The Great 'Get Paid To Generate Energy' Hunt

Cardew

grahamc2003 wrote: »

What figures do you have for the current and projected additional costs on bills to pay for the fits?

While the current costs I have are low (not surprising since the fits are new), the projected 2020 costs seems pretty large to me, bearing in mind the fits are just one element of the numerous green extras on our bills. Currently, British gas tells me from using the latest figures available (i.e. last year), 7% of my bill is for environmental initiatives (such as the fit, plus many more). I can't find a projected 2020 figure for the total costs of all subsidies, so I'd be interested in that if you have those figures.

I'd expect the percentage to rise very quickly up to 2020, and the fact that the government is funding the rhi from central funds and not loading them onto bills seems to be consistent with that view.

I heard on the radio a figure of 20% by 2020.

This is the most doom laden:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargains-and-rip-offs/household-bills/article.html?in_article_id=519983&in_page_id=510

Bills to double!!!

You can be absolutely certain they are correct - after all it is part of the Daily Mail;)

Doc_N

Cardew wrote: »

I heard on the radio a figure of 20% by 2020.

This is the most doom laden:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/bargains-and-rip-offs/household-bills/article.html?in_article_id=519983&in_page_id=510

Bills to double!!!

You can be absolutely certain they are correct - after all it is part of the Daily Mail;)

Oh yes - you can always trust the Mail for objective reporting.

Isn't the article mainly about other things than the add-on for solar FITs, though? And the 'double' claim has nothing at all to do with it, of course.

I particularly like the usual rent-a-mouth and nonsensical response from the self-styled (but completely wrongly named) Taxpayers Alliance, who have about as much to do with the average taxpayer as Hitler had to do with promoting the interests of minority groups in Germany.

zeupater

All

Well, it looks like the new year has started well with pv panel prices reducing (yet again !!).

European manufactured panels prices reduced by 2.3% in a month and it looks like this has sparked a reaction from the far-eastern manufacturers resulting in their spot market price reducing by around 5%.

link - http://www.solarserver.com/service/pvx-spot-market-price-index-solar-pv-modules.html


HTH
Z

grahamc2003

Doc_N wrote: »

I agree with you. REAL talks about an extra £10 pa by 2020, but I rather doubt that:

"FITs are paid to you by Licensed Electricity Suppliers approved by Ofgem, they are not paid by the government. The licensed suppliers raise the money for the FIT by charging a small premium to all of their electricity customers. They are also permitted to charge for administration costs. It is predicted that by 2020 each electricity customer in the UK will have to pay roughly an extra £10 on their annual bills to cover this. Once a year the LESs will settle the amount they have paid between them to ensure consumers are all charged the same surcharge on their bill."

The £10 (fit only) in 2020 certainly doesn't agree with the info implied by the government growth figures. Making reasonable assumptions (because I can't find explicit government cost estimates), I calculated the cost on the latest figures of around £1.50 per household (which I equate to each electricity consumer), rising to £75 pa in 2020. (The info is taken from various reliable sources, but the maths and assumptions are my own, but it serves as a first cut estimate imo). Then you have to add on the growth in other subsidies, currently running at £70 pa per account, which is anyone's guesse (hence the wide range of cost estimates - none of which I rule out, since I doubt the government have put an effective lid on the costs yet. So the range is 14% to about 60% in 2020 (if bills are doubled due to subsidy costs).

Your quote is interesting. When it says 'the same surcharge for each consumer', does that mean in absolute terms, or percentage-of-bill terms? It reads to me like it is absolute terms, which means those in fuel poverty, or driven into it soon, getting hit the hardest (again).

Doc_N

Changing the subject slightly - 11.4 units today. Best day for a very long time!

jackieblack

Doc_N wrote: »

Changing the subject slightly - 11.4 units today. Best day for a very long time!

Best day since installation (end Oct '10) for me, 9kWh!:T
(2.22kWp system, previous best day was 6kWh)

Cardew

Doc_N wrote: »

Isn't the article mainly about other things than the add-on for solar FITs, though? And the 'double' claim has nothing at all to do with it, of course.

Agreed, it is for all the 'green' initiatives, but that was(I thought) the question posed by Graham

bearing in mind the fits are just one element of the numerous green extras on our bills. Currently, British gas tells me from using the latest figures available (i.e. last year), 7% of my bill is for environmental initiatives (such as the fit, plus many more) I can't find a projected 2020 figure for the total costs of all subsidies

furndire

An incredible 15 units for us today. Febuary has started off well for us.

bradderz

I was posted a lease agreement by Eversheds of Cardiff and a "customer questionnaire".

I'll tackle the questionnaire first... get this, one of the 5 declarations I had to sign for reads...
"I/We confirm that we do not intend to take independent legal advice and I/We acknowledge that Eversheds LLP does not act for and has not advised me/us in this matter."

Why would they like to ensure I don't take legal advice ??

I emailed Eversheds about a few clauses I was unhappy with, asking for them to amend them. It took them 3 1/2 weeks to get back in touch telling me British Gas wasn't willing to alter the contract. I have just cancelled it.

For those who are thinking of taking British Gas up on the offer, please bear the following clauses in mind:

clauses 3.2 & 3.3 & 3.4 & 3.5 references to "index" - It actually stands for the RPI and not CPI (which is strange as CPI is the principal official measure of inflation - and RPI is the measure that nets BG the most amount of money) - rejected

I thought the introduction of the following clause was fair...
clause 5.2.1.3 #new clause#
the Landlord has the right to one free removal and re-fitting of the pv system between years 10 and 25 of the contract for the sole reason of having the roof tiles replaced. [It is reasonable to expect that during the term of the contract the life cycle of the roof tiles will have expired. It would be acceptable to limit the time for repairs at 72 hours and for compensatory payments to be made to you in the event of over-running the 72 hours, loss of FIT payments etc.] - rejected

Clause 11.2 gives BG the right to sell the company on. Parting with possession. I chose British Gas and not another company offering similar deals because of British Gas' solid reputation. The length of the contract (25 years) is a substantial amount of time, and one which I have to be absolutely sure about. Who I chose to do business with (and allow unfettered access to my property) was fundamental in my decision making process, and for that to change would be unacceptable. I require landlord consent or option to null contract at no cost to myself. - rejected

Clause 12.1 gives BG the right to remove the system at the end of the 25 years !!!!!! "at its sole discretion" should read "with the explicit agreement of the Landlord". The British Gas surveyor specifically said the system stays at the end of the contract and formed part of the agreement I signed that day. - rejected

As this all goes to show, the devil is in the detail.

If having read this you still think it's good, then go for it. Just beware that
1/BG will have the right to sell the company off, and then THE NEW COMPANY have the right of un-fettered access to your roofspace until the 25 years is up.
2/At the end of the 25 years they can still take it away- it's not yours to keep.
3/If you wish to buy the system at ANY point during the 25 year contract, the price RISES (not drops!!) inline with RPI (not CPI) from the installation price.
4/Finally, if your roof tiles are going to need replacing, don't forget to add the cost of having the system removed and re-fitted by those cheap BG engineers- oh and don't forget to add in those pesky FIT payments BG will be missing out on......

furndire

b.............. h............. & people are signing up to that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!