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The Forbes Advisor editorial team is independent and objective. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive payment from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Advisor site. This comes from two main sources.
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The use of wind power is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. According to renewable energy generator Drax, almost 33% of Britain’s electricity was created from wind power in the first quarter of 2023. This compares to 31.7% produced from gas. This is the first time that wind power has accounted for the largest share of energy out of all energy sources.
If you’re thinking of switching to a greener energy supplier, or even considering installing your very own wind turbine at home, here’s all you need to know about how wind energy works.
Wind power comes from wind turbines. These turbines harness the natural power of the wind and use it to generate electricity. As the wind blows, the propeller-like blades of the turbine are pushed around a rotor. The rotor is attached to a generator that produces electricity which is fed into the National Grid. The stronger the wind, the more electricity will be generated.
Wind turbines are often grouped together in wind farms – referred to as ‘arrays’ – so that more energy can be generated. These farms are usually located in areas of open land (“onshore”), or off the coast in areas of shallow water (“offshore”).
The UK is currently home to 2,450 wind farm sites comprising 8,681 onshore wind turbines and around 2,292 more offshore.
Hornsea 1, located off the Yorkshire coast, is the largest offshore wind farm in the world. With its 174 wind turbines, it produces enough energy to power more than a million homes. A further eight key offshore wind projects are still in development in the UK, including Hornsea 2.
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Whether your supplier uses wind energy will partly depend on whether it offers ‘green energy’ tariffs. With this tariff type, you still get your electricity from the National Grid in the same way as a household on a non-green tariff. But your supplier will match some or all of the electricity you use with the amount they buy from renewable generators.
Some of this renewable energy could come from wind farms, but it might also come from solar farms or hydroelectric power stations.
This means that if you choose a green energy tariff, it doesn’t automatically mean you’re choosing a supplier that owns wind or solar farms. But it might have deals to buy power from renewable generators.
Energy firms are required by law to publish details of their fuel mix, so take a look at your supplier’s website or your energy bill to find out what percentage of electricity your supplier generates from renewable sources.
You’ll need to dig a little deeper if you want to be absolutely certain your energy supplier uses wind energy.
Suppliers’ websites should detail how they generate their electricity, but this isn’t always easy to decipher. Some suppliers may only use wind power, while others will combine it with other renewable sources such as solar power and hydroelectric schemes.
For particularly ‘green’ energy suppliers, take a look at Outfox the Market, which generates all its electricity from wind energy, with the company stating that it solely uses offshore wind farms.
Alternatively, Ecotricity says that all of the electricity it produces comes from wind or solar power and it makes around a fifth of its electricity itself from its “fleet of windmills and sunmills”. The rest is bought from other green generators.
If you would prefer to take matters into your own hands, you could consider installing a wind turbine at home. But this won’t be without its challenges.
For a start, it’ll only work if you have a good wind site – ideally if you live on high ground or on the coast. Rural areas are better than urban areas, and you’ll need to check there are no obstructions such as trees or tall buildings. Wind turbines ideally need an average wind speed of 5m/s (meters per second) to be cost-effective.
Next, you’ll need to choose your wind turbine.
There are two types of domestic sized wind turbine. The first is pole mounted. These are free-standing and should be installed in a suitably exposed position. They have a generation capacity of around 5-6kW a day, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
The second is building mounted. These are smaller than pole-mounted systems which means they can be installed on the roof of your property, providing there is sufficient wind resource. These usually have a daily generation capacity of 1-2kW.
The average household uses 3,731 kWh of electricity per year, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Energy Saving Trust says that a well-sited pole-mounted 5kW turbine can generate around 9,000kWh a year, which could save you around £280 a year on your electricity bills.
Separate figures from The Renewable Energy Hub show that a 1.5kW roof mounted turbine generates around 2,600 kWh a year depending on wind speed and occurrence. A 1kW turbine would generate around 1,750 kWh a year.
Before installing your own wind turbine, check with your local council to see if you need planning permission. It is also good practice to inform your neighbours of your plans at an early stage. And you should speak with your energy supplier if you want to connect your turbine to the National Grid.
Because building-mounted turbines are smaller, they cost less to install than pole-mounted turbines – usually from £1,500 upwards. However, they are also less efficient and won’t produce as much electricity.
A 5kW pole-mounted system will set you back anywhere between £23,000 and £34,000 for equipment and installation.
If you generate enough electricity through your wind turbine installation, you’ll be eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme. Launched in 2020, the scheme replaced the government’s feed-in tariff programme.
To qualify, your installation must be 5MW capacity or less. And you’ll need to have a meter fitted that can provide half-hourly readings so your supplier can see how much electricity you’re exporting.
If you sign up to a SEG tariff, you will be paid for any surplus electricity you generate that is fed back to the National Grid.
The pay rate, length of contract, and whether tariffs are fixed or variable is up to your supplier to decide. Fixed SEG tariffs pay a set rate per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity exported over the length of the contract. A variable tariff will have fluctuating prices depending on market demand, but prices cannot fall below zero.
If wind speeds are too low, wind turbines will simply stop spinning and no electricity will be generated. This means it can be difficult to predict exactly how much electricity a wind turbine will generate over time.
It also means that if wind energy were to be used exclusively, it would need to be combined with an energy storage system, similar to that used by solar panels.
There are pros and cons of any energy source and wind energy is no different:
The UK is one of the best locations for wind power in the world. ONS figures show that in 2020, the UK generated 75,610 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity from both offshore and onshore wind. This would be enough to power 8.4 trillion LED light bulbs.
Globally, the UK is in the top spot for total offshore wind capacity due to its location. Offshore wind is more powerful and consistent that onshore wind, so more electricity can be generated. Total offshore capacity currently stands at 10,405 MW, but it is expected to be boosted by 4,763 MW from wind farms under construction and by 23,781 MW from additional planned projects*.
In terms of overall wind output across the globe, the UK currently sits in sixth place, as the table below shows:
Across Europe, the UK also has the most ambitious offshore wind target, with the UK government aiming to increase offshore wind power capacity to 50GW by 2030. This is part of a larger plan aimed at reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 which aligns with the global climate goals outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement.
*S&P Global Market Intelligence.
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Wind Turbine I've been writing about personal finance issues for many years across a wide range of websites, magazines and newspapers. My role is to demystify financial products, explain people's options and help them make the most of their money.