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Solar energy - Feed-in Tariff payment delays - your experiences?
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I wonder if the Utilities have hold-ups, getting the money from the kitty ??
I believe all the FiT money goes into a pool, prob supervised by OFGEM, then the various utilities draw it out to pay the FiTs.
Does that make sense ?
That's pretty much how it works I understand.
Every quarter each company has to put into the pot based on number of electric customers, and then each FiT supplier takes out from that pot based on their proportion of share of the FiT market. Keeps a few accountants in employment I imagine.Cider Country Solar PV generator: 3.7kWp Enfinity system on unshaded SE (-36deg azimuth) & 45deg roof0 -
Got our first FiT credit to our bank account today, covering generation between commissioning date and contract return date :T
FiT Supplier: EDF
Commission date: 21st October
FiT application received by EDF: 28th October
Contract received: 5th Feb
Contract signed & returned with latest meter reading: 10th Feb (received 13/2)
Call from EDF checking panel capacity & orientation, before approval of first payment: 22nd Feb
Payment received: 27th Feb
Next meter reading is due to be submitted in March.Cider Country Solar PV generator: 3.7kWp Enfinity system on unshaded SE (-36deg azimuth) & 45deg roof0 -
From e.on a few weeks back, when they were working on a 30 day payment schedule:
"We are currently working on ways to reduce the time it takes to process the payments."
From e.on recently, now they're working on a 45 day payment schedule:
"Hello and thanks for your Feed-in Tariff meter reading. We’ll use this to work out your payment which we’ll send to your chosen bank account in the next 45 days.
We are sorry that it is going to take this long but we are currently experiencing high volumes due to the changes in the Solar PV industry at present. We are working to improve this and hope to pay your next quarter within a reduced timescale."
So they've 'reduced' the time for making payments from 30 days to 45 days over the last few weeks!
Do these people think customers are stupid? I'm sure it helps e.on enormously to delay payments that are due - keeps their borrowings down of course. And they wonder why nobody trusts the energy suppiers - they're as bad as the banks.0 -
From e.on a few weeks back, when they were working on a 30 day payment schedule:
"We are currently working on ways to reduce the time it takes to process the payments."
From e.on recently, now they're working on a 45 day payment schedule:
"Hello and thanks for your Feed-in Tariff meter reading. We’ll use this to work out your payment which we’ll send to your chosen bank account in the next 45 days.
We are sorry that it is going to take this long but we are currently experiencing high volumes due to the changes in the Solar PV industry at present. We are working to improve this and hope to pay your next quarter within a reduced timescale."
So they've 'reduced' the time for making payments from 30 days to 45 days over the last few weeks!
Do these people think customers are stupid? I'm sure it helps e.on enormously to delay payments that are due - keeps their borrowings down of course. And they wonder why nobody trusts the energy suppiers - they're as bad as the banks.
I agree. I was really disappointed to receive this.
45 days isn't acceptable. Will dig out my contract and see what it says....0 -
Equaliser123 wrote: »I agree. I was really disappointed to receive this.
45 days isn't acceptable. Will dig out my contract and see what it says....
If it's the same as mine, which I imagine it will be, it will say nothing at all about the time between the 'Meter Reading Date' and the date on which payment is made - a surprising omission. Theoretically, they could take months, but I think if it ever went to court, a 'reasonable time' clause would be imputed.
The only way to force the issue that I can see is to turn the matter into a formal complaint, and if the formal answer is still unsatisfactory refer it to the Energy Ombudsman under this procedure:
http://www.eonenergy.com/NR/rdonlyres/2DCF8142-C473-4034-A904-DDF2B66305DF/0/FITComplaintsprocess.pdf
Another option is to expose the practice via websites such as this, Watchdog, You and Yours, etc in the hope that companies clean up their act for fear of receiving negative publicity - very few people trust energy companies, and this wouldn't help their case.
Basically, we're all making e.on a compulsory interest-free loan of up to £1800 for nearly 7 weeks - that doesn't seem right to me.0 -
Basically, we're all making e.on a compulsory interest-free loan of up to £1800 for nearly 7 weeks - that doesn't seem right to me.
Are you sure about that statement?
Surely there are other factors.
Firstly E.ON with all the other Utility Companies have to pay into the Ofgem 'kitty' a levy on on customer's bills - and most bills are raised quarterly.
When you submit your FIT claim to E.ON they will have to draw that money from the kitty.
I don't know time scales involved, but your statement assumes E.ON have the FIT money 'in the bank' in advance of your claim arriving, and the delay is all down to E.ON; and I doubt that is the case.
NOTE I am not suggesting that a 45 day 'turnround' period, or any other period, is justified - but I suspect it isn't as simple as your post indicates.0 -
Just another reason why our economy is in a mess.
I was once involved in installing "the same" Order and Invoicing package throughout the then Common Market.
National stereotypes came to the fore.
The Italians almost had to print their invoices with the tax man watching, because it was assumed the business was on the fiddle.
In the UK nobody paid on time (ie within 30 days of end of month - One particular company GEC never paid for anything on time - in fact one subsidiary employed someone whose job was NOT to pay invoices)
Meanwhile lots of Germans paid on receipt of invoice to be sure to take advantage of a very modest "cash" discount. (The afore mentioned GEC used to take over 90 days and still try to knock the "cash" discount off their payment and screw up the VAT return].
This probably explains why, with lots of firms trying to finance themselves using someone else's capital, here in the UK the minute there is a credit squeeze the system seizes up.
Are not most electricity punters, like me, on monthly direct debit?0 -
Now 63 days since ! submitted my first reading to Eon and no payment as yet, I have emailed umpteen time and just get back automated reply........:mad:Jako0
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I have recently sent my second FIT reading to Eon, and although I had received the notification saying it could take 45 days. It didn't.
Reading sent by E mail 3/2/12 Payment received in nominated bank acc 27/2/12. 24 days.
Jako, it sounds as if somthing has gone wrong, I would get in touch. asap.0 -
Hungerdunger wrote: »I submitted my first readings to my supplier, Ecotricity, at the end of December. I queried today when I might receive payment and had this emailed reply:
Am I right in thinking that the major suppliers process their own payments, while smaller companies like Ecotricity have to go through Ofgem, or have I misunderstood the set up?
Great thread this. Am also frustrated by how long it's taken the FiT to be paid - in my case Ecotricity. And then they just credit my Ecotricity account, so all that really happens is that my money gets a different label in their bank account instead of reaching mine.
Anyway, re. the delays, they've confirmed Hungerdunger's theory: "[FONT="]Regarding the time between generation meter reads and payment, this is due to the time it takes OFGEM to pay us the FiT payments.[/FONT][FONT="]As a smaller company with a large amount of FiTs customers, we cannot pay the FiTs payments upfront. OFGEM take 4-6 weeks to make payments, and once Ecotricity receive this payment we then pay our FiTs customers.[/FONT]"
I've also found that you can request that they automatically make a BACS payment of the FiT to your bank account rather than crediting it your leccy account. Just a shame they wait for customers to request this, rather than offer it upfront.0
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