Off-grid living in the Netherlands I’ve never done, but as you may know I’m currently* living in a camper. Off-grid. With husband and child. And although it is sometimes quite a hassle, and sometimes we suddenly run out of gas or water, it also gives us a lot of freedom. How exactly do we do that? We generate electricity through a solar panel on our roof. We store the solar energy in two batteries. Gas we buy in bottles. We use that for cooking, and very occasionally for the stove. Water we buy in large bottles or we fill our 150 liter water tank. We can empty the chemical toilet in designated areas. And the Internet reaches my laptop via a mobile hotspot. And it works really well this way! Of course, we now live under the Spanish sun, so the power-generation part is almost never a problem. But otherwise we might as well have been in a North Holland meadow somewhere. As for the off-grid part. But can you actually live off-grid in the Netherlands? What are the possibilities, and what are the rules around living? And is there actually enough sun? Is it possible to live off-grid in the Netherlands? But it is not easy. At the moment, houses cannot be built without connections. And just living in a hut on the heath is not allowed either. Nor is living in a camper van. Officially. Because, of course, you can live in a camper van. Or in a cabin. Completely off-grid. But that’s another story 🙂 What exactly is off-grid living? Why would anyone want to live like this? Going off-grid living in the Netherlands is an option when you want to pay fewer bills, live more sustainably and thus experience a greater sense of freedom. For some people, another factor is that they don’t want to send their money to big energy companies. Or don’t want to be found. And, if you factor in a possible apocalypse, going off-grid is excellent preparation. By living off-grid Can everyone just go off-grid? And now to turn off your gas tap and go get gas cylinders…. Doesn’t seem practical to me. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done in an apartment! Where there’s a will… If you live in a cottage at a vacation park, or in a houseboat, in a garden house, a yurt or a camper (etcetera), then it does seem a little easier to me. What all has to change for you to be off-grid?
Waste: simple. From your green waste you make compost. Or you let your piggy eat everything so he makes compost for you. A lot is reusable, like glass jars and plastic bags. The residual waste you take away. And the plastic waste you use for this (SO TOF, I want this). Rules around living in the Netherlands Even a vacation home falls outside of this, let alone a garden house or a camper. This is so because of safety, health, usability, energy efficiency and the environment. In general, you must at least be connected to utilities. Municipalities are even required to provide a sewer connection. However, you can request that they make an exception. The municipality must then seek permission from the Province, which ultimately determines whether or not you will be connected. The building code also states that a house must be connected to gas and electricity – even if you don’t want to use them. How can you live off-grid in the Netherlands? Tiny house On the website of Tiny House Netherlands you will find a map with locations where you could possibly live and which initiatives are still in development. Anyway, it’s worth following this link because they just renewed their website and there is a lot of very useful info on it (and it turned out really nice)! Tiny Findy is the Funda of Tiny’s. It also sometimes lists pieces of land that are for sale where you can live with your Tiny House. These are always taken off in no time, there is a lot of demand! Motor home or caravan Rent a place from a farmer Adapt your home step by step Build a new house Do you know of any other opportunities to live off-grid in the Netherlands? Let me know (you can do so below), and I’ll include them in this list. What do you think about off-grid living? You can leave a comment below if you like it. Or on Instagram! Nice to talk to you there 🙂
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