One Canadian off-grid resident raised concerns about tending a neighbor's fire during a weeklong Christmas trip, including the possibility of heading over at 3 a.m. to keep the home warm.
The situation sparked a discussion about where neighborly cooperation ends and an unpaid winter house-sitting job begins.
Here's what to know
In a post to Reddit's r/OffGrid community, the resident described living in a small settlement roughly two and a half hours from a small city. The original poster also explained that a week away at Christmas would interrupt the neighboring couple's stay in the community, where they typically spent only the summers.
According to the OP, someone would likely need to maintain the couple's fire day and night to keep food, plants, a refrigerator, and a Bluetti solar power system from freezing. While summarizing the situation, they asked the forum if this is "too much to ask?"
They then wrote, "Getting up at 3 am to feed the stove is bad enough, but getting dressed and going to the neighbors at 3 am is something else entirely. What's everyone's thoughts on this? It feels like a lot to ask of someone, but maybe I'm being selfish. I'd like to hear opinions!"
A planned vacation, the poster suggested, should not carry the same expectation of help as an emergency. Commenters quickly streamed into the thread to criticize the couple's ask of OP. One suggested that OP should say they were "Happy to: for a fee. And if you are getting up at 3am to feed your stove, you need a bigger stove."
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Another wrote, "Nope. Tell them to put in a diesel heater and a largish diesel tank. It would only need to be refilled once each week and can keep a minimum temperature." A third commenter added, "All the more reason why I wouldn't want to be in a community. I chose off grid to be independent."
Others recommended preparing the home to remain unheated by clearing food from the refrigerator, addressing anything vulnerable to freezing, and temporarily moving plants and the Bluetti system into neighbors' homes.
One commenter cited chimney fire as a risk when questioning the responsibility involved in tending another household's stove.
And one commenter wrote that, "You're allowed to say no, or 'only for ___.' Perhaps there is a way that they could compensate you for the effort that would make it worth your while, monetary or otherwise."
Where can I learn more?
Keeping an off-grid home warm through winter means staying on top of chores and planning for backup power.
• A Northern Ontario cabin owner says DIY solar has sidelined their backup generator since installation.
• Pacific Northwest cabin owners say doubling their solar capacity still won't eliminate winter generator runs.
• An off-grid homeowner running a propane generator at 38% learns their inverter may need AC input.
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