GOING OFF-GRID

Many fantasise about severing their financial dependence on big companies for everyday needs like power and water. Others make it a reality. What can we learn from them?

- Linda Moon

In 1996, Michael Mobbs disconnected his Chippendale home (in inner Sydney) from mains water and the sewer, and then in 2015, from the electricity grid. “It was enough to have me committed,” he says. Back then, it was no small feat and people thought he was crazy. Fast forward to today, and the Off Grid Guy, as Mobbs is known in Australia, is something of a celebrity and thought leader in the sustainable living space. Almost 2500 people have visited his home for inspiration and tips. There's also a model of his energy-efficient home on display at the Powerhouse Museum. He's even written a book, Sustainable House, about his journey, rich with tips and advice. Mobb’s message is that you don't have to live in the sticks or break the bank to enjoy the benefits of going fully or partially off-grid and living more lightly on the planet. His mission is to show us how.

Why go off-grid? The pros and cons

Technically speaking, going off-grid refers to disconnecting from the electricity grid. It can equally involve saying goodbye to town water, gas, sewerage and other utilities. Traditionally, and more broadly, off-grid living also includes growing food and other means of self-reliance and detachment from economic dependence on the system, and a philosophy of living more harmoniously with nature. You can go off-grid in a caravan or a tiny home, on the land, or in the city. With creativity, you can even achieve some features of off-grid living in a rental unit.

Mobbs, a former lawyer and originally from Forbes (in Central West NSW), was inspired to go off-grid and minimise his footprint on the planet by a passion for the environment. Australia is one of the most polluting countries in the world, he says.