B&Q Wind Turbines (Merged Thread)

[Deleted User]

Its plain for all to see that MM684 stands for Mickey Mouse and the 684 is Windsave's current combined total output in KWH for every single Windsave turbine ever installed.

I am sure if we give it another 6 months then MM689 will appear.

Having checked the small print on their web site, (you will need a microscope and some of that stuff for revealing invisible ink) I came across a section saying that the total expected output is 1000KwH for the lifetime of the product and that David Gordon is is a serial r( )bber with an acute an( )i social conscience (see http://windsave.staging.atwwwuk.com/page.asp?partid=32).

Glad people are still trying to save other happless victims from falling foul of this terrible product, if we are not careful then people like MM might just pull somebody in.

Freddix

Cardew

Windsave are just another in a long list of manufacturers who cash in on the ‘Green Hysteria’ gripping our nation to sell useless products at inflated prices.

We have surely got used to these purveyors of ‘snake oil’ over the years.

I believe that B&Q deserve the most severe criticism for lending their name, and hence some respectability, to a dire product.

However, but for the fact that anything ‘Green’ is beyond criticism these days, I genuinely believe that both B&Q and Windsave would have action taken against them by the Advertising Standards Authority and/or the Trading Standards authority.

magyar

Cardew wrote: »

I believe that B&Q deserve the most severe criticism for lending their name, and hence some respectability, to a dire product.

In fairness, I believe B&Q were probably deceived as much as the public. Even the experts in the wind industry that I work with aren't very clear on the performance of small turbines, so it's very doubtful that B&Q knew what they were doing here. The fact they're quickly disappearing from most stores lends credibility to that thought.

Not that it lets them off, but makes me have some sympathy.

Cardew

magyar wrote: »

In fairness, I believe B&Q were probably deceived as much as the public. Even the experts in the wind industry that I work with aren't very clear on the performance of small turbines, so it's very doubtful that B&Q knew what they were doing here. The fact they're quickly disappearing from most stores lends credibility to that thought.

Not that it lets them off, but makes me have some sympathy.

I am absolutely certain you are correct; both in being deceived and not being ‘off the hook’.

I am not sure I agree that they deserve any sympathy. They might have done initially and had they acted responsibly, when they discovered they had been deceived, withdrawn the product and given refunds, that sympathy would have been merited. They didn't!

The fact is that Windsave were, and are, a tinpot company who did not have the resources to market their product.

B&Q used their reputation and influence to get the National media to give huge publicity to a product that is a disaster and cost many many people £1,000 or more.

It is clearly not ‘fit for purpose’ and anything other than a ‘Green’ product would have had huge adverse publicity and B&Q would have been forced to hand out refunds. However it is politically incorrect for the media to even hint at criticism of anything that has any pretentions of being environmentally friendly.

That B&Q are still even selling them, albeit not with their former enthusiasm, is a disgrace. It simply means that fewer people are being ripped off than previously.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

greytroot wrote: »

Well at £1500, unable to "store" electricity and no electricity when there is no wind, I think it is a poor deal. My current readings make for £10 a month on electricity and £10 a month on gas, it doesn't take a genius to work out that I would need the system to work for 150 months to break even. These should be added to all new homes though.

Wow what company are you with for gas and electricity?? There is just myself and partner at home and I pay £80 per month.

colinS

As much as I like shopping at B&Q I don't think they should be let of the hook for selling the Windsave turbine. It's no good saying the probably didn't know what they were getting themselves into stocking the product; all they had to do was practice what they intended to preach, by putting a few Windsave turbines in the roofs of their stores to get actual performance figures. This is something they have never done, and I think it is proof of the "green bandwagon theory", which can be applied to so many green initiatives operated by large companies.

The one thing that puzzles me is how can Windsave keep going, I would have bet that they would have closed by now; David "Trash" Gordon must have deeper pockets than I thought.

thescouselander

magyar wrote: »

I agree it's almost an incredulous claim, but there are plenty of people who are able to export microgenerated power and effectively get net metering. I work for one of the utilities and, whilst we don't have it as a standard product, it's being trialled around the country (for people with up to 6kW generation).

So it's not impossible that someone has that setup.

Yes, this is indeed a load of rubbish. Even Windsaves sits says exporting power to grid isn't viable

http://windsave.staging.atwwwuk.com/page.asp?partid=58

Running_ot_of_time

Just to upset you all I have a windsave turbine and now quite happy with it. It’s taken about seven months of updates and renews of the device but I think they have nearly got a good product.
Because of the following points I live at on a south Pennine hill side at 800 feet and the house faces North West catching all wind directions (except due east and as a locations we get very few day wind from that direction) It generates around 2 k on windy days down to zero on a calm day it produces very little noise and vibration (but they are coming round this week to fit a anti vibration device) the house well built 1920 with nice thick walls made with proper bricks and cavity wall insulation to deaden the sound/vibration.
The amount of electric it generates is slightly a disappointment but with its early days just think of the progress of computers and we have to start somewhere.
If I lived in a valley or didn’t have the conditions I have I would not recommend it but for me £1000 is ok, I would be quite happy to spend that on an energy efficient car over the standard price.

moonrakerz

Running_ot_of_time wrote: »

Just to upset you all I have a windsave turbine and now quite happy with it.

I don't think you are going to "upset" anyone ! Most of the sceptics (like me) about these home wind turbines just want to see some realistic figures from someone with a wind turbine. Practically all of the claimed "savings" or "outputs" that I have seen for these devices are patently a load of ****** !

The figures you have posted, "2k on windy days down to zero on a calm day", certainly do not make economic sense on a £1000 investment.
However if you are happy with that and are aware of the finances of this - fine - it is your money to do with as you wish.

What "annoys" me are the outlandish claims that are bandied around about the huge savings that can be made. "They recovered the cost in the first year" was one ludicrous claim I heard on the BBC - of all places !

I would be genuinely interested in the output of your turbine over a period of time, please keep us posted.

magyar

moonrakerz wrote: »

What "annoys" me are the outlandish claims that are bandied around about the huge savings that can be made. "They recovered the cost in the first year" was one ludicrous claim I heard on the BBC - of all places !

Exactly. To be frank, there will never (in the current market) be a more efficient way of buying green power than via large scale wind/hydro etc. connected to the grid.

If you want to be green, then buy your power from a credible green source, then spend the £1500 you save on energy efficiency which actually works (insulation etc.)