Although I frequently grumble to my daughter on her failure to contribute for payment , My NH (locally regarded as highest rates in the nation but who really knows) bill averages 90 a month or $3 aday for our family of 3, is reasonable considering athe alternatives. What we get for the dollar per person a day is 1. water pumped on demand from shallow well. (possible alternative-- I have an article by a homesteader who rigged up a bycycle to a double acting piston pump and has his family of 5 on a rotation to pump from a shallow well to a tank in the attic for gravity distribution during the day . He claimed it takes 20 to 30 minutes a day but would not be possible for deep wells. 2. hot water. We are all adicted to a daily shower plus dishes and washing. When I add a winter greenhouse I would like to add solar hot to a soaking tub as part of it but that is a ways away. 3. cooking I would prefer gas cooking but when building my cottage had a year old electric stove available so strapped for cash accepted it. I have cooked with wood and it is enjoyable in winter but otherwize quite time consuming and inconvenient like for a quick cup of coffee before going to work. 4. lighting , TV, radio etc. I have a friend off the grid who has a small solar electric panel and a generator for once a day pumping from his deep well but predominatly relies on a 12 volt system for lighting and low volt TV and radio. It is powered by an old vehicle out back set up to charge 10 car batteries at a time which takes about 20 minutes and lasts 4 or 5 days. He is more mechanically adept than I. I would rather have no bill or a smaller bill , but at less than the average local pay rate for a remodeler with 30 years experience it takes me little more than an hour a week to pay it. Should the local electric system fail or quintuple rates I will have to adapt the best I can. JVH southern NH just after earliest killing frost by about a month in 4 years
