wind turbine question

pauletruth

we have a small 5kw turbine had it since the end of last year. just noticed that the mains meter is reading lower than it did in april. is this normal or is something wonky.
if everything is right its reduced our lecky bill from 2640 a year to about 4/500. quite pleased with that.

WestonDave

Sounds to me like you've got the same problem I had - old analogue "clock and dial" meter which will run backwards when the generation is creating more than you are using. If that is the case the supplier will probably insist its replaced with a modern meter that doesn't go backwards in those circumstances and may try to estimate the amount that you've wiped off and try to bill you for it. (don't take that the wrong way - most people don't understand that some meters will do this with in house generation so its not that you've done anything wrong particularly!). In future if you are generating on the turbine you'll be able to use it for free, but if you need electricity when the wind isn't blowing or its not generating enough you'll have to pay for it all without the "banking" effect of the meter wiping off units used.

EricMears

I agree with Dave's logic although I do have a couple of points to make re this sentence :-

WestonDave wrote: »

the supplier . . . . . may try to estimate the amount that you've wiped off and try to bill you for it.

Not sure if a Wind Turbine FIT application form is exactly the same as a solar panel one (but why should it differ ?) but ours always includes the question "is your meter now running backwards when you're generating ?" If you'd answered "Yes" to that question, changing the meter should have been the electricity supplier's responsibility from that date so don't agree to pay them anything. If alas you (or more likely the installer) answered "No" then it's technically fraud although they're unlikely to press the point if you can prove it wasn't you or that you didn't understand the question.

If it was 'your' fault then you should expect to pay something for the units you've 'removed' from your meter but check any such demand very carefully. When it suits them, electricity companies are very quick to assume that home generators only export half of their total generation (even though most export more like 75%). Don't therefore accept any 'estimate' (which in all correspondence you should refer to as a 'guess' !) which tries to bill you for more than 50% of what your generation meter says you've generated.

Don't let them fall back on comparing what you bought last year and claim you'd have bought that this year too - the whole point of the generator is to reduce the amount you need to buy in.

pauletruth

thank you folks. sounds like a chat with them is needed.

elantan

can i ask ? have you found the turbine worth having? is it noisy? and not trying to be nosey but just to get a rough idea... can you tell me how much roughly it cost for the whole thing?

we are currently thinking a long the lines of turbines as solar isnt going to work for us ( so far although i have just started a thread about micro inversters) so would love to get some rough ideas about it all

thanks

pauletruth

spoken to them today. getting the meter changed and at the same time getting the total heat control one taken out. so it will be cheaper standard power. also means that the generation will count during the night.

trouble with the fits is our is owned by a company we just get the power. so we did not fill any forms out so we can't have committed fraud. the guy at scottish hydro was very helpful.

hope this does not prove an expensive issue. plus with just a standard meter were not just limited to the hydro.

EricMears

pauletruth wrote: »

trouble with the fits is our is owned by a company we just get the power. so we did not fill any forms out so we can't have committed fraud.

It was never very likely that you would be accused of fraud - but you seem to have an excellent defence.

I'd also suggest that if you are faced with a reclaim you refer it to the company who supplied the turbine & are keeping the profits pointing out that the problem must arise from their failure to inspect installation.

pauletruth

elantan wrote: »

can i ask ? have you found the turbine worth having? is it noisy? and not trying to be nosey but just to get a rough idea... can you tell me how much roughly it cost for the whole thing?

we are currently thinking a long the lines of turbines as solar isnt going to work for us ( so far although i have just started a thread about micro inversters) so would love to get some rough ideas about it all

thanks

it not noisy. there was an issue at the start because it was not set quite right thats fixed now so cant hear it from the house. its roughly the hight of one of the wooden power poles so does not impact to much either.

cant say accurately on value but its reduced our bill by roughly 2k a year. we were paying 240 a month for power and they wanted more now at 70 and will be looking at roughly 40-50 when sure.

can't help on cost as we in a scheme that we allow the company to have the fits and we get the power they paid for everything else. if interested contact this chap. i am not connected with them but he has been very helpful. jonathan@solarventus-energy.co.uk looks like they have increased there turbines sizes since we went with them but still worth a try.

pauletruth

EricMears wrote: »

pauletruth wrote: »

trouble with the fits is our is owned by a company we just get the power. so we did not fill any forms out so we can't have committed fraud.

It was never very likely that you would be accused of fraud - but you seem to have an excellent defence.

I'd also suggest that if you are faced with a reclaim you refer it to the company who supplied the turbine & are keeping the profits pointing out that the problem must arise from their failure to inspect installation.

will do. good advice thank you. im a stubborn begger at times don't see why i should pay when the experts mess up.

elantan

Thanks Paul much appreciated

pauletruth

your welcome