Many people are fed up of the escalating cost of electricity, but they do not know what they can do about it. They have switched lights off; they have not turned lights on; they have unplugged devices on stand-by and they have turned the central heating down and the air con up and it has only saved them pennies. Yet still the electricity bills go up on a regular basis. It is very exasperating.

We have all heard of alternative and sustainable sources of energy, but the question is: how can average people implement these technologies into their own homes? One phone call to a professional solar power installation company will convince anyone that solar power is only for the well-off.

Likewise with wind power generation. A single device, which may or may not fulfill the electrical needs of one average family will cost in the region of $45,000 and it is thought that, if it meets aspirations, that it will pay for itself after ten years time. $45,000 is too much money for most people, but having to wait ten years to realize that investment is too long for most people too.

So, at first glimpse, it looks like the average person is at the mercy of the oil companies and the electricity generators. However, it does not have to be like that. There are other ways of tackling the problem and extricating yourself from the clutches of energy providers. The first technique would be to buy the solar power units and install them yourself. That would save you a great deal, perhaps up to 50%. But you could go a stage further and make the solar panels yourself too, which would save you a great deal more money.

The fact is that the more of your own labour that you can put into the project, the more you will save, because the labour element in any job usually amounts to about 50% of the costs. We all know how expensive it is to call a plumber in to fix a leaking pipe or a roofer to replace a slate. $100 for a slate? $100 for a dribble of solder? No, it is the tradesman's time and the same is true of solar panel fitters.

The way out is to learn how to make the solar power units and install them yourself. It is not hard. Any teenager can learn how to do it and so can you. Believe me, learning how to assemble and install solar panels is not hard. Just try it and see for yourself. You will amaze yourself and your friends. You may even transform it into a business!

The thing to do is get a dependable kit or a plan from a trusted source. This could be a neighborhood hardware or hobbyist store or from a specialist website on the Internet. Once you have your plan, you can buy the components. They are commonplace and available in most DIY shops. Then it will take you about a day to make a solar panel that will supply about 100 watts.

This may not seem like much, but it will power many types of small machines or two average light bulbs. The trick is to keep adding to your stock of solar panels until you are entirely free of the electricity grid or even selling electricity back into it.