Tue, 09 Dec 2025

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 'Living off grid is not a dream, it's a nightmare'

Off-grid households say they would love a mains connection, but the price is just too high.

* Connection prices quoted as high as £478,000 in some areas
* Many residents live in remote or protected landscapes, making new lines expensive to install
* Energy regulator Ofgem estimates up to 2,000 off-grid households in the UK, but exact figure unknown
* Rural charity Community Action Northumberland (CAN) research suggests around 450 off-grid households in Northumberland alone
* Residents face daily challenges with energy use and worry about managing as they get older
* Some affected properties are located in "relatively urban areas" despite being close to power supplies
* Industry rules and public funding play a critical role in making rural electrification projects viable
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