Turbine couple say 'give it a go'
A RETIRED couple who installed a £22,000 wind turbine at their Gosberton Bank home say the sale of domestic turbines on the high street for £1,500 is a good thing.
Derek and Pat Tomlin say the turbine they have had for three years is a "Godsend" and suggest homeowners could do worse than give the Windsave WS1000 unit, from B&Q, a go.
The Tomlins were without power for a year at the home they built and chose to opt for a renewable energy system because they could not be connected to an existing power supply without having a new 30,000 substation built.
Their turbine produces 3KW of energy and provides a minimum of 60 per cent of their power, which is backed up by two generators.
Mrs Tomlin said: "We are definitely pleased we did it, but we didn't really have a choice.
"We are hoping over the next couple of years to get solar panels to back it up.
"We took the attitude that we built this house to retire to, on a fixed income, and need things like energy costs to be as low as possible – especially when prices keep going up."
She believes the B&Q turbine may not be as powerful as theirs but says it should still be able to power lights and other small items like hairdryers.
Because the Tomlins have no supply connection they cannot sell their excess electricity to the National Grid, although others may be able to.
Mrs Tomlin said: "A turbine puts value on the property as well. If you spend 20,000 on a car in a few years the value has gone. For the electricity it gives us its worth increases each year. It's brilliant.
"I would recommend it to anyone."
The couple still have electricity when a power cut strikes but said a drawback is the lack of people with expertise to repair the turbine if there is a fault.
Critics of the turbines, including Friends of the Earth, say there are other, less fashionable ways, of saving energy.
It claims that as well as being noisy and unsightly, turbines rarely produce much electricity and people would be better
off installing cavity wall installation.
Anyone considering installing a domestic turbine should consult their local planning authority regarding permission.
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Weather for Spalding
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
