Solar Panel Guide Discussion

zeupater

shafeeq wrote: »

Last week I emailed the above person stating that I have not heard anything. This is the reply I got yesterday

"I apologise for the delay in response that you are experiencing for your meter exchange. Unfortunately this is not something that we deal with in our department, however I have escalated the matter for you to ensure a call back is made. I can advise however that it is noted on our systems that you have fulfilled your responsibility and any delay is down to Npower. I would therefore keep this email as written confirmation that we have acknowledged you have done your part in this process.

Kind Regards,
Senior Advisor - FIT Admin Team"

Last time they said to contact them if I don;t hear anything now they are saying it's not their department...... any they state that I have fulfilled my responsibility.. we will see

Shafeeq

Hi Shafeeq

I reckon that there is a considerable difference between acknowledging that you have fulfilled your responsibility and NPower writing off any usage which isn't being accounted for ... they're simply not in any rush because they know that you will still need to pay them and they are therefore not losing out ....

HTH
Z

1echidna

zeupater wrote: »

Hi Shafeeq

I reckon that there is a considerable difference between acknowledging that you have fulfilled your responsibility and NPower writing off any usage which isn't being accounted for ... they're simply not in any rush because they know that you will still need to pay them and they are therefore not losing out ....

HTH
Z

What is the position if you dispute the estimate of electricity your supplier makes? Presumably it is based on last year's figures. What if you have reasonable cause to think usage is lower?

shafeeq

1echidna wrote: »

What is the position if you dispute the estimate of electricity your supplier makes? Presumably it is based on last year's figures. What if you have reasonable cause to think usage is lower?

It would be lower since I have solar panels now, i will argue, or i can leave them now and go to a different provider :j

1echidna

shafeeq wrote: »

It would be lower since I have solar panels now, i will argue, or i can leave them now and go to a different provider :j

Presumably the estimate will have some accounting for usage of generated power though how they do this I wouldn't know?

zeupater

1echidna wrote: »

What is the position if you dispute the estimate of electricity your supplier makes? Presumably it is based on last year's figures. What if you have reasonable cause to think usage is lower?

Hi

We've discussed this a number of times on this forum, it's also a matter for much discussion elsewhere too.

Without an export meter both sides will just be guessing, but chances are that the starting point will be estimated by taking last year's bill and then applying 50% of the TGM reading .... most can't really disagree with the basic logic ... they've paid a deemed 50% export, so the other 50% 'must' have been used in-house.

Many on this forum claim that they can use more (/far more) than 50% of generation in house, so they can only be extremely happy with this logic, as will the energy companies .... those who believe that the benefit is more likely around £100 would obviously be less happy ....

HTH
Z

1echidna

zeupater wrote: »

Hi

We've discussed this a number of times on this forum, it's also a matter for much discussion elsewhere too.

Without an export meter both sides will just be guessing, but chances are that the starting point will be estimated by taking last year's bill and then applying 50% of the TGM reading .... most can't really disagree with the basic logic ... they've paid a deemed 50% export, so the other 50% 'must' have been used in-house.

Many on this forum claim that they can use more (/far more) than 50% of generation in house, so they can only be extremely happy with this logic, as will the energy companies .... those who believe that the benefit is more likely around £100 would obviously be less happy ....

HTH
Z

Thanks Z, sorry to drag the forum over old ground. It so happens that the old meter for my two week old installation is sometimes running backwards. At this time of the year I may be using a large proportion of generated power, however, so I guess I'm in no hurry to get a new meter .

zeupater

1echidna wrote: »

Thanks Z, sorry to drag the forum over old ground. It so happens that the old meter for my two week old installation is sometimes running backwards. At this time of the year I may be using a large proportion of generated power, however, so I guess I'm in no hurry to get a new meter .

Hi

I'd expect the simplistic approach I raised to be over an extended period of a year or so, not just the winter months .... it would be pretty simple to flex the TGM readings to reflect an estimate broken down by month ...

If it was me, I'd push as hard as possible to get the meter changed ...

HTH
Z

orrery

zeupater wrote: »

If it was me, I'd push as hard as possible to get the meter changed ...

Agreed - utilities don't have a reputation for making their estimates favour the consumer.

Cardew

orrery wrote: »

Agreed - utilities don't have a reputation for making their estimates favour the consumer.

To be fair to Utility companies(not easy!) that reputation is unjustified.

They have a sophisticated algorithm for their billing computer to calculate estimates; it even has a weather input from the Met office. This algorithm is independently audited.

With many millions of accounts getting estimated meter readings when there is a price increase, wrong estimates have the ability to lose or make the company big money!

However the algorithm cannot cope with unusual consumption patterns - say in a holiday cottage, or a property unoccupied for a long period.

1echidna

Cardew wrote: »

To be fair to Utility companies(not easy!) that reputation is unjustified.

They have a sophisticated algorithm for their billing computer to calculate estimates; it even has a weather input from the Met office. This algorithm is independently audited.

With many millions of accounts getting estimated meter readings when there is a price increase, wrong estimates have the ability to lose or make the company big money!

However the algorithm cannot cope with unusual consumption patterns - say in a holiday cottage, or a property unoccupied for a long period.

Interesting. Is the Utility Co required to be transparent in showing the basis of the algorithm used to the customer or does the customer just have to rely on the fact that it is independently audited?