Windmill

I stumbled across the Windspire personal windmill on the web. I don't think we have enough quite enough wind or space in our backyard to make this work and it isn't cost effective, but it would make you the greenest person on the block.

Using the numbers from the proposed rate increase of 23.9% for Appalachian Power (Yes, Virginia, there is another rate increase on the way), a customer who uses 1000 kWH per month would pay about $0.088 cents per kWH. Assuming you could generate and use the specified 2000 kWH per year, you would save $176 per year for a payback period of 28 years.

Financially, you would do better with insulation but that isn't nearly as fun as a 30 foot tall windmill in your backyard (or your front if you really want to show off your green cred).