We are currently on the process of making our house more independent - firstly by fitting full on solar power system that should be enough to keep us going fully off grid - but we have had six months of delays getting all the parts - it will be pretty hi-tech, and will cost about $35k. Even if we had a week of non stop rain - which does happen here, the battery back up would keep us going at full power.

Even if they don't start having power cuts, they will push the prices sky high. The irony of this is spectacular, in the 70's my father helped to design the hydro electric generators that supply most of NZ's power...

Next is a water tank system, and we do have enough garden to potentially grow a certain amount of food - more land than that house in Thames, but Wellington is not prime year round growing climate and I'm not really a big vege eater!