No. You have the option to use the water generator on or off-grid, both of which the program teaches you how to do. If you do decide to use electricity to power your device, it typically takes less energy than your average television (a couple of cents a day). However, this does depend on the quality of the air dehumidifier that you are using. You also learn how to build your own mini power generator, which you can use to power your water generator.