Free solar panel discussion

Cardew

furndire wrote: »

Whereabouts have you been reading about this?

There has been quite a bit of conjecture in the media - even in WHICH.

There is a thread on MSE as well.https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2799240

furndire

Have you got a link please Cardew. I was following a couple of threads, but lost the links.

edit thanks - seen you've put one in.

grahamc2003

Jon_Tiffany wrote: »

We will find out tomorrow if the FITs are to be cut. The scheme hasn't even been in place for a year yet and already they are messing about with it. Beginning to regret putting my savings into the panels now, should have gone with A Shade Greener and let them take the risk and stress. If they are changing it so soon, what confidence do we have for the next 25 years?

I doubt very much that the fit will be cut for those who already have it. Although I think it's a wasteful silly idea, I wouldn't want those who signed up to an agreement to be discriminated against retrospectively (even the companies offering 'free' panels). My expectation (and hope) is that the fit is cut as soon as it is announced - i.e. those signing up after the announcement will get a new lowered rate (in fact, I wish the rate would go to zero, and any subsidy from consumers used in much more productive ways rather than subsidising either the rich(er) (who have 14k lying around) or companies exploiting the unfair situation.

Bit of a tough one for the libcons - if the fits aren't large enough, then the whole scheme will flop (the 'free' companies will abandon the scheme and look for something more profitable to do), and the finances won't add up for people to buy their own. (Another way of saying that solar pv in the uk is pretty useless in itself).

jackieblack

grahamc2003 wrote: »

I doubt very much that the fit will be cut for those who already have it. Although I think it's a wasteful silly idea, I wouldn't want those who signed up to an agreement to be discriminated against retrospectively (even the companies offering 'free' panels). My expectation (and hope) is that the fit is cut as soon as it is announced - i.e. those signing up after the announcement will get a new lowered rate (in fact, I wish the rate would go to zero, and any subsidy from consumers used in much more productive ways rather than subsidising either the rich(er) (who have 14k lying around) or companies exploiting the unfair situation.

My system is due to be fitted next week! I'm feeling sick with worry about this, it is a major amount of money for us. I never thought we'd be able to afford solar panels, but am investing an inheritance I received, (the FITs made it look like a good long-term investment) and if they cancel it with immediate effect we'll be up the creek without a paddle.
Keeping everything crossed!

grahamc2003

Jackie - please don't worry about anything, my post was pure speculation on my part, I'd hate to think that anything I post causes anyone to worry about anything. We'll just ahve to wait and see what they say. One point against them altering fits at all is that it doesn't come from goivernment funds at all, so cutting fits won't help the government finaces dirtectly.

jackieblack

graham, sorry, it wasn't your post specifically that's worrying me, it just seems that for the last couple of weeks there's been this constant speculation that the FIT will be scrapped and I'm caught in the 'no man's land' of having signed a contact to have these things installed imminently, but not actually being an existing claimant.
As you say, we'll just have to wait and see.

zeupater

Hi

I'll stick my neck out a little and make a prediction .....

Whatever the government do on the FiT tariff, they still have international obligations to reduce CO2 emissions.

The government has an intent to ensure that energy suppliers will be subject to renewables obligations through to 31/03/2037 and in each year there is a shortfall in meeting their target the suppliers will have to pay a 'fine' into a green fund.

FiT payments are funded by the electricity suppliers, not the public purse (subsidy exists in other forms such as CCL and ROC), therefore there is no direct short term public purse gain from withdrawing the FiT scheme and with there only being a marginal short term inflationary difference it's probably not high on the government's spending review agenda.

I believe that, with the change in government, it is likely that there will be a FiT scheme review, probably next year, which will include both the banded payment levels and the ability of corporate use of economy of scale to abuse the current FiT payment bands, probably through installed capacity aggregation to correct the FiT banding, or a special corporate 'installation levy' to reflect the typical savings available to those operating 'rent-a-roof' schemes ..... which would really be an interesting way to raise short-term money!.

energysavingexp

I applied to four companys for the free system about 12 weeks ago.
i did not get any response until last week when i recieved a phone call from myenergystation asking if they can come and look at my house.
a very nice guy came yesterday to have a look at my house, and talked about the system.
he told me that my house was ok to have the free system and they will fit a 4.5kw system (24 panels).
he told me he would get the paper work sorted out and the system will be fitted in about 5 weeks time.
then this morning i recieved an E-Mail from ISIS also telling me that they wanted to fit there Free system on my house and they are sending me all the paper work.
Talk about all the buses arriving at once!!
I need to go on the roof now and replace any cracked tiles before they fit the system
Fingers crossed that they don't change their minds if the F.I.T is change tomorrow.

zeupater

energysavingexp wrote: »

I need to go on the roof now and replace any cracked tiles before they fit the system

Hi

Welcome to the forum

If you have spare tiles already it would probably be better to wait a while. Scaffolding will be in place before they fit the panels & the fitters will likely crack more anyway when they're up there .....

HTH

M4ximillion

Regarding the FIT paymenst. I rang ASG this afternoon because your posts were worrying me aobut everything being scrapped. I actually spoke to Sarah there and she said that Andrew Morrisey of DECC told her by email that is is all speculation and if there are any changes it wouldnt affect any existing installations. She said that he said periodic reviews were part of the FIT Scheme and that the Government was firmly committed to renewable energy - I wrote it down as she quoted from his email. That doesnt help me though because I havent got a system yet - scaffolding has just gone up on two properties down my street - lucky them!!