– It's now common sense for home owners, farmers and schools to invest in a small wind turbine, locking in energy costs for 20 years
17th October 2012 – “Four of the ‘big six’ UK energy firms – British Gas, npower, SSE and Scottish Power – have all announced further hikes in electricity costs – of up to 9.1%. These increases will hit millions of households across the UK before the winter, and experience sadly shows that this won’t be the last such energy price rise. Looking at costs over the last few years, energy inflation over the last 5 years has been running at an annual average of 8.6%(i). If this continues we will be paying 21p per kWh in five years, rising to some 72p per kWh unit in 20 years time.
“Most of us feel we are at the mercy of utility company pricing, with little choice but to dig deeper into our pockets. Swapping providers or securing a fixed priced deal will only provide a temporary respite.
Is there an alternative? I believe there is. While utility providers won’t comment on future energy price movements, the small wind turbine approach offers fixed electricity prices for two decades.
“If you have some land and an average annual wind speed of 6 metres per second, then an investment of around £26,000 to install an Evance R9000 small wind turbine, plus all running costs, means just 14p per kWh today and …. 14p per kWh for 20 years! Locking down electricity costs, gaining some energy security, and getting a better return on investment than currently available from a bank or building society, has got to be a winning combination.
“The cost of electricity for a high consumption UK home(ii) currently costs(iii) £714 a year. In just 5 years this could rise to £1,071 a year –that’s £90 every single month! A small wind turbine(iv) would generate more electricity than this house needs! These cost increases are going to be more extreme for larger electricity users such as farms and schools (for schools, energy is their second biggest cost).
“Uncertainty about rising fuel costs is leading not just to customer dissatisfaction but increased fuel poverty. Not surprisingly, those who can will continue to look for alternatives. What’s clear is that small wind is available now as a realistic alternative for many consumers who feel that energy prices are slipping beyond their control.”
By Kevin Parslow, CEO of Evance Wind Turbines – www.evancewind.com
Notes
(ii) Based on using 5,100kWh a year – http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Media/FactSheets/Documents1/domestic%20energy%20consump%20fig%20FS.pdf
(iii) Based on an average cost of 14pence per kWh
(iv) An Evance R9000 small wind turbine on a site with an average annual wind speed of 6.0m/s would generate 13,653kWh per year