Driving off the grid

Sam J Watkins

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All about sustainability options and the journey we took to become self-powered in Urban Suffolk, UK. We are not your typical eco-warriors, being based in Suffolk means vehicles are needed. We live in a town. Yet, we have taken our house through from an EPC C to a B without doing to much to the main fabric. We shared the stories we hear from other people - no one size fits all in the UKs journey to net zero in terms of zero emissions.

2d ago

Getting our EPC A

Our journey surmised in 27 minutes. In 2013, we bought our house, already upgrading from an EPC D to C. This episode takes you through that trek: it wasn't a jump all taken in one fast paced transformation but one considered step after another. What worked I tended to share on the Driving off the Grid blog. What didn't was chalked up to experience. And shared else where. Most steps were well taken. Listen to the story here.
Oct 16

Get automated!

In today's episode, I look at how we've used home automation to reduce vampiric loads on our electricity and yet remove some of the friction in day-to-day life. This is Heat Pump week, but using automation in terms of our heating schedule unlocked the savings available in our heat pump, and made life so much more comfortable. Lighting automation can be contentious in a busy and flexible household, so what's the right mix for you? How can you make the most of that investment? Isn't it just easier to go and push the switch on the wall? Find out how we made the steps towards our automated house. Is there anything you can share on living in the 21st Century?
Oct 15

Bonus Episode: How to cut your heating bill by 30% (without buying a heat pump or going cold!)

Hi, it’s National Heat Pump Week, and while we are huge advocates for low-carbon heating, we know the elephant in the room: heat pumps aren't financially or physically accessible for everyone right now. Yet with the high price of natural gas, how can you make your heating work for you? For this special off-schedule episode of Driving Off the Grid, we wanted to tackle the question: what can you do if you're stuck on gas or oil and either renting or not ready for a big capital upgrade? Before we ever installed our heat pump, we spent three years getting our home into shape. Focusing on smart controls, lowering boiler flow temperatures, and phasing upgrades room-by-room, we dropped our annual heating consumption from 17 MWh down to 12.8 MWh. A massive 30% reduction in energy demand without sitting in the cold. We did it in small steps, none costing more than a takeaway for four! In this episode, we break down: • 🌡️ The 55°C Boiler Trick: How a simple dial adjustment pushes your gas boiler into its high-efficiency condensing zone. • 🎯 Smart Zoning on a Budget: Why room-by-room scheduling with smart TRVs beats heating empty space. • 🎭 Low-Cost Fabric Wins: Easy insulation hacks (like thermal curtain linings and draught excluders) that anyone, including renters, can implement. The high price of natural gas means it is not enough just to turn down the boiler, you need to get it working better for you. Share your tips on how to make the most of your heat here.
Oct 9

Looking forward to Winter with our Heat Pump.

Today's hot episode is all about the heat. As the first cold day is approaching, how can you get the most out of any planned heat pump or one you have in place? Why does the planning of the installation matter? Why should you look at the settings? Heat pumps are not the only story in town when it comes to electric heating but getting it right can make it pay for itself. On Saturday the numbers behind this podcast will be published on Driving off the Grid - heat pump section.
Oct 2

The total carbon footprint of owning our Leaf.

What happens when you drive an early-generation electric vehicle for over a decade, rack up thousands of miles, and bypass modern tech nannies entirely? In this episode, we’re cutting through the second-hand EV panic and looking at the reality of long-term electric ownership. From keeping maintenance bills under £200 per annum and proving that replacing early battery packs is not a massive cost when the time comes, to why we should celebrate "dumb" cars that don't aggressively yank your steering wheel on country lanes, this episode is about the real-world economics of keeping a classic EV on the road. Forget the hype, the anxiety, and the endless alerts. Let’s talk about true automotive longevity and driving joy. See why I 💚 our Leaf.
Sep 25

The gift that keeps on giving.

Sunbeams, Slide Rules, and Staying Power As the autumn equinox arrives, this week’s episode takes a reflective yet practical look at the lifecycle of solar technology—tracing our relationship with ambient energy all the way from childhood classroom calculators to modern domestic microgrids. From Retro Tech to Rooftop Arrays: We take a nostalgic walk down memory lane, looking at early solar-powered essentials like the classic Texas Instruments calculators (the TI-1766 and TI-34) and exploring how those early encounters with ambient light sparked a lifelong appreciation for self-sustaining power. My family has been harnessing solar power for a while. The Myth of Planned Obsescence: Moving past the modern cycle of constant upgrades, this episode challenges the throwaway culture surrounding electronics and energy hardware. We look at why true sustainability is rooted in rugged longevity, proper maintenance, and respecting the gear we already own. Everyday Ambient Efficiency: Connecting vintage low-power tech to modern setups—including solar-driven keyboards and a 4 kWp domestic rooftop array—we discuss how small design choices accumulate into genuine resource independence. Tune in as we explore how looking backward at enduring design can help us build a more mindful, resilient, and off-grid future.
Sep 18

We have the means, we're just not using it!

We have the means to generate far more renewable energy than we're doing today if you look at sources like https://www.energydashboard.co.uk/map. It has a feed all of the live and planned electrical generating plants across the UK. The dashboard also provides where our energy comes from over the past 15 minutes. When I examined it on the 20th August, we had solar farms idle while our home plant was harvesting photons at 90% of the maximum available for our site! All while the Great Yarmouth Gas power plant was producing carbon dioxide to give us the energy we needed. Why does having these sources idle cause such an issue for me? If they were live, especially during the summer, we would have much cheaper prices for electricity. The UK is a pioneer in renewable energy, it would be great if we could actually use it!
Sep 11

Sustainability meets accessibility, taking steps towards a journey that includes everyone.

As a human computer interface designer (often called user interfaces), I am often criticised by my peers for my 'boring designs'. For me though, the story has always been about ensuring any person can make use of the information I am producing and displaying through my apps. Since 2002, I have never locked my webpages to a colour or scheme. If you need it yellow text with a purple background because that makes your life easier: you should have that. All of TSamko Ltd's apps are built with that philosophy, baked in from day one: which doesn't mean we get it right but we try and we listen to our users feedback. This podcast is the story of that journey towards an intuitive user interface for a solar optimiser, whether the screen is visible to you today, or not. Further details on how this works may be found on optiPV's website.

All about sustainability options and the journey we took to become self-powered in Urban Suffolk, UK. We are not your typical eco-warriors, being based in Suffolk means vehicles are needed. We live in a town. Yet, we have taken our house through from an EPC C to a B without doing to much to the main fabric. We shared the stories we hear from other people - no one size fits all in the UKs journey to net zero in terms of zero emissions.

Creator

Sam J Watkins
Years Active

2026
Episodes

15
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Sam J Watkins
Show Website

Driving off the grid