Solar PV – Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

KevinG

drefaldwyn wrote: »

I
Can I leave my FIT arrangements with npower and take my "normal" energy from another supplier?

Hi,

I was going to say that you probably should have started a new thread for this, rather than add it to the sticky "Q&A" thread, but it's a good question and I don't think it has been covered in this thread. I'm fairly certain the answer is yes, and if you are happy with your FiT arrangements this would be the simplest thing to do, there should be no need even to mention it when transferring. After all, everyone pays the same rate, with one exception I know of, namely Utility Warehouse, who pay a small premium although there are conditions attached.

drefaldwyn

I was wondering if posting on this particular thread was appropriate but in the end, decided that this subject is likely to crop up more and more in the future. So ..... I went ahead and did it!

There's lots of small, unclear and complicated print in the FIT Plan T&C's so perhaps learning about other people's experiences, both good and bad, would be a help to us all.

Best regards.

sly_dog_jonah

The FAQ doesn't really cover registering for FiTs yet, nor the natural extension of that which is 'can I change my FiT supplier?'. I'm sure some of us can provide some good answers to the following questions (I don't have time right now to thoroughly do this):

Feed-in-Tariff registration and changing suppliers
Q. Do I have to register for the FiT with my existing electricity supplier? Or can I pick from any?
A. (short answer) If you're electricity supplier is one of the 'big six' you generally can't register for FiTs with one of the other 'big six'. However if your electricity supplier is one of the smaller (non-'big 6') suppliers, you can choose from any FiT supplier.

Q. Is there any difference between FiT suppliers, for example the amounts I will be paid?
A. Unfortunately yes: there's differences in the following: Service; Registration backlog; speed of payment; method of payment (BACS/Cheque/Credit to bills); 'windows' for submitting quarterly generation readings; methods of submitting readings; some niche providers pay a little extra on top of export tariff.

Q. Once registered for FiTs, can I move electricity supplier without moving FiT provider?
A. Yes, you continue to submit quarterly meter readings to your FiT provider. The Elec/gas switching process should be no different than before.

Q. Once registered for FiTs, can I move to another FiT provider without changing electricity supplier?
A. Yes, subject to the FiT provider allowing applications from non-customers, which may depend on who your current electricity supplier is. There's little incentive to other than to get better service from the FiT provider. The switching process is somewhat of a mystery as few have proceeded with it, probably best to start with the FiT team at the new provider if you want to proceed with this.

Q. What questions should I ask a FiT provider before registering/moving to them?
A. See above question about differences between them, then ask them about those topics. Note many providers are putting systems in place to speed up/automate payments with varying success. There are a number of forums threads specifically discussing problems surrounding FiT payments, but note that past service is not necessarily a reflection of current or future service standards.

Q. What happens if I sell my home?
A. See the following YouGen blogs here and here.

Q. My meter goes backwards sometimes when my Solar PV is generating, will this be a problem if I want to move electricity supplier?
A. You should have already notified your FiT supplier and/or electricity supplier that the meter is going backwards. If they haven't actioned that yet, then it may make for some interesting discussions between the 3 parties trying to agree a meter reading at the date of supply transfer.

sly_dog_jonah

drefaldwyn wrote: »

I am presently an npower customer (with whom I also have my FIT agreement - since Oct 2011) and am considering changing my supplier as part of my annual review of energy prices.

Is anyone aware of any pitfalls that I should look out for?

I don't think I've seen anyone mention that they have moved FiT providers thus far.

Will I have problems transferring my FIT?

No evidence either way I'm afraid. Perhaps the only known issue you may come across is that most if not all of the 'Big Six' will only accept a FiT application if your Electricity supplier is not one of the 'Big Six' (unless you're intending to move your supply over to them as well).

Can I leave my FIT arrangements with npower and take my "normal" energy from another supplier?

Yes. In theory you could use [Company A] as FiT provider, [Company B] as Electricity Supplier and [Company C] as Gas Supplier.

Martyn1981

Hiya SDJ, if you don't mind, can I 'lift' your FITs Q&A for a new section in post 1?

Assuming it's OK, I'll leave it for a day or 2 to see if you or anyone else has any amendments or suggestions?

Cheers.

Mart.

sly_dog_jonah

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Hiya SDJ, if you don't mind, can I 'lift' your FITs Q&A for a new section in post 1?

Assuming it's OK, I'll leave it for a day or 2 to see if you or anyone else has any amendments or suggestions?

Cheers.

Mart.

Sure no probs, I suggest a couple of days' peer review would be good though.

Martyn1981

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

Sure no probs, I suggest a couple of days' peer review would be good though.

Cheers SDJ, updated with 'new' FITs section.

Mart.

sly_dog_jonah

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Cheers SDJ, updated with 'new' FITs section.

Mart.

The YouGen blog links didn't get copied over. Once you've sorted that I'll edit my posting to point back to the first post.

Martyn1981

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

The YouGen blog links didn't get copied over. Once you've sorted that I'll edit my posting to point back to the first post.

Thanks SDJ I hadn't noticed that.

All done, but how do I rename the link to simplify it like you did?

Also, silly question, but is anyone else having trouble logging in. Most of yesterday I couldn't actually log in to alter anything. At one point my green light came on, but I still only had the usual 'reading' options. Strange.

Mart.

KevinG

Martyn1981 wrote: »

All done, but how do I rename the link to simplify it like you did?

You highlight the text and use the Insert Link button above the message compose box (world and a paperclip).

Kevin

P.S. no I didn't have any troubles logging in yesterday.