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“I learned to do things for myself…how to be dependent on resources like the wood and the snow outside.” 

                                                 Jake Young, 17 

Jake Young has grown up off the grid.  Since the age of 10, Jake and his family have lived in an Evergreen, CO based home with no electric or gas connections.   

“I chopped a lot of wood.” Jake joked with me during a recent conversation. “We heat our home with timber, so I gained a lot of strength over the past seven years.”  

Today as a senior at Evergreen High School Jake doesn’t take for granted the bright classrooms, humming computers, and cell phones that surround him. 

“The experience has been positive, but there were times when it was frustrating.  I couldn’t watch television at night when the sun didn’t charge our storage batteries. On days like that I had to charge my laptop computer, iPod, and cell phone in my car on the way to school and then plug it in during class,”  he told me. 

Jake’s family is not alone. Over 180,000 families in the United States live off the grid.  Each has their own reason.  For some it’s the simplicity, independence, and contribution they are making to the planet.  For others it’s religious beliefs and principles; and for others it is simply to stop paying utility bills. 

This past November Jake and his family went back ‘on the grid’.  “We did it to increase our home’s market value.” Jake’s mom, Denise, told me, “We still live much the same.  Our average electric bill is only $14 a month.” 

For Jake life hasn’t changed much since last year.  “I still do my same chores around the house…filling the oil lamps, washing dishes, and chopping wood,” he told me. “Plus our refrigerator still runs on solar power, so some nights I have to put things outside during the winter.” “The only difference now is that I don’t have to worry about my computer running out of juice or being left out of a conversation at school, because I couldn’t watch a television show.  

When I asked Jake if he would live off the grid again if he had the choice, he told me, “Yes. I think my parents are with the current times and have figured out a way to outsmart the electric company.” “I feel more confident in my ability to survive and use the resources around me. I have also learned to pay attention.  I don’t leave lights on or the television running. You learn pretty quickly to pay attention when your ability to watch television at night is on the line.  Plus I learned to pay attention to the weather.  When you use solar panels you take an interest in what the weather is doing every day.” 

The Young’s are making lifestyle choices that conserve energy and natural resources. You and I may not be ready to wave goodbye to Xcel, but there are plenty of ways we can contribute.  Shorter showers, turning off the lights, and recycling each go a long way to making the world a little better for you, your family, and our community.

by Jason C. Steinle

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