We had a major storm here a few days ago, and as a result someone was damaged underground. The electric company is suppose to replace it, but this involves destroying my yard, as well as potentially destroying my paved driveway and sidewalk, flower beds, etc.
In the meanwhile, they brought out a self-supportive... something... on a hand truck, that's plugged in to my regular power meter. It's all encased so that I can't see what it is, but I suspect that it's a deep cycle battery and some sort of a transformer. This thing has been powering my house effectively for well over 48 hours.
So I can't help but wonder: if this stand-alone thing would power my house for 48 hours (including my central heat and air, and my range), then there must be something I can build myself to do the same thing. With an electric bill exceeding $200 every month (over $300 during the winter), I'm willing to consider just about anything!
I looked into solar panels, but from what I read online this can cost in excess of $10,000. Even that isn't unreasonable; after 4 years, it has paid for itself. But what other options are there that I'm not considering?
- Jason