Bye Bye Power Bill
by Lynette
How do you feel every time you get the power bill in your mailbox? For me, it’s “take a deep breath and cross your fingers” time of the month. We’ve been using fluorescent bulbs for at least 6 years. Before everyone started touting the plusses about it. No matter what we do, that darn bill just goes up and up and up. Mostly because of increased rates than increased use really.
Reading a past issue of Popular Science, I found the Skystream 3.7. This thing is so so cool. It’s a personal windmill to generate electricity for your home. Got a pretty big price tag, around $10,000 according to the magazine but hey to me that’s not bad considering what we pay the power company. We’d recoup the money in a few short years.
The only problem… there are a bunch of requirements and we don’t meet several of them 
. It should be criminal to make people jump through so many hoops to get affordable alternative energy. And I know it’s more about politics than anything else. But… that’s a whole other post for a whole other blog!
Anyhow, the Skystream is still pretty neat. You will have to have a property with a minimum of 0.5 acres, local zoning that allows structures of 42′ tall and above and some kind of agreement with the local power company (hah! right!) - sorry, couldn’t help that one.
Check Skystream out. It might be something for you.
P/S: On a light note, when I told my husband about this, he said. Oh it’ll be good during a hurricane. I said yea. We’ll generate so much energy we’d overload 
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August 24th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Great post! We would love to have this! We also, don’t meet some of the requirements. I would love it though, and like you said, in a few years you would get back what you put into and then, gain and save! Not to mention, help the environment!
August 24th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Sorry, typed my website wrong! Sorry to double post.
August 25th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Hey Melanie, thanks for dropping by and leaving your comment. Yes on the environment part. According to the article I read, if you generate excess energy, you can even sell it back to the power company. Guess that’s where the power company agreement comes into play.
Another problem, complaining neighbors
August 25th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Thank you Lynette! Great info! That is interesting about the power company!!!! I was thinking you had to get approval but they would not due to them losing money. Thank you for the clarification. Our house, we have only .42 so we lose there on the .5 requirement. It is a great alternative for anyone who can meet all the requirements!
Interesting stuff! Keep it up!
I know what you mean, complaining neighbors, our neighborhood would kick us out! LOL
Makes me want to look into solar panels though!
August 29th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
http://naturalmomstalkradio.com/blog/15-things-i-do-to-save-money-meme/
I tagged you Lynette at the above url.