Off the grid and Country living

My next bill just went up just to under 800 simoleons, which is nearly double what my last bill was. Aside from having a few more animals and produce in my inventory, nothing has changed on my lot. Something seems off. The last time I played off the grid was in Sulani, but that may have been before the change to the billing system and I didn't pay anything then. Unless the amount gets too ridiculous, I think I'll stick with it and see what happens. I'll think of it as taxes rather than utilities. If it gets out of control, I'll just cheat some money back to my sims.