Children are washing in streams and using head torches to do homework because their homes aren't connected to the electricity grid.
Around 350 homes in Northumberland are without mains electricity, with many unable to use washing machines, hairdryers, showers or freezers because they need more power than a generator can produce.
Families are being quoted tens of thousands of pounds by power companies to be connected to the grid.
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Christine Nicholls, from Community Action Northumberland (CAN), says children are bathing in streams and doing homework using head torches, while people struggle with basic household tasks such as washing their clothes.
She said: "There are people who have gas lights that hiss when you turn them on. There are people who have to do their washing on a wringer because they can't produce enough energy to run a washing machine.
"There are elderly people who have to go and stay with their daughter in Scotland every winter because they can't produce enough energy for heat and their generator is stolen every year."
While some properties are in rurally isolated areas, Christine said a large majority are on the edge of towns and villages.
She said: "Not all of the properties are in the middle of nowhere as some are close to Morpeth and Belford and quite large settlements."
The majority of off-grid households rely on diesel generators to meet their basic electricity needs. Using generators can prove expensive with households paying between £8,000 and £12,000 per year for four hours of electricity per day.
In 2019, CAN established the off-grid task force to bring all key partners to do something about the situation and help these households access the same electricity supply that the rest of the UK takes for granted.
Christine said: "We set up this task force to bring together groups of people such as the county council, national park, the network provider to look at what we can do and how to connect people to the grid.
"I think we have had some success but it is a fairly slow process. There are issues with being able to cross land lines. If Mr Blogs lives at A and it cross into Mr B's land you have to get permission to run the line across the field. The second issue is the cost."
Families have reported being quoted charges of up to £75,000 by power distribution companies to be connected to the network.
"I think the responsibility is with the Government because it is not just a Northumberland issue it is across the rest of the country," Christine said.
Christine said while initiatives push for everyone to drive electric cars in the future, connecting everyone to the power grid should be a priority.
She said: "The Government says everyone should be driving electric cars. How does that work if everyone isn't on the grid?"
A spokeswoman for Northern Power Grid said distribution network operators (DNOs) have a duty to make a connection if a customer requests one, and they are able to recover those costs reasonably incurred in providing that connection.
She said: "Connection costs are paid for by the customer that requests the connection and are based on a common DNO calculation methodology using the lowest overall capital cost that ensures network operators provide a connection, and which is in line with statutory and licence obligations including the requirement to develop, maintain and operate an efficient, co-ordinated and economical electricity distribution system.
"The cost of providing a connection to a premises can vary depending on the nature of what is required.
"Some connections may require a network operator to do work to their existing network to enable the connection to be made.
"There has been debate about the subsidisation of costs associated with connection of more remote off grid properties, by where costs are socialised. The fairness of doing so has to be considered, particularly where there is a prospect of some customers seeing a large rise in their property’s value paid for by all other customers."
The spokeswoman said an Ofgem decision on changes to the connection charging arrangements that will mean customers pay less towards reinforcement of the existing network that is triggered by their connection.
She added: "These charging reforms will come into effect (for connection applications received) from 1 April 2023 and they could help to reduce costs for some customers where enabling their connection would require reinforcement on the existing electricity network."
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “It is policy that customers requiring a new connection to the network are expected to pay for the associated costs, to ensure that other customers are treated fairly and do not fund network activities that are of no benefit to them.”
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