Ever know anyone who didn't have electricity in thier house?

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
For some reason I was reminded of this girl I worked with at the end of high school. We both lived in a coastal California community where the average cost of a home was over $400k. Both went to the same high school. But, she had no electricity at her house. Apparently her parents had bought some property in the mountains in about 1980, and had built their house without ever getting building permits, or ever running electricity to the house. So if they needed electricity, they ran a generator. When they were done with electricity, they turned it off.

Seems really odd having that place no more than a mile from an upper middle class beach town. All the other houses in the mountains had electricity (but they were built legally, apparently).
 

Grey

Platinum Member
Oct 14, 1999
2,737
2
81
When my roomates forget to pay the damn bill I have had to live without the electric. It isn't that bad because we have gas heated water. The house is so dead without power I don't sleep well in the silence.


*edited for logic*
 

HappyPuppy

Lifer
Apr 5, 2001
16,997
2
71
Originally posted by: notfred
For some reason I was reminded of this girl I worked with at the end of high school. We both lived in a coastal California community where the average cost of a home was over $400k. Both went to the same high school. But, she had no electricity at her house. Apparently her parents had bought some property in the mountains in about 1980, and had built their house without ever getting building permits, or ever running electricity to the house. So if they needed electricity, they ran a generator. When they were done with electricity, they turned it off.

Seems really odd having that place no more than a mile from an upper middle class beach town. All the other houses in the mountains had electricity (but they were built legally, apparently).


Sounds like the Big Sur area. Lots of old time hippies living in those parts.

 

tk149

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2002
7,256
1
0
My cousin's family didn't get electricity until the late 1980's. They live in a 3rd world country.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
Originally posted by: notfred
For some reason I was reminded of this girl I worked with at the end of high school. We both lived in a coastal California community where the average cost of a home was over $400k. Both went to the same high school. But, she had no electricity at her house. Apparently her parents had bought some property in the mountains in about 1980, and had built their house without ever getting building permits, or ever running electricity to the house. So if they needed electricity, they ran a generator. When they were done with electricity, they turned it off.

Seems really odd having that place no more than a mile from an upper middle class beach town. All the other houses in the mountains had electricity (but they were built legally, apparently).


Sounds like the Big Sur area. Lots of old time hippies living in those parts.

Not that far off, really. A bit farther north, in Santa Cruz.
 

Martin

Lifer
Jan 15, 2000
29,178
1
81
No. Even my grandparents, who live in a Bulgarian mountain villiage of 300 people have electricity.
 

TheCorm

Diamond Member
Nov 5, 2000
4,326
0
0
<:music:>
As i walk through the valley where I harvest my grain I take a look at my wife and realise she's quite plain....but that's just perfect for an amish like me...you know I shun fancy things like electricity....
</:music:>
 

hopeless879

Senior member
Mar 4, 2002
900
0
0
Never knew anybody who didn't have electricity. But my friend had an oil furnace or something. People had to come out to his house ever so often and change the oil in his furace. One day they screwed up and he ended up with 6-8 inches of oil covering his basement because the furnace exploded. Haha, we made fun of him about that for awhile.
 

freegeeks

Diamond Member
May 7, 2001
5,460
1
81
Originally posted by: TwinkleToes77
my uncle doesnt have electricity.. but thats because they are poor and cant afford it.

they don't even give you a guaranteed minimum??? :Q
 

DarkManXY2G

Senior member
Dec 4, 2000
582
0
0
Originally posted by: TheCorm
<:music:>
As i walk through the valley where I harvest my grain I take a look at my wife and realise she's quite plain....but that's just perfect for an amish like me...you know I shun fancy things like electricity....
</:music:>

Good old Weird Al.

My brother's roommates never paid the electricity bill at his apartment and he got his electricity shut off a few times. Needless to say he crashed at my place during those times. Stupid roommates!
 

IntellectualSlacker

Junior Member
Jul 22, 2003
15
0
0
I remember a place my friends and I hang out, called the "Bong House" (No, there was no drug usage. It just amused them.) had no electricity. The Bong House was our friend Seth's house, who was a Senior in high school. His Dad didn't pay the bills, so the Bong House didn't have electricity for a while. Also,t hey lived off of Ramen Noodles and Kool-Aid. It was interesting. Especially since my friend's band couldn't practice there anymore. But yeah. That's just me babbling.
 

Gunslinger08

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
13,234
2
81
Originally posted by: Grey
When my roomates forget to pay the damn bill I have had to live without the electric. It isn't that bad because we have gas heated water. The house is so dead without power I don't sleep well in the silence.


*edited for logic*

How exactly do you burn gas without electricity?
 

Spac3d

Banned
Jul 3, 2001
6,651
1
0
Some of my family in India still doesn't have electricity consistently. It comes on and goes whenever - when they have it they use it, but they get by without it.
 

nater

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2001
3,135
0
0
my great uncle, who supposedly has a rather hefty stock portfolio, has electricity but no working toilet. He also has no heater, so during the winter time he leaves the range on his stove on to heat the house. The thing is, he has a brand new furnace, still in its box, sitting on his porch, he just thinks the price installers would charge is too high. It's weird how people who grew up during the depression feel about money.
 

rahvin

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
8,475
1
0
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Originally posted by: Grey
When my roomates forget to pay the damn bill I have had to live without the electric. It isn't that bad because we have gas heated water. The house is so dead without power I don't sleep well in the silence.


*edited for logic*

How exactly do you burn gas without electricity?

Doh I knew I forgot to put batteries in the camp fire to keep it going!
 

Venix

Golden Member
Aug 22, 2002
1,084
3
81
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Originally posted by: Grey
When my roomates forget to pay the damn bill I have had to live without the electric. It isn't that bad because we have gas heated water. The house is so dead without power I don't sleep well in the silence.


*edited for logic*

How exactly do you burn gas without electricity?

With fire. The pilot flame always stays lit and ignites the burner when needed.