Solar energy - Feed-in Tariff payment delays - your experiences?

The_Green_Hornet

battelaxe wrote: »

I must have fallen down behind a radiator. I have been waiting for my first payment from EDF since February this year and still not had anything. Do you think I should charge them interest. I am counting on my payments to go towards the loan that I took out to pay for my panels.

Does anyone have any advice?

I recommend that you go down their formal complaints route.

EDF: Making a complaint

They have a dedicated Complaints Resolution Team.

EricMears

phsci wrote: »

Don't bother with email. Ring them on 0345 302 4293 and jump straight to the front of the queue. They will transfer you to the new system while you wait (local call rates) and then arrange payment of your owed FiTs. Your next payment should then only take 5 working days from giving them your quarterly meter reading.

There's no such thing as a 'local' call rate. The distinction between local & national calls was discontinued some years ago.

0345 is at least a 'new generation' national rate non-geographic number rather than the revenue-sharing 0845 numbers beloved by most call centre operators.


'Saynoto0870.com' give the following advice for contacting E.on :-
The 0115 843 4147 number is suitable for all enquiries as too is 0800 363363 which answers with the same general menu.

They also offer 01234 733029 as a direct contact number for FIT team.

John_Pierpoint

As nobody will remember here is a reminder:

* My panels were fitted on 14 February in the rush up to the regulation changes 03 March.

* Getting the paperwork done was a bit fraught, so I chose British Gas as the FiT provider; because the application could be made by Email and the applicant got an "instant" automated acknowledgement.

There was a down side in that the legislation allows 7 days postal grace in which to supply the a starting generation meter meter reading of next to zero.
[By post as contract is valid on the date posted not on the date received - see insurance policy 14 day grace periods]
No such days of grace are allowed by the B. Gas Email system so I appear to have deferred the first 8 days of generation for a dribble of generation in 25 years time?

Well that is what I thought when I sent my start reading on 22 February and my first payable reading on 22 May.

Now I have received an Email dated 10th August instructing me to supply the next reading "within 7 days".

Is this just B.Gas clerical c0ck-up or has B.Gas got the regulations wrong? Perhaps the FiT can only be paid until the 25th anniversary of the installation?

Should I add those missing 8 days to the reading on 16th August ?

KevinG

EricMears wrote: »

'Saynoto0870.com' give the following advice for contacting E.on :-
The 0115 843 4147 number is suitable for all enquiries as too is 0800 363363 which answers with the same general menu.

They also offer 01234 733029 as a direct contact number for FIT team.

But if that 0345 number works it will cost no more than the geographic numbers and will be cheaper than the 0800 number from mobile phones. A possible candidate for adding to the saynoto0870 site if it is correct.

sly_dog_jonah

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

As nobody will remember here is a reminder:

* My panels were fitted on 14 February in the rush up to the regulation changes 03 March.

* Getting the paperwork done was a bit fraught, so I chose British Gas as the FiT provider; because the application could be made by Email and the applicant got an "instant" automated acknowledgement.

There was a down side in that the legislation allows 7 days postal grace in which to supply the a starting generation meter meter reading of next to zero.
[By post as contract is valid on the date posted not on the date received - see insurance policy 14 day grace periods]
No such days of grace are allowed by the B. Gas Email system so I appear to have deferred the first 8 days of generation for a dribble of generation in 25 years time?

Well that is what I thought when I sent my start reading on 22 February and my first payable reading on 22 May.

Now I have received an Email dated 10th August instructing me to supply the next reading "within 7 days".

Is this just B.Gas clerical c0ck-up or has B.Gas got the regulations wrong? Perhaps the FiT can only be paid until the 25th anniversary of the installation?

Should I add those missing 8 days to the reading on 16th August ?

The distinction is that your opening reading is bound to the application date, but the 'window' of submitting quarterly readings is determined by the terms of your contract with the FIT supplier.

You can inflate your August reading if you want, but it's a breach of your contract. If you are still in the same home in 25 years, I'm sure the 'missed' units will be offset by the increased FIT payments payable for the extra 7-8days, even allowing for the performance degradation.

jackieblack

EricMears wrote: »

'Saynoto0870.com' give the following advice for contacting E.on :-
The 0115 843 4147 number is suitable for all enquiries as too is 0800 363363 which answers with the same general menu.

They also offer 01234 733029 as a direct contact number for FIT team.

0800 number doesn't work ("the number you have dialled has not been recognised") but got through straight away on 01234 733029, the agent confirmed I was on the new system and took my reading. Said payment should be in account 5-7 days

battelaxe

battelaxe wrote: »

I must have fallen down behind a radiator. I have been waiting for my first payment from EDF since February this year and still not had anything. Do you think I should charge them interest. I am counting on my payments to go towards the loan that I took out to pay for my panels.

Does anyone have any advice?

Just a quick follow up. I emailed the CEO and was promptly called by someone from his office who apologised for the delay. Then I was sent an agreement of terms. Now, even though I registered with a complete installation on the 1st March, they are trying to reduce my FITs payment from the 43p to the 21 on 1st April. Surely this is a mistake, and the FITs payments should remain at the 43.3p for 25 years.

Any further advice on this?

sly_dog_jonah

battelaxe wrote: »

Just a quick follow up. I emailed the CEO and was promptly called by someone from his office who apologised for the delay. Then I was sent an agreement of terms. Now, even though I registered with a complete installation on the 1st March, they are trying to reduce my FITs payment from the 43p to the 21 on 1st April. Surely this is a mistake, and the FITs payments should remain at the 43.3p for 25 years.

Any further advice on this?

What date does the FiT agreement state the 'Eligibility Date' is? This should be the same as when the FiT provider received a valid application, not when they processed it. For example my FiT agreement with EDF stated:

1.4 Key Dates:
Eligibility Date: 28/10/2011
Confirmation Date: 03/02/2012
Eligibility Period: 25 Years
Transfer Date if Switching: N/A
Meter Reading Months (that is, when the Generator must take Meter Readings): March,June,September,December

A good definition of the Eligibility Date is available here. So long as your eligibility date was prior to 3rd March then you should get the 43.3p FiT (increasing with RPI for 25years). Did they receive your application prior to that date? Do you have proof e.g. email or delivery confirmation?

battelaxe

They say they received it on the first of March, the day the installation was completed, so I suppose that means the date of registration. The strange thing is in the same email as they agree that they received notification on the first of March, they say they will pay from the third. I have emailed them back, but not heard from them yet.

From what you say though I should be entitled to the 43.3p

sly_dog_jonah

battelaxe wrote: »

They say they received it on the first of March, the day the installation was completed, so I suppose that means the date of registration. The strange thing is in the same email as they agree that they received notification on the first of March, they say they will pay from the third. I have emailed them back, but not heard from them yet.

From what you say though I should be entitled to the 43.3p

If they have put it in writing that they received your completed application on 1st March, then your eligibility date is 1st March and they can't fob you off with "we'll pay you as if your eligibility date is 3rd March". They don't have any grounds for delaying the eligibility date, so put a formal complaint in (again) if they do so.