore. In fact, the idea of living without electricity may now even be appealing. Depending on the resources you have and the effort you want to put into it, living without electricity can range from primitive to even luxurious. It would definitely be reminiscent of a simpler, less hectic, and less complicated time. So, whether you intentionally choose to live life without traditional electricity or whether you are forced into it post-SHTF, it’s a good idea to prepare and anticipate any issues so you are not caught off guard.