New Zealand Herald

19 May 2008

By Eloise Gibson

Charmaine Watts hasn't had a power bill for eight years. Her family of two adults and three children are one of hundreds around the country generating their own electricity. With power prices on the rise, the $20,000 the Watts spent installing solar panels, a small wind turbine, storage batteries and wiring is starting to look like a good investment,
"I don't need to worry about power cuts," said Ms Watts. "It's just like a normal house. I flick the switch on my computer or my DVD player and away I go."

Watts is the head of the Sustainable Electricity Association of New Zealand, a group representing small-scale wind, hydro and solar power generators.

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