THERE is barely a breath of wind in the air as Mike Collins greets me on the doorstep of his roomy four-bedroomed semi in Armley.
Unlike the rest of us, the supply teacher will be praying it doesn't stay that way for long.
In a few weeks' time, the Collins family will take delivery of their very own wind turbine, which will then be fitted to the roof of their three-storey house.
Mike, wife Sue and their children Jack, 15, and Nancy, 16, hope their personal windmill will soon be producing enough electricity to power their lights, television and other small appliances.
They are the first family in Leeds to tap into this alternative energy supply, though more are expected to follow.
Across the country, there are signs the public are starting to switch on to the idea of harnessing the power of the wind to produce the huge amounts of electricity we devour every day.
DIY chain B&Q recently started selling wind turbines and is now reporting that in cash terms they represent its top selling item.
At just under £1,500, including installation, and with 30 per cent of the cost offset by a government grant, they are an affordable way to go green.
The British Wind Energy Association, which promotes the use of wind power in and around the UK, estimates that around 1,000 homes now have a wind turbine.
It predicts this domestic market will grow enough to contribute one per cent of the UK electricity supply by 2020, with large-scale wind farms taking that figure up to 20 per cent.
"There is a huge public appetite for wind power at the moment," confirms BWEA spokeswoman Alison Hill. "It's great to see and very exciting.
"What's even more encouraging is the fact that evidence suggests people who fit domestic turbines to their homes become a lot more energy efficient.
"So not only are they reducing their electricity bills but they also start using less electricity overall. It's a win-win situation."
Mike Collins' original plan had been to install a more powerful 1.5 kilowatt version at his Hill Top Road home, but was told the house simply could not support it.
"The structural engineer who came round said that when the wind blew it would be like having a Ford Fiesta trying to drive away from your roof while anchored to it," he says.
"It would have required structural work costing somewhere in the region of £8,000, so we opted for the smaller model."
The 67-year-old is confident his one kilowatt turbine will soon start paying for itself in terms of lower electricity bills.
"As we sit here the only things that are on are a TV and the lights," he says from a seat in his lounge.
"Obviously then you bring in things like washing machines and no, it won't do that, but I think it would go a long way towards supplying most of the energy for most of the devices we've got in the house."
But while the prospect of shaving up to 30 per cent off his bills is undoubtedly appealing, Mike's main motivation is an environmental one.
A firm believer in the idea that we should all do our bit, he is a fervent recycler and has already had solar panels fitted to his roof to produce some of the family's hot water.
"It's a bit of a hobby horse of mine," he says. "I supply teach so I go round loads of schools in Leeds and dread to think how much energy they waste.
"I find it very ironic that there are lessons on global warming and climate change, yet you can't get teachers who are teaching this stuff to put the lights out in the classroom when it's empty or in the staff room when the sun is blinding.
"I know that individual efforts, compared to say, what China is doing, are drops in the ocean but I said to myself that if I'm one of 100,000 people or even 10,000 people doing something then it can make some kind of difference."
Although Mike's wind turbine will be highly visible, there hasn't been a single objection from his neighbours.
Quite the opposite in fact, Mike reports that there has been a lot of interest locally, with people keen to know how he's getting on.
One of the more unexpected stumbling blocks he encountered was in obtaining the necessary planning permission from Leeds City Council.
It took several months to get the go ahead, with environmental health officers apparently concerned about the noise the turbine would produce.
"They were worried there would be a hum, but these things are incredibly quiet," says Mike. "The upshot is that it's conditional on no one complaining about it, which I'm confident they won't."
Now all he needs is for it to be a windy year.
"Oh, I know it's going to be a windy year," he smiles. "Just like last year and all the others before that."

For more information on getting your own wind turbine check out the BWEA small wind website at www.bwea.com/small/index.html.
It has links to the Low Carbon Building Programme for grant information and to the Department of Trade and Industry to calculate wind speeds in your area.
For information about grants, manufacturers and installers call the Energy Saving Trust helpline on 0845 727 7200, or visit www.est.org.uk/myhome.
grant.woodward@ypn.co.uk