How to Live Off Grid in the UK

Living off the grid is not the norm in the UK, but it’s still possible for those dedicated to this alternative lifestyle. While your initial thoughts of an off-the-grid life may conjure images of a remote cabin in the woods, that doesn’t have to be the reality. Off-grid living can happen in cities and suburbs–all you need is the proper infrastructure and equipment.

Below, learn what living off-grid in the UK means and how your household can accomplish this. We’ll also explore the legalities and costs of this lifestyle change.

Living off-grid doesn’t require living in some remote destination where you’re cut off from civilisation. The only requirement for off-grid living is independence from the national electric grid and other public utilities like sewage and water. This can happen in rural areas, suburban communities, or even city housing.

Most people rely on the existing infrastructure within the UK. Still, it’s possible to cut these ties and begin generating and using your own power, collecting and treating water solely for your household’s use, and relying on an independent heating source.

Many people who choose an off-grid lifestyle turn to renewable energy systems, such as solar, wind, or hydropower, while others may still rely on coal, gas, or oil.

The reasons for the lifestyle switch are varied, from the freedom of self-sufficiency to an eco-friendly lifestyle, resilience in the face of power disruptions, or long-term savings. Your motivation for making the change is entirely up to you, but there’s no denying the many benefits of this alternative UK lifestyle.

Yes, it can work if you’re committed to making it work. Switching to an off-grid life isn’t impossible, but it does come with its fair share of challenges. Homes in the UK are created with the grid in mind–they’re well-connected to electric, water, and waste utilities and don’t often come with solar panel roofs or other renewable systems.

They’re often quite limited in space, which is necessary for things like solar panels. To set up your array, you’ll need roof, garden, or exterior wall space. Apartments and other inner-city housing may make this difficult.

For these reasons, off-grid living tends to be more common (and easier to achieve) in remote areas where land is more available. However, you wouldn’t be the first to go off-grid in the UK’s major cities.

Of course, this lifestyle choice has cons, such as the required maintenance of solar panels, batteries, and thermal collectors, an expensive initial cost, and regulatory issues, such as getting planning permissions and meeting building codes.

However, if you have the space on your roof or property and can pay the upfront costs and manage the ongoing maintenance, you benefit from a reduced carbon footprint, long-term affordability and insulation from rising grid costs, and enhanced resilience (avoiding grid outages).

Yes, it’s perfectly legal; you just need to inform the National Grid and the supplier company that you want to disconnect your services. Disconnecting can cost you between £500-1000, so be sure to factor that into your total costs for the switch.

There are no laws barring UK residents from going off-grid. However, if you choose to install a microgeneration system connected to the grid, you may need to apply for G98 or G99 approval through your local Distribution Network Operator (DNO).

Follow the seven steps below to take your UK home from grid-connected to energy-independent and self-reliant.

The first step to get started is researching the systems available and planning how you’ll transform your home to become completely self-reliant. The larger your home, the more complex and expensive it will be to generate and supply your own energy. You may also be tighter on space the closer you get to a city centre.

Look into renewable options, like solar, wind, and hydropower. Solar power systems tend to be the most affordable and accessible today. Once you’ve determined your location and which kind of energy system you want to use, you can begin calculating your energy consumption to determine the system size you’ll need.

You need to know how much energy your entire household uses and then determine if there are ways to reduce this consumption before finding an off-grid system that can satisfy it. You can swap out appliances for energy-efficient ones, switch to dishwashers rather than hand-washing dishes, or create a habit of turning off lights and unplugging devices and appliances when not in use. This will help reduce the total wattage requirements for your energy system, which translates to significant cost savings.

Figuring out exactly how you’ll get electricity comes next. Solar panels are the go-to choice if your roof has enough space with an appropriate angle and direction. For smaller homes with moderate energy needs, the EcoFlow PowerOcean (Single-Phase) home battery system may be sufficient. If your house is larger, you have more people living in it, or you have more robust energy needs, the EcoFlow PowerOcean (Three-Phase) provides higher output.

You’ll also need a heating solution. Since you won’t have central gas connections, you may opt for a water—or air-sourced heat pump.

A solar energy system can usually provide most of the electricity you’ll need, but without a backup solution, you may find yourself without power during overcast days or when the sun goes down. Avoid disruptions with a reliable battery storage system, like the EcoFlow Power Ocean DC Fit, a home retrofit battery storage system that connects batteries with solar panels you already have. This system does not require an additional inverter or permit, so it’s easy to add to what you may already have to ensure complete energy independence.

There’s no rush, so slowly begin getting “off-grid ready” to ensure a comfortable and gradual change. Some things you can do include buying your solar panels, a backup battery, and a heat pump. You can also try ways to reduce your carbon footprint or try going partly off-grid to ensure it’s a change you can manage.

Once you’ve purchased all the necessary equipment, applied for any required certifications or approvals, and slowly started integrating an eco-friendly lifestyle, you can disconnect from the grid. This may take several weeks, so plan ahead.

Now, you can install any finishing touches on your system to complete it. You won't need a permit if your system is entirely off-grid. However, if you’d rather install a solar generation system and keep it connected to the grid, you may need to apply for G98 or G99.

On average, going off-grid in the UK costs about £25,000-30,000. This is a rough estimate for a system with 16 solar panels and 13 kWh solar battery storage. However, the cost is highly dependent on your choices. If you choose a larger battery storage and array, your costs will increase.

You may also need a source for heat, such as an air or water source heat pump, which can cost an additional £10k. Also, remember that UK homes often have poor insulation, so additional insulation may be needed to ensure your system works efficiently. Your overall costs will rise if you add more insulation.

But it wouldn’t be fair only to mention the initial costs of the change because once the switch is fully made, you’ll begin saving money that will eventually cover the cost of the off-grid equipment. You can save around £2,267 per year with an off-grid solar system, and grants, incentives and savings schemes can help you save even more.

Going off-grid in the UK requires complex planning, consideration, and up-front investment, but it’s far from impossible for those dedicated to making the change to a self-reliant and eco-friendly lifestyle. With robust, integrated systems like the EcoFlow PowerOcean (Single-Phase) and EcoFlow PowerOcean (Three-Phase), your home can generate, store, and use its own energy powered by the sun. Use this guide to get started on your journey to energy independence.