CHRISTOVAL -- David Scott used to curse the gusts of wind that swept across his property.

Now he smiles when the wind blows.

In April he and his wife, Amy Scott, installed a 42-foot-tall wind-powered generator that looks like a miniature version of the commercial wind turbines that dot the West Texas landscape. It sits 50 yards or so from the house where the couple operate the Concho Christmas Tree Farm, about two miles south of Christoval High School.

"It doesn't take a lot of wind," David Scott said. "But it has to be enough to see the movement in the trees."

SanTex is installing the wind generators in and around San Angelo. Some businesses may be able to use them, but they are best suited for private residences that typically use less electricity than businesses.

"Wind generation is designed to soak up most of the bill, if not all of it," said Chuck Knudsen, owner of SanTex Alternative Energy, the company that installed the Scotts' wind generator.

An average Texas home uses two to three kilowatts -- or 2,000 to 3,000 watts -- an hour.

Wind generators work in much the same way as wind turbines but on a significantly smaller scale. The SanTex wind generators are about 42 feet tall, Knudsen said, while commercial wind turbines typically stand about 300 feet.

SanTex started putting up wind generators about eight months ago, Knudsen said. In addition to the 20 or so in Tom Green County, the business has installed wind generators in the Pecos and Fort Stockton areas.

A fully installed wind generator costs about $14,000 and is expected to last 20 to 25 years. Knudsen said the devices aren't for everyone -- those with electricity bills of $100 or less would not benefit as much as families that regularly spend more than $150 a month.

"When we first started," Knudsen said, "we were looking for ways to provide alternative energy. Now we're looking at ways people can cut costs."

Fred Hernandez, community affairs manager for AEP Texas in San Angelo, said the number of inquiries about distributed generation such as wind generators has increased substantially this year -- the office has talked to about 20 people about it.

A customer has to work with a vendor to install a device, and AEP inspects the metering system, Hernandez said. Because AEP Texas is a wires-only company, it receives the same rate regardless of whether someone is using a retail electricity provider.

"With the U.S. in an energy crunch," Hernandez said, "anything people can do to help is good."

Terry Hadley, spokesman with the Public Utility Commission of Texas, said that starting in January, those using distributed generation devices will have the ability to sell back excess electricity to a retail provider. It is unclear how much people will be paid for the electricity, but it does not necessarily have to be the same as the retail rate.

"If you have electricity, whatever you can get for it is extra money for you," Hadley said.

It is difficult to measure how many Texans are using distributed generation, Hadley said. The concept is still new for the state, and rules will have to be adapted as distributed generation grows in popularity.

The Scotts' turbine, although smaller than the commercial version, is still big enough to attract attention. Scott said a dozen or so people have stopped at the house to ask about it.

"The No. 1 question is: How much have you saved?" Scott said.

He doesn't have a definite answer.

The devices are known as grid-tie wind generators, meaning owners still have a retail electricity provider to help during months when there isn't much wind or when electricity use is high, such as July and August.

Scott has just one electricity meter and said it is difficult to distinguish how much electricity the wind generator is creating and how much electricity his house uses from a retail provider. He hopes to soon get a second meter just to measure the wind generator.

"There's too many variables," he said. "You can't control the wind or the temperature."

This summer was considerably hotter than last year, when temperatures never reached 100 degrees. Scott said he didn't use his air conditioning much last year, but he used it quite a bit this year, so comparing the electric bills wasn't helpful.

Amy Scott estimated that the couple saved more than $100 a month this year during the summer months compared with other hot years.

SanTex provides maintenance service to customers if any problems arise, Knudsen said, but the devices are designed to be fairly maintenance-free.

Knudsen started the business a little more than a year ago. Five people work for the company, including those who install alternative energy devices.

While wind generators are the most visible devices SanTex installs, the business also delves into grid-tie solar generation, tankless water heaters, power-saving options, solar pumps, off-grid wind generation and refrigeration that runs on solar energy.

Knudsen was motivated by his own high electricity bills to get into the alternative energy business. He first looked into solar energy and expanded his research.

"We started with wind because it's more cost effective," Knudsen said.

Most towers SanTex installs are 35 feet tall with three blades that are each 6 feet long. The device is installed on a concrete slab, and buried wire carries electricity to a box connected to the grid meter.

David Scott, who operates a private wind generator, said selling electricity back to a retailer is not going to be an issue for him. According to his meter, since he began using it in April, it has generated 67 kilowatts of excess electricity.

"The quantity generated from the wind is not going to be enough to run your house unless you're really frugal," Scott said.

If a family went on vacation for a month, then maybe a wind generator would create a substantial amount of electricity to sell to a retailer, Scott said.

Scott is still pleased with his wind generator and said his family added the device in an effort to be more cost efficient and to do their part for the environment.