electricity and sucking eggs

I was in dispute with the electrical ombudsman and I can tell you there is no satisfaction there. They are part of the big grinding wheel and there is no stopping it. The end result was my power was taken from me and all the electrical safty features of the house were turned off including the telephone and internet. They then sent me a bill for $500 au for them cutting the power to my house. The food in the fridge spoiled and I was left with little to eat because I just did the weeks food shopping and all spoiled.  I hit the emergency button on my mobile as I was going down and the ambulance arrived some time later. Blood pressure went threw the roof 217 in fact and I collapsed on the drive way and my good friend and neighbor George came over to help me. You know something is going to happen but the results are not what and how you expected. Ambulance bill another $500. So much for duty and care but this is another story.
Living with out the grid has been a learning curve. Opening the back of the meter box and all the wires there and then thinking which ones do I cut the connect my camp generator to. Wires selected and cut and an extension cord attached genny started first go and then the run inside to see the damage. Power and lights all working. You just have to have some luck sometimes.
So I was up and running again so time to do the sums.  Fictitious electrical charges came to over $2000 and an ongoing fee of 28 dollars a week. I got 2 solar panels 200 watts and 2 truck batteries and along with wire and stuff including a 3000 watt inverter total $800 dollars day to glue the panels to the roof and wire up and connect to the power lead at the meter box.
After a week I knew the storage was too low so a new 100 amp hour battery was purchased and installed. My wako fridge was then removed from the shed where it sat for over 15 years. The thing would not start  rapid movement of the switch and walla working fridge. It was put in service yesterday and the volts were 12.5 this morning so for winter one more panel and another battery should complete the system. final costing will be less then $2000 au. The ombudsman rang to inform me I had to pay and my message to them was "go suck eggs". Hot water was replaced when I bought the place and solar was chosen I am totally self sufficient.  I run the generator for washing cloths and I charge all my batteries at the same time. I have a 240 volt electric lawn mower and I do the mowing when the cloths are washing or I can runn the dishwasher. Hey aint life grand. My son the lawyer is still laughing about the power being turned off.

The yellow wire at the bottom of the photo is the extension cord and all the circuit breakers are working as normal. If you do not know what you are doing do not attempt this. The system is alive in the photo running off the inverter.