Latest news with #offgrid
CNET
2 hours ago
- CNET
Save $1,000 on Ecoflow's Portable Power Station at Amazon for a Limited Time
Portable power stations should be a household essential, especially for those who live in areas where power isn't always reliable. They're even a great addition to a camper's must-haves, providing power on the go or off-grid. But these machines, though useful, can be costly. Thankfully, even these machines go on sale, like the Delta Pro model from Ecoflow at Amazon. This 3,600-watt portable power station is now only $1,799, reduced from its regular $2,799 price. That's a huge $1,000 discount, but this deal is only around for a limited time -- so place your order soon. The Ecoflow Delta Pro can provide up to 3,600 watts of power. Its 15 ports include AC outlets, USB-A, USB-C, DC outlets, a car charger port and an Anderson port, making this a versatile portable power station that can keep your essential gadgets charged. Charging the Delta Pro is easy and can be done in as quickly as 1.8 hours. Whether you prefer using a wall outlet, solar panel, EV charging station, car charger or a smart generator, you can keep your power station ready for all occasions. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Need more power? The Ecoflow Delta Pro can expand to up to 4,500 watts of power or combine with a second unit to offer as much as 7,200 watts -- perfect for longer trips and heavy-duty use. To check your power stats, watts, temperature and discharge times, simply download the EcoFlow app and use it with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The Delta Pro also weighs 99 pounds and has wheels for easier maneuverability. And some buyers might even qualify for the Residential Clean Energy Credit to get a tax credit worth up to 30% of the cost of the power station. If you're looking for a portable power station but aren't sure if this one is for you, check out our list of the best portable power stations to find the best deal. Why this deal matters Keeping the lights on or the fridge running can make dealing with bad weather and power outages easier. The same goes for camping in the wilderness, especially if you need to keep a heater running. The Ecoflow Delta Pro power station can handle all of that and more, and now you can buy it for a more affordable price.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Sun King Wins Citi-Backed Loan to Boost Kenya Solar Power Access
Sun King, the world's largest off-grid solar company, has secured $156 million in financing backed by Citigroup Inc. and British International Investment to boost access to affordable solar power across Kenya. Other lenders and agencies involved in the 20.1 billion shilling securitization include Stanbic Bank Kenya Ltd. a unit of Standard Bank Group, Absa Group Ltd., the Co-operative Bank of Kenya, KCB Bank Kenya Ltd. the Dutch development bank FMO, and Norfund, the Norwegian Investment Fund for developing countries.
Times
4 days ago
- Times
I'm sleeping in a caravan so I can put my cottage on Airbnb
I am writing this by candlelight at the wobbly knee-high desk of a caravan situated in my friend's backyard. There is no electricity, no water and no toilet, so I have to use an old outside one. I am running a wi-fi hotspot off my phone. As the light fades I'll be forced to bed by 9pm, in an old sleeping bag I'm sharing with my dog, where I'll fall asleep dreaming of my lovely cottage — where I have my own toilet, my own bed and my own office, with an ergonomic chair in it. I am spending the week in this absurd set-up not because I fancied a cheap off-grid escape (although using an outdoor loo is a novelty) but because I've rented my Somerset cottage out, like other mad middle-class people across the country this summer. In tourist hotspots families are fleeing to cash in on visitors, making themselves Airbnb-homeless and performing accommodation gymnastics as they look for somewhere to stay themselves. As Airbnb has become ubiquitous — not to mention the source of anger over overtourism and second homes — so it has spawned another trend among a squeezed middle class looking for extra cash to pay climbing mortgages. When I was hoping to move to Cornwall I viewed one farmhouse with a long stretch of garden where, the estate agent explained, the owner erected a tent every summer to make thousands a week from renting the house. He didn't say quite what the Americans who rented it made of looking out to see the homeowner sleeping under canvas. • 'First-time buyers want cheaper homes — not bigger mortgages' A friend with a house on the coast sleeps in her car over summer, parking down lanes and showering at the gym because she can make thousands a week from renting her pretty cottage to tourists. Others go to crash with their parents or sleep on friends' sofas. I will be rotating between friends across the country who are happy to put me up on their sofas or in their spare rooms in exchange for some extra childcare during the holidays. As well as coming back and forth to the off-grid caravan, I'll be borrowing a tent for week or travelling whenever I can. After all, if I can make a rental of my own cottage coincide with my holiday, I'll have covered the cost of it. A family I know in Gloucestershire with a large beautiful house that rents for more than £400 a night take themselves off to a single hotel room for a week when they rent it. Another very wealthy family I've heard about, with a gorgeous old manor house in Devon that they lease to tourists for thousands during peak summer season, stay with their rather less wealthy relatives, relocating their pedigree dogs and custom Land Rovers to a council house in the suburbs. • Stick or twist — should you sit tight or buy a home now? I have heard about a woman who moves to a cramped new-build around the corner from her Instagram-gorgeous north London cottage when she lets it out over the summer, and another with a stunning East End townhouse she vacates to sofa-surf with friends. Ophelia, a photographer, has spent summers renting out her flat in Hackney while she goes back to her mum's in Suffolk, often popping back to London for work on day trips or hauling her things across town. 'I remember I stayed with one of my friends around the corner once while I rented my flat out in Hackney, dragging my clothes and all my photography equipment down eight flights of stairs so I could crash on her sofa for a week,' she says. The playwright P Burton-Morgan is renting out the family home in rural Somerset for three weeks back-to-back over summer to fund a forthcoming theatre tour. The plan is sofa-surfing between different friends, family and even former parents-in-law to make it work. 'It's a precarious juggle of friends with kids doing sleepover swaps, generous family members and then people we vaguely know who seem sympathetic. I try to rotate between friends so no one gets too bored with us. And find ways to reciprocate, like doing some gardening. Parents in the creative industries have always scrabbled around in this kind of gift-economy way, it's just more of that dialled up a notch. We'll probably run out of willing hosts soon, but while it's still sunny there's always camping. • Why landlords are now in the market for holiday lets 'I am in the process of converting my shed so I can sleep in it and rent out the house. You just go, 'At what point is the tail wagging the dog?'' Others agree that the fallout of Airbnbing the family home isn't always worth it. 'It was a nightmare,' one person tells me, recounting how they rented out their beautiful home to a group who threw a huge party. 'The neighbours complained, they left empty bottles of booze everywhere and vomit in the children's bedrooms.' Once Ophelia rented her spare room to a man 'who thought I had gone out for the night, so I came back to find him in the sitting room sleeping with a girl'. And then there's the toll on those friends you beg, borrow and steal from. A friend tells me of the time a couple they knew offered to house-sit while they were on holiday. It was only later that it transpired they had invited their extended family along too — all while making a quick buck renting out their own home. When the candles run out in the caravan, I will have to stop writing and instead spend the evening pining for my home, reminding myself that, for all the inconvenience, I'm one of the lucky ones.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Prince Harry went off-grid and was uncontactable during secret three-day visit to Botswana
The Duke of Sussex went off-grid and was uncontactable for three days during his week-long visit to Africa, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. After completing his work with landmine-clearing Halo Trust charity in Angola, he is believed to have travelled to the neighbouring country of Botswana last weekend. There, he is thought to have met with a mother figure in his life who lives in the southern African country, Tania 'TJ' Jenkins, whom he calls 'mom'. She and her husband Mike Holding played a pivotal role in Harry's life for many years before he met Meghan. They were so important to him that he flew his future wife to introduce her to them within a month of meeting her in 2016. It's unusual for the duke to spend so long away from the family home in Montecito, California, without Meghan. Trips abroad without her usually involve a tight turnround, with Harry jetting home after just two or three days. On this occasion, however, he spent a full week away from Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet. A source said: 'This time he took some more time and space, and made the trip into a week-long visit to reconnect with old friends and get some headspace away from his phone and emails. 'He went off comms for two days or so. 'It was a good moment for Harry to take some time away from everything, enjoying total peace of mind and being somewhere so remote that he couldn't even get emails or texts or calls.'
The Sun
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I quit my corporate job to go self-employed & live in an 8ft caravan – it feels huge & I'm saving to buy my own land
A WOMAN has revealed how she quit living in a house, swapping it for a caravan instead. Freya, from the UK, took to social media to share the new caravan she and her partner, Charlie, were living in as they saved up their cash to buy their own land. 2 2 Recently, Freya showed off the new caravan they had bought, an Adria Adora which was much larger than their previous home on wheels. The caravan measures 8ft wide and is a four-berth, making it super roomy for Freya, her partner and their pet dog. But Freya hasn't always dreamt of following an off-grid lifestyle as she explained that she once had a corporate job while living with her mum to save for a housing deposit. Now, Freya runs her own business while living out of a caravan as she saves up to buy her own land. Showing viewers around her new home she shared that it also comes with a relatively large kitchen and living room area which had lots of secret storage hidden away. Most importantly for Freya, she now had a full-sized fridge. She said: "I was so excited about this. Look at all that room and a huge freezer as well. "There's also a cupboard at the top and the bottom of the fridge. So plenty of space, don't have to have Charlie's beers on the floor anymore." She also pointed out that the bed was a lot bigger than they expected as it was a queen-size and also had storage space underneath. Above the bed, the caravan has USB ports to plug your phone into as well as a little spotlight for reading. I bought a £26k caravan, trolls say it's a mistake but my bank account disagrees Most importantly, Freya said they went for this type of caravan as they are well insulated to stop it from getting damp in the winter. The clip of her new home soon went viral on her TikTok account @ caravanlifewithfreya with over 250k views. Many were in awe of her lifestyle and loved the look of the caravan. One person wrote: "Living the dream, I'd swap my mortgage for this any day." Another commented: "That is amazing, I'm going to look for one of those for me and my family we currently have a compass rally." How much does it cost to live in a caravan? LIVING in a caravan can be an economical and flexible lifestyle choice in the UK. Here's a breakdown of potential costs: Initial Costs Caravan Purchase: £8,000 - £40,000 (depending on size, age, and condition) Caravan Insurance: £200 - £800 per year Ongoing Monthly Costs Pitch Fees: £150 - £600 (varies by location and facilities) Utilities (Electricity, Gas, Water): £40 - £120 Maintenance and Repairs: £20 - £80 Internet and TV: £20 - £50 Gas for Heating/Cooking: £15 - £40 Other Potential Costs Waste Disposal Fees: £8 - £25 Transport Costs (if moving locations): Variable, depending on distance Optional Add-ons (Awning, Solar Panels, etc.): £400 - £1,600 (one-time) Sample Monthly Budget Pitch Fees: £400 Utilities: £80 Maintenance and Repairs: £40 Internet and TV: £40 Gas for Heating/Cooking: £25 Total: £585 Annual Estimated Cost Total Monthly Costs: £585 x 12 = £7,020 Insurance: £500 Maintenance and Repairs: £480 Total Annual Cost: £8,000 Tips to Save Off-Peak Pitch Fees: Look for lower rates during off-peak seasons. DIY Maintenance: Handle minor repairs yourself. Energy Efficiency: Invest in solar panels to reduce utility costs. While initial setup costs can be significant, ongoing expenses for living in a caravan can be relatively low, making it a viable option for those seeking an affordable and mobile lifestyle in the UK. "Just wanted to say your caravan/home is beautiful," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "Looks amazing, I bet you can save so much money." "Love it, beautiful caravan,' claimed a fifth
