On your roof for £1,500, B&Q's windmill:
They have a wingspan of almost 6ft, hum in the breeze and could be landing soon on a rooftop near you - whether you like it or not. Home wind turbines are to go on sale at B&Q for £1,498, including installation. And from next year they are unlikely to require planning permission following a change in the law. The DIY store chain is expecting to sell between 20,000 and 50,000 a year and believes they will become a common feature of the skyline within five years. When the wind is blowing at 28mph, the turbines generate 1kilowatt of power, enough to run a TV, DVD player, computer, fridge freezer and several lights. The company says government grants mean buyers can reclaim 30% of the cost of installation, which would cut the price to £1,048. It claims one of the turbines, made in Scotland by a firm named Windsave, will cut annual electricity bills by up to 30% and pay for itself within five years. However, this seems optimistic. The average annual electricity bill with British Gas, the most expensive of the major suppliers, is £428. Reducing this by 30% would save £128.40 a year. Using these calculations, it would take just over eight years to recoup the £1,048 installation cost. If no grant were available it would take more than 11 years. The windmill, however, has an official average lifespan of ten years. This will be reduced in coastal areas where salt in the wind will speed corrosion. Apart from the financial issues, clearly the turbines will reduce demand for electricity from the national grid. In theory, less gas and coal will have to be burned to fuel power stations. B&Q buying manager Paul Johnson said: 'We are the windiest country in Europe, so there is enormous scope for a home windmill. There is massive hunger out there for this product. I am absolutely convinced they will become as common as a satellite dish.' Mr Johnson rejected suggestions from some quarters that the windmills are an eyesore and will upset neighbours. 'When you see one installed on a house, and high up on the roof, they are not intrusive,' he said. 'Someone coming up with this product ten years ago might have been considered a laughing stock, but today we all understand the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels.' The windmills generate a noise of some 40 decibels when they are spinning. Mr Johnson said that is equivalent to the sound of someone chatting in the street as they pass your house. Some might think this would disturb the home- owner and neighbours, particularly in the summer months when the windows are left open. However, Mr Johnson said: 'I would think it is rather relaxing. I quite like the idea of it whirring away.' Buyers are currently required to secure planning permission - as happened with Tory leader David Cameron at his multimillion-pound home in Notting Hill. Some councils are throwing up obstacles. However, the Department for Communities and Local Government has announced a change in planning rules. The change - unlikely to come into effect until the middle of next year will allow windmills, unless they are in conservation areas or on listed buildings. 29.9.06