David,
Electricity prices are one of the very few things which are actually still quite reasonable in the U.K. From TXU Energi here in Norfolk, my current rates are:

Day 6.64p (10.42 cents) per kWh
Night 2.82p (4.43 cents) per kWh
Standing charge is £11.36 ($17.84) per qtr.
Including tax, converted at current rate of £1 = U.S. $1.57.

Peter,
Gasoline is quite another matter. Current price here works out to U.S. $4.39 per gallon, thanks to the 300% tax imposed upon it by the vultures at Westminster. [Linked Image]

BJ,
Interesting links, thanks. I'll mark those sites and have a good look round when I have a little more time.

I don't know of anyone running a home off the grid around here, although there has been an experimental wind-farm just down the road (Winterton, Norfolk) for some years now working as a commercial project.

Trumpy,
Are you telling us that prior to 1992 in NZ it was actually illegal to install you own power supply (of whatever type) for use on your own property? I'm sure that most of us would consider such a law to be totally unconstitutional.

What would have happened if somebody installed their own generator/PV system and told the PoCo that he no longer required service and asked them to disconnect it? Would they have refused to do so?