UK to trial household wind turbines

British Gas

recently announced plans that will allow homeowners to generate their own free supply of electricity from the wind. The UK’s largest energy supplier has signed an agreement with Windsave to make roof-top wind turbines available to UK households.

An initial pilot later this year will see the household windmills installed on selected properties, both private and local authority owned, in Scotland and the South West and, if successful, will be rolled out across the country.

The Windsave rooftop model is expected to produce around 1kw of electricity to supplement the property’s existing national grid supply, enough to power a TV and DVD player, computer, fridge and freezer and several lights.

Dr Diana Montgomery, Head of Environment Strategy at British Gas said, “Having a roof-top turbine means householders can save money and help do their bit for the environment. Initial estimates show one unit could cut annual electricity bills by up to a third and reduce CO2 emissions by half a tonne per annum.”