What You Should Know Before Living Off The Grid In Australia

Living off the grid, sourcing and maintaining your own power, water and taking care of waste removal for your Tiny House on wheels will add to your sense of freedom. With the off grid technology available today you can live very comfortably while knowing you’re helping the environment. Living off the grid is a financially sensible move and it pays itself off in 3-5 years. Most of our clients live partly off the grid and have a vegetable garden that supports their gradual move to more sustainable independence.

Residential zoning regulations for off the grid living vary between states and councils in Australia so contact your local area via the Australian Tiny House Association.  Bear in mind that Tiny Houses on wheels are classified as caravans not dwellings, so most of the permits won’t apply to your situation. Read more in our Blog Tiny House Regulations in Australia.

Living off the grid, on the land

Many of our clients begin life in their new Tiny Houses on a corner of land belonging to family or friends in a semi-off grid situation. They often have their own water tank and use gas tanks for hot water, the oven and stove top. Internet and electricity for lighting and appliances can be fed in from the main house on the property. While planning on installing a solar system down the track.

You don’t have to live rurally to live in an off the grid Tiny House. Many of our clients live in regional and urban areas and either work from home or go out to work. It’s a new way of living that’s completely doable! 

You won’t have to live rough but you might need to make some changes

Measure how much water and power you currently use and continue to measure the levels in your new Tiny House lifestyle. A Tiny House is easier to heat and cool than a 3 bedroom house and an Energy Monitor can be incorporated into your system easily. It’s worthwhile practicing living tiny before you down-size and taking it one step at a time towards a completely off the grid system to give yourself the chance to decide what you want your life to look like.

Tiny House living requires simplifying your lifestyle which is a key part of their appeal. Can you live without a hair-dryer or only being able to use the washing machine at certain times of the day when the power’s available? Give yourself time to decide what electrical equipment you want to have around you, how much power they use, and when you use them. Some appliances have a very high-energy consumption and may need to be replaced by more energy-efficient options. 

Heating and cooling require the most power

Aussie Tiny Houses are designed to harness natural ventilation with well placed windows and doors. Insulation under the floor is available as an upgrade. Position your house on the land to bring light and warmth into the rooms at the times of day when you need it so you don’t need to rely on your power for light, heating or cooling.

We insulate every house with Earthwool Insulation batts R3.5 on walls and a double layer on the roof. We also offer insulated SMART glass and double glazed windows at an additional cost. 

Electricity

Our standard Tiny Houses run on a 15amp mains power with a safety switchboard. The Tiny House can be plugged in to mains power using an electrical power lead just like a traditional caravan. You won’t need an electrician on site for the connection, only an extension lead!

A solar system can also be installed at an additional cost or this can be added at a later stage. All our Tiny Houses come “Solar Ready” as standard.

Both a petrol generator and a solar panel require batteries to store the energy they produce. Detailed information is readily available from suppliers and there are options available to heat your water with a solar system and keep the gas as your winter back up. It will be a learning experience and with some curiosity you’ll quickly begin to understand how the inverter converts the energy to usable AC power and how switches, circuit breakers and fuses make a system safe and isolate equipment for maintenance.

Gas

All our Tiny homes have a dual gas regulator that takes 2x LPG gas bottles. It’s easy to connect standard 9L barbecue gas bottles which are easily obtainable at petrol stations and camping stores. 

Water

Just like a conventional caravan, our Tiny Houses come with a standard garden hose plug connection which simply attaches to the water source. For off grid homes, we offer Rainwater storage tanks, filters and pumps at an additional cost or you can get them locally. All houses do come with gutters but they are not installed due to dimension restrictions when on the road.

Although wind power is possible for homes and water can be drawn from underground or from a creek, the most common set up we see in Australia is a solar panel system, gas and rainwater collection.

The Australian Government offers Renewable Power Incentives and rebates which can help offset the cost of establishing an off grid system.

Waste removal from rubbish to grey water!

Compost for the vegetable garden is the best place for food scraps. As far as recyclables and other rubbish, you may need to use a neighbour’s bin or visit the local refuse centre.

We can supply and install an Australian made waterless composting toilet that does not require a plumber on site or any connection once your Tiny House is delivered, is odour free and can save 35,000L of water per year. There are also incinerator toilets that are easier to maintain, result in a tiny amount of ash, and require about as much power as a microwave to operate. 

With a combination of a composting toilet and a grey water system, liquid waste is diverted and solid waste gets added to the vegetable garden compost. Greywater, water from the sinks, shower and washing machine, is treated by a filtration system and grease trap. The clean water can be used in the garden. It’s worth finding out what the local council requirements are for managing waste.

All our Tiny Houses can be upgraded with off grid options. We support and want to provide all our customers with the option of independent living off the grid, encouraging a more conscious and sustainable life for them and their families.

See inside Kira and Anthony’s completely off the grid Yaroomba 7.2m Tiny House for possibilities.