Abstract :
With energy prices continuing to rise, mounting ethical concerns about over-consumption and its associated environmental impact, and the looming shadow of climate change growing ever larger and darker, the appeal of ´off-grid´ living is growing exponentially. According to a study carried out by the Office of Fair trading last year, an estimated 3.6 million homes in the UK are already operating independently from the mains gas grid though unplugging completely may still be a step too far for most people.