Going green may be able to help people living abroad afford a Spanish property.

When the sterling began to fade in strength against the euro earlier this year, many expatriates found themselves struggling to cope, according to the Telegraph.

However, by simultaneously reducing your carbon footprint and living in a more self-sufficient manner, home owners can conquer the credit crunch.

This is exactly what Peter Hughes and Kinga Monica did with their property in Almeria, Spain.

The pair decided to install solar thermal panels, wood-burning stoves, rainwater harvesting and grow their own vegetables to keep costs low.

It worked and their monthly running costs are around €25 (£21.50).

Peter said: "We’re completely self-sufficient.

"We have all our needs: television, kitchen gadgets. We even ran high-power drills off the batteries without running out during the building work."

Many regions in Spain now have the law that all new properties must have solar power built in to them.

According to Indigo Guide, Almeria is one of the least known Spanish costas with a growing tourist industry.

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