Free solar panel discussion

quoia

beedydad wrote: »

That is the problem. These initial companies have set out the concept, to their own advantage - dressing up that you will "do all right from free energy" - so they get away with making 90% of the available income and you are happy!!???

Yes people are leamings at times and think they are getting a good deal when the comany is getting it all their own way. Its a question of balance and it really is going the companies way.

In other product market - forces makes the adjustment in pricing - that is what i would like to see here. Yes peeps can walk away but as I said most are leamings and easy prey!!

Your last little statement "i'm still getting something for nothing" is why they are going to roll you over and laugh the way to the bank while you still say in your mind "i'm still getting something for nothing" say after me "i'm still getting something for nothing"!!!!!!!

Regards

Any other LEAMINGS here ?

Certainly not where I am - might find a few in LEAMING t'on SPA :rotfl:

As for being ripped off ......

UNLESS YOU HAVE THE FINANCIAL OPTION and could BUY YOUR OWN system then you CANNOT LOSE OUT if you are NOT in that position.

If you are NOT going to install a system yourself then 10% of something is better than 100% of nothing.

As for "they" taking 90% - it's "they" that have "borrowed the money to finance the PV installation on YOUR roof" (and will be paying interest on it) and "they" that will "maintain it, service it, insure it, repair it (on average replacing the VERY EXPENSIVE INVERTER TWICE during the contract), temporarily remove & then replace the panels FOR FREE from your roof for repairs for up to 3 MONTHS not once BUT TWICE if required (and unless it's an emergency I'm sure this is most likely to happen in the most productive summer months when it's obviously warmer and less likely to rain on your "roofless" house).
It's probably going to be at least 12 years of collecting FITs before they hit the break-even point on the investment and during this time they will have provided gainful employment not only to their own employees but all those in the supply chain, many of which will be from the UK.
I'm sure most of these will pay tax, if not directly most defintitely indirectly, which will benefit us all one way or another.

AND AT THE END OF IT ALL .....

after 25 years THE SYSTEM BELONGS TO YOU !

jellyhead

beedydad wrote: »

That is the problem. These initial companies have set out the concept, to their own advantage - dressing up that you will "do all right from free energy" - so they get away with making 90% of the available income and you are happy!!???

Yes people are leamings at times and think they are getting a good deal when the comany is getting it all their own way. Its a question of balance and it really is going the companies way.

In other product market - forces makes the adjustment in pricing - that is what i would like to see here. Yes peeps can walk away but as I said most are leamings and easy prey!!

Your last little statement "i'm still getting something for nothing" is why they are going to roll you over and laugh the way to the bank while you still say in your mind "i'm still getting something for nothing" say after me "i'm still getting something for nothing"!!!!!!!

Regards

Explain to me why I wouldn't be better off than my neighbour who doesn't have the panels then? I don't CARE that the company who makes the outlay and does the work will get 90% of the income.

Unless there's some reason why having these panels would end up costing me more than I get back, or would inconvenience me in some way then why aren't I getting something for nothing? I'm not going to be moving within the 25 years so I don't see this as devaluing my house, and even if something better comes along in 5 years I wouldn't be able to afford it then anyway. I'm not in a position to outlay anything.

The only drawback as far as I can see it weighing up any environmental benefit and warm smug feeling against the points that have been made about everyone else having to pay more to cover the FITS.

beedydad

jellyhead wrote: »

Explain to me why I wouldn't be better off than my neighbour who doesn't have the panels then? I don't CARE that the company who makes the outlay and does the work will get 90% of the income.

Unless there's some reason why having these panels would end up costing me more than I get back, or would inconvenience me in some way then why aren't I getting something for nothing? I'm not going to be moving within the 25 years so I don't see this as devaluing my house, and even if something better comes along in 5 years I wouldn't be able to afford it then anyway. I'm not in a position to outlay anything.

The only drawback as far as I can see it weighing up any environmental benefit and warm smug feeling against the points that have been made about everyone else having to pay more to cover the FITS.

Interesting response.

So really why are you bothering to come on MSE if you don't care whether you get good value for money.

I thought that it is best for all to work out whether any offer from any company can stand up and be counted for good VFM.

There already warnings from some posters and in some papers about this.

I and others are justing pointing out there is more to think about than just "its free"!!!

Regards

Cardew

jellyhead wrote: »

Explain to me why I wouldn't be better off than my neighbour who doesn't have the panels then? I don't CARE that the company who makes the outlay and does the work will get 90% of the income.

.

Would you let them use your roof for, say, £1 a year?

How about £2? You are still £2 a year better off than your neighbour.

The point being made by beedydad is surely that he feels that the current offer from the companies of about 7% of the revenue is not sufficient.

You, and the many thousands of others who want to take up the offer, are satisfied with the terms being offered. Beedysdad feels it is inadequate.

I wouldn't rent out my roof under the present terms either, but that is no criticism of those who are satisfied with the offer.

Jon_Tiffany

beedydad wrote: »

Interesting response.

So really why are you bothering to come on MSE if you don't care whether you get good value for money.

I thought that it is best for all to work out whether any offer from any company can stand up and be counted for good VFM.

There already warnings from some posters and in some papers about this.

I and others are justing pointing out there is more to think about than just "its free"!!!

Regards

Considering the free offers dont cost anything I would say they are excellent value for money.

The thing is that this isn't just a case of what is the 'best buy'. It all depends on each persons position.

For example if you have no mortgage, no debts, £15k sitting in a rubbish savings account that you have no other use for, dont mind sinking that money into panels and dont mind the risk of inverters failing then you are better off buying the panels yourself.

I think the only thing that can be said for sure at the moment is that you are better off with the panels than without, wether you go for free or buy yourself is going to depend on the individual.

beedydad

Jon_Tiffany wrote: »

Considering the free offers dont cost anything I would say they are excellent value for money.

The thing is that this isn't just a case of what is the 'best buy'. It all depends on each persons position.

For example if you have no mortgage, no debts, £15k sitting in a rubbish savings account that you have no other use for, dont mind sinking that money into panels and dont mind the risk of inverters failing then you are better off buying the panels yourself.

I think the only thing that can be said for sure at the moment is that you are better off with the panels than without, wether you go for free or buy yourself is going to depend on the individual.

Jon some good comments, however, your first comment is where you and others do believe it is "excellent value for money" because they tell you this is the deal which they have worked out before trying to get customers. It clearly has worked as lots of leamings seem to be following and sniff out this "deal"

your last comment should be spot on but it does need the insight to clarify this exceptionally long deal.

I do not believe that there are any other products that you would or could tie yoursleves in for such a long period. Not even cars, white goods, boilers etc.

You mention about getting returns on your money - but again you do not tie in to any bank or investment house for any length of time and this site and others give out strong warnings against any such "lock-ins".

so why thow all those good thoughts and decide that this is the real deal and sign away for such a long term?

Regards

samba

I'm all for saving money, but this scheme is just a way for the government to hit its green targets without having to spend any money - the FITs are financed by the energy consumers, so basically those with solar panels are dipping into the pockets of those without. And those who go with the free schemes are helping those companies profit off the energy consumers. You may save a few pennies, but your neighbours will be paying more (actually so will you, but you may not notice - if you save £50 quid a year but energy prices go up by 3%, then you may probably only be saving £20).

When I look at the quoted figures, my impression is that it is not worthwhile. If I save approx £6500 over 25 years (as the Guardian article suggests), then that is around 66p/day. I currently save much more than that by making my own sandwiches, cycling/catching the bus to work rather than driving, not buying expensive mobile phones every year, etc, etc.

If I could generate and store 14kWh/day, that would cover virtually all my electricity usage, so I'm all for micro generation in people's homes, especially from the perspective of a money saver. The technology isn't quite there yet, but give it a couple of years and it will be, and it's likely you won't need huge arrays of panels to do it - there's a good chance we'll be walking down the street in 10 years time pointing at the house covered in solar panels saying "ha ha! look at that poor sucker! what an idiot!".

samba

beedydad wrote: »

I do not believe that there are any other products that you would or could tie yoursleves in for such a long period. Not even cars, white goods, boilers etc.

Boilers! That reminds me of the last government [STRIKE]scam[/STRIKE] scheme... Pay out around £2000 to scrap a perfectly good boiler to save around £100/year of your bills, and get £400 back. But for me it would take 16 years to save the money back, not to mention the lost interest... plus the all-in-one nature of modern boilers means there's more to go wrong and it costs to fix it when it does. Not to mention that the new boiler may not even last 16 years!

Pincher

eidolona wrote: »

I don't just want to be negative so the beer can solar air heater is an alternative. You fix it to your south facing wall and it heats the air during the autumn and winter months when the sun is out. Don't take my word for it or listen to the bone head above, check it out for yourself on You Tube.

Blue Peter presenters will have to start saying: "Don't forget to ask your local council for permission before you construct your DIY coke bottle green house." :rotfl:

Cardew

Pincher wrote: »

Blue Peter presenters will have to start saying: "Don't forget to ask your local council for permission before you construct your DIY coke bottle green house." :rotfl:

Blue Peter presenters use the cardboard inserts from toilet rolls AND NOTHING ELSE.

I am sure that using coke containers breaches some Health and Safety regulation, and any more irresponsible suggestions like above should be reported to the moderator.