It used to be the preserve of Aussies who wore tinfoil hats while decrying the moon landings as fake, but a doomsday prepper mindset is going increasingly mainstream since the Iran War fuel crisis.
A Money.com.au study conducted by Primara Research has revealed close to one in six Aussies have made changes to their home in response to global instability.
A further 37 per cent said they were planning to make changes to their home that would prepare them for what lies ahead, including changes to make their homes energy, water and food independent.
MORE: Detail hidden in Budget changes everything
This surge in prepper mindset, from Aussies who traditionally do not call themselves preppers, has been closely tied to the global supply chain shocks resulting from Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Solar panels have soared in popularity as Aussies look for ways to be energy independent.
Fuel prices have risen by record margins since February, diesel shortages have become widespread in regional areas and there are fears disruption in fertiliser supply will drag down food production.
These cost increases came off the back of a similar increase in energy prices after the 2022 outbreak of the Ukraine War, along with Covid-era supply chain disruptions.
Primara revealed that for most Australians, preparing their homes to be more “off grid”, started with growing their own food.
“It is the most popular first step,” the research showed, indicating that just over half of Aussies who did not identify as “preppers” were growing some of their own food to save costs and be more independent.
MORE: ‘Investors gone’: Aussie auction collapses stun
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Demand for backyard veggie gardens has also spiked.
Energy independence dominated the changes among those buying homes, with solar, off-grid systems and battery storage leading the list of changes, followed by water security upgrades.
Primara head of research Peter Drennan said these changes were no longer seen as lifestyle features but baseline expectations for many.
“This isn’t a story about survivalists,” Mr Drennan said. “It’s about a growing group of practical Australians making conscious decisions about their most valuable asset.
“The prepper label is almost a distraction. The mainstream is quietly doing the same thing to their homes.”
The data, which polled Australians over March, revealed three distinct groups. Self-confessed preppers were the most active, with 43 per cent having already acted to make home changes.
MORE: Iran War’s ‘scary’ cost to Aussie homeowners
Water security has also become a priority.
They were closely followed by a practical middle, representing 45 per cent of the population. This was a group who didn’t identify as preppers but saw preparation as sensible. One in five of this cohort had already done something to their property.
True non-preppers sat at just 3 per cent of households.
“Self-sufficiency is becoming a property checklist, and it is only going to get longer,” Mr Drennan said.
“When people want to act now, they start with what is practical and affordable, growing food, making small changes.
“When they are buying, the stakes are higher. Energy independence tops the list, but food production, water security, connectivity and storage all come into play.”
MORE: New country beats China in Aus home buy up amid Iran War
Being off the grid, specifically as a result of global events, used to be more associated with conspiracy theorist types on the fringes of society.
It comes as additional Finder.com.au polling showed more than half of Australians were making lifestyle changes to cope with soaring petrol prices.
Almost one in three said they have stopped driving their car “unless absolutely necessary”, while one in four had cancelled travel plans or travelled less.
The squeeze has also made people reconsider what car they drive, with 3 per cent opting to sell their car and a further 5 per cent buying an electric or hybrid vehicle.
Taylor Blackburn, personal finance specialist at Finder, said many Australians were doing whatever it took to drive down their costs.
“It’s becoming a widespread issue with Australians across all states cancelling plans, skipping holidays and changing jobs just to cope with rising living costs,” he said.
A preference for being off the grid has often gone hand-in-hand with family’s prioritising electric vehicle ownership.
Mr Blackburn said now was a good time for people to re-evaluate their spending across all household expenses.
“Whether it’s finding cheaper alternatives to transport, comparing your utilities bills or switching to cheaper insurance, there are multiple ways to stretch your dollar further.”
