Let's face it, living off-grid, in that you don't receive electricity from regular power supply companies, is becoming increasingly popular. In fact, while it may sound a little strange at first, more and more people are striving to become totally independent, not only with regards to power, but also with regards to other utilities and services.

Off-grid living allows you to be independent and as such, you get to be in control of your own life. Of course, the downside to this is, you'll need to accept full responsibility for providing your own utilities and services for which you've become accustomed to paying others for. However, if this seems like an acceptable trade off, it may very well be an ideal solution for you.

With technology continuing to advance rapidly, getting off-grid has never been as easy as it is today. The vast majority of people who seek this type of life usually choose remote areas but unfortunately, such opportunities are fast disappearing. However, innovative people are continuously discovering ways which will afford them the lifestyle they long for without having to move so far away. Living completely off the grid still remains a challenge for those living in cities, but that's not to say it can't be done.

Wind power and solar power are currently the most popular choices for those looking to live off-grid. The effectiveness of these depends largely on the location of your home. For example, solar power won't be much good to those who live too far north as they don't receive enough direct sunlight. Likewise, wind power will only be a viable option to those who live in areas that gets consistent winds. If for example you only get wind when there's a storm, it won't be sufficient to power your home and in fact, high winds only serve to damage the generators, rather than generate extra power.

Ideally, you need to first determine which options are viable in the area where you live. Once you have determined this, you need to establish how good a system you can buy with your available budget. Even with an ideal system you are at the mercy of breakdowns and emergencies and as such, you need to cost in for back-up batteries and fuel.

Remember, batteries are in fact the most costly aspect of any system but then again, they do determine how much power you are capable of storing. Once you go off-grid, you're on your own, with nothing to fall back on. On the other hand, if the power goes down in your area, you'll be one of the few who couldn't care less.

The good news is, the costs involved with regards to going off-grid can be reduced to a certain extent. You will be make savings over a period of time but for the most part, it takes quite a while before a system pays for itself. For this reason, some states are offering tax credits. While these certainly don't cover all the costs of living off-grid, they certainly do help.