Electricity meter going backwards after installing Solar PV

James_2nd

Does any one know of a supplier paying more than the 3p export price?

swagman

James_2nd wrote: »

Does any one know of a supplier paying more than the 3p export price?

In the case of a domestic system, installations below 30kW are not required to have an export meter. The electricity supplier will assume that 50% of the kW generated are fed back into the grid and will pay 3p per kWh.
This is in addition to the 41.3p per kWh paid for the total that is generated, as recorded by the generation meter installed as part of the solar PV system.
These rates are fixed.

My supplier, EDF, has handled the whole process of registering the system and setting up payments swiftly. They have a "Green Energy Team" in Exeter who reply to emails and answer the phone!

ninjaryder

i have a question..i had a system fitted last week but my digital meter does not go backwards it simply stops if i am not using all the electric being produced.
i have produced 50kw and used 35kw surely i would be better off with a meter that runs backwards? (i have a export meter fitted)
i would rather not be paying 13p kw than receiving the 3p kw returned

Does that make sense?

Cardew

ninjaryder wrote: »

i have a question..i had a system fitted last week but my digital meter does not go backwards it simply stops if i am not using all the electric being produced.
i have produced 50kw and used 35kw surely i would be better off with a meter that runs backwards? (i have a export meter fitted)
i would rather not be paying 13p kw than receiving the 3p kw returned

Does that make sense?

Having a meter than runs backwards is(technically) illegal. You are stealing!

You need to get your terminology correct, it is kWH you are using, not kW.

As you have an export meter fitted, are you getting paid for the 15 kWh you exported at 3p/kWh or have you elected for 50% of your generated output?

ninjaryder

Cardew wrote: »

Having a meter than runs backwards is(technically) illegal. You are stealing!

You need to get your terminology correct, it is kWH you are using, not kW.

As you have an export meter fitted, are you getting paid for the 15 kWh you exported at 3p/kWh or have you elected for 50% of your generated output?

I have elected for neither as of yet..i am not home much during the day and would of thought i would use less than 50% than i produce but looking at the figures thats not right but it has not been a good electricity generating week..SSE have told me if i think its lessthan 50% a can have another meter fitted..what sort im not sure but will find out when the paper work arrives
Thanks

electricityemployee

if you worked in the industry, you would realize how much of a nightmare it is to sort out a meter change on an account where the final reading for the meter is lower than the previous read. it would have to be changed on a read showing zero usage as their systems are not able to process a minus amount. as people have said, let them know asap if you need an FIT meter, before you get the solar panels would be even better!

ninjaryder

electricityemployee wrote: »

if you worked in the industry, you would realize how much of a nightmare it is to sort out a meter change on an account where the final reading for the meter is lower than the previous read. it would have to be changed on a read showing zero usage as their systems are not able to process a minus amount. as people have said, let them know asap if you need an FIT meter, before you get the solar panels would be even better!

The FIT meter is an export meter right? I would of thought these would of come as standard with every PV job? £30 meter

swagman

ninjaryder wrote: »

The FIT meter is an export meter right? I would of thought these would of come as standard with every PV job? £30 meter

No - the standard meter which comes with any PV job is a generation meter. This records the total that is being generated by the PV array. Not all of what is generated will be exported to the grid, for example during the day some will contribute towards electricity usage in the property and so will not go 'out' to the grid.

Smaller PV systems do not have to have an export meter. Without one the electricity company will assume that 50% of the total generated is fed to the grid, and will pay 3p per kWh for that 50%. In addition, the FIT payment at 41.3p per kWh will be paid on the total generated as shown on the generation meter.

So in the three weeks that my system (a small 2kW system) has been running it has generated 122 kWh. For this I will be paid 122 x 41.3p = £50.39p, plus 61 x 3p = £1.83, plus the rest of the payment due for the remainder of the three month meter period.
The total generation payment is made every three months.

Terrylw1

electricityemployee wrote: »

if you worked in the industry, you would realize how much of a nightmare it is to sort out a meter change on an account where the final reading for the meter is lower than the previous read. it would have to be changed on a read showing zero usage as their systems are not able to process a minus amount. as people have said, let them know asap if you need an FIT meter, before you get the solar panels would be even better!

Depends on how restrictive your billing system is. Negative advances are common on incorrect meter reads alone so the ability to backbill through a period to wipe out erroneous consumption and bill up to a meter change...is a standard need. In terms of settlement, the DC can replace or use GVC is RF is exceeded.

If the Distributor was informed of the generation, they will send a D0001 to the Supplier with a code thats states the site is now microgen. The trouble is, do Suppliers really understand this stuff. From my experience, the companies themselves don't let alone the staff they don't train properly!

Upon receiving the D0001, the Supplier should check the meter can handle it and replace if not. Charging tends to be more about Supplier policy since some are shifting to charging for fitting meters more and more as a way to save some cash. Tariff wise, thats up to the Supplier. Some don't even have billing systems which can handle these microgen set ups leaving the process quite manual (although that can mean the tariffs are flexible since nothing is hard coded!)

naked

swagman wrote: »

Smaller PV systems do not have to have an export meter. Without one the electricity company will assume that 50% of the total generated is fed to the grid, and will pay 3p per kWh for that 50%. In addition, the FIT payment at 41.3p per kWh will be paid on the total generated as shown on the generation meter

Although you don't need an export meter, I guess you need to have a meter which allows the current to flow in both directions rather shutting down or giving you readings which will bamboozle the energy supplier's computer systems.