Free solar panel discussion

Doc_N

Cardew wrote: »

True!

However your 'money' is on a roof and not in a bank account and it will be 10 to 15 years before you start to show a profit. Not exactly a flexible investment.

It all depends on your circumstances. Absolutely unsuitable for some, but perfect for me - I won't be moving, other than in a box, and at that point I doubt I'll be too bothered.

My 'total payback' point is, I reckon, between 8 and 10 years, with 'clear' profit after that. I can't get that rate of return, with a reasonable degree of certainty, anywhere else.

Gizmosmum_2

Doc_N wrote: »

It all depends on your circumstances. Absolutely unsuitable for some, but perfect for me - I won't be moving, other than in a box, and at that point I doubt I'll be too bothered.

My 'total payback' point is, I reckon, between 8 and 10 years, with 'clear' profit after that. I can't get that rate of return, with a reasonable degree of certainty, anywhere else.

My sentiments entireley - although hopefully the "box" is a lot of years away my aim is to clear my mortgage in the next couple of years (from other sources) then I'll be rent and fuel free because I'll be using the Fit to pay for my oil and surplus electric. Just need to grow my own food and all I'll need to find is the cash for the council tax :rotfl:

Cardew

I found this thread extraordinary.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=2725067

After just being about to change to an "online 19" tariff with NPower I checked to see whether that would still be OK for when we have Solar PV panels fitted and want to benefit from the "Feed in Tariff". I was then told that actually we would then have to change back to the standard tariff and pay 20 pounds for the privilege! This seems a bit contradictory to the scheme and dare I say it a way of the energy provider clawing back some of the tariff.
I don't know whether anyone has had a better experience with other energy providers?

Does anybody know of a provider who seems particularly up to speed with respect to the Feed in tariff?

If that is standard practice, i.e. you need to be on an expensive tariff(and not the cheap internet tariffs) to get FITs it makes the whole ASG type exercise pointless. You save up to a £100 or so and pay £300 or so on a more expensive tariff.

Anyone got any info on this aspect?

Pincher

With the 41.3p payment guaranteed, even on a stanadrd tariff, you are a loss making proposition for the supplier.

I was wondering about the tariff you would be allowed to be on as well, but since I don't have a south facing roof, I didn't bother asking EON.

If you are using electricity you generate yourself during the day, it is conceivable that you will want to be on Economy 7. So you would do all your washing machine and tumble drying if the sun is shining, or leave it on a timer for overnight. The rest of the time, you have LED lights, TV, computer and modem on, which use an insignificant amount of electricity.

Another issue is, can you switch supplier? Why would any supplier want to take you on?

John_Pierpoint

Cardew wrote: »

I found this thread extraordinary.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=2725067




If that is standard practice, i.e. you need to be on an expensive tariff(and not the cheap internet tariffs) to get FITs it makes the whole ASG type exercise pointless. You save up to a £100 or so and pay £300 or so on a more expensive tariff.

Anyone got any info on this aspect?

The link above is not working (for me).

but this one is:T
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2725067

Doc_N

I'm currently with e.on, and getting the FIT payments from them as well. No suggestion, so far, of any linkage between the two parts of e.on dealing with my power supply and my FIT payments.

If there's any suggestion from e.on of a restriction on the tariffs I can use, I'll simply switch away from them to another supplier. The FIT payments will continue to come from them, but the supply side can come from anyone.

Can't see why it would particularly bother them, though, since they aren't the ones ultimately paying for my FIT payments.

Cardew

Doc_N wrote: »

I'm currently with e.on, and getting the FIT payments from them as well. No suggestion, so far, of any linkage between the two parts of e.on dealing with my power supply and my FIT payments.

If there's any suggestion from e.on of a restriction on the tariffs I can use, I'll simply switch away from them to another supplier. The FIT payments will continue to come from them, but the supply side can come from anyone.

Can't see why it would particularly bother them, though, since they aren't the ones ultimately paying for my FIT payments.

Agreed it shouldn't bother them, unless perhaps their computer system is geared to only paying FITs and the 3p/kWH if on Standard tariff. Most likely however it is NPower's method of getting someone on their most expensive tariff.

1mofra

I am in Northern Ireland and would also like to check this out.
Have you had any feedback on companies who may do this over here?
Anyone else know?
cheers

grahamc2003

Doc_N wrote: »

I'm currently with e.on, and getting the FIT payments from them as well. No suggestion, so far, of any linkage between the two parts of e.on dealing with my power supply and my FIT payments.

If there's any suggestion from e.on of a restriction on the tariffs I can use, I'll simply switch away from them to another supplier. The FIT payments will continue to come from them, but the supply side can come from anyone.

Can't see why it would particularly bother them, though, since they aren't the ones ultimately paying for my FIT payments.

Hello docn, Do you have any data you could post on the actual generation you have got, the actual fit payments received, the cost and spec of your system, the predicted vs actual generation and return and other such stuff? I'm sure many here would find it interesting. I'm interested to see if the 'standard' method of assessment the salespeople use is very accurate or not. Appreciate any help you could give - hard numbers from those with fits are hard to come by. Thanks.

On another point, I thought the fit payments were totally independent of your supplier (hence they can't force you onto a different tariff if correct). Does your documentation confirm what I think? Agree- whoever pays the fit isn't losing out at all, they are probably gaining since the amount passed on to customers in general will be the fits they pay out, plus an uplift for admin and an element of profit.

Doc_N

grahamc2003 wrote: »

Hello docn, Do you have any data you could post on the actual generation you have got, the actual fit payments received, the cost and spec of your system, the predicted vs actual generation and return and other such stuff? I'm sure many here would find it interesting. I'm interested to see if the 'standard' method of assessment the salespeople use is very accurate or not. Appreciate any help you could give - hard numbers from those with fits are hard to come by. Thanks.

On another point, I thought the fit payments were totally independent of your supplier (hence they can't force you onto a different tariff if correct). Does your documentation confirm what I think? Agree- whoever pays the fit isn't losing out at all, they are probably gaining since the amount passed on to customers in general will be the fits they pay out, plus an uplift for admin and an element of profit.

Too soon to be able to give any meaningful data, I'm afraid, though others have posted some long-term figures. It's generating very nicely at the moment, but that's to be expected because of the time of year. In winter it's going to drop like a stone. Until there's a full year's data, it's of litle value.

As far as I can see, e.on have set up the FIT team as an entirely separate section. I don't see any connection between the payment of my FITs and my payments to e.on for electricity. The two will operate, I think, entirely separately.