Solar Panels and Smart Meters

voddyman

Hi, Not sure if this is in the correct place, but my query is I have solar panels and I would like to know how these new " smart meters " will affect the feed in tariff..I know that it is not compulsory for me to have one of these meters fitted.

Presently I am "deemed" as paying 50% back into the electricity main grid, however with the new smart meters I believe the utility companies will know exactly how much electric that I will be feeding back into the main grid, which therefore may reduce the amount that i get paid back through the feed in tariff.
Am I correct in saying this or will it not make any difference at all?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
:beer:

Martyn1981

Hello voddyman. It'll depend on how much you export, and the policy of your FiT provider.

I enquired with EDF yesterday about putting me on a smart meter, but they said they stick with the 50% deemed, so no real benefit to me then (I export ~70%).

Mart.

voddyman

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Hello voddyman. It'll depend on how much you export, and the policy of your FiT provider.

I enquired with EDF yesterday about putting me on a smart meter, but they said they stick with the 50% deemed, so no real benefit to me then (I export ~70%).

Mart.

Ah right, I get my F.I.T. paid by Good Energy, so I'll get in touch with them.

Thank you

Exiled_Tyke

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Hello voddyman. It'll depend on how much you export, and the policy of your FiT provider.

I enquired with EDF yesterday about putting me on a smart meter, but they said they stick with the 50% deemed, so no real benefit to me then (I export ~70%).

Mart.

I got the same impression when I checked. A move to a smart meter doesn't mean that it will include measuring export. It's in the Utility companies interest to keep us on 50% so I reckon they'll do there best to keep us there. However if they find a few years we all start incorporating batteries into our systems then who knows what will happen......

Ectophile

It's completely up in the air, as the people paying the export payments aren't the people installing the meters. The meter installers are (working for) the electricity suppliers.

The supplier doesn't care whether or not the meter can record exports. Many of the meters installed so far don't measure it.

Exiled_Tyke

Ectophile wrote: »

It's completely up in the air, as the people paying the export payments aren't the people installing the meters. The meter installers are (working for) the electricity suppliers.

The supplier doesn't care whether or not the meter can record exports. Many of the meters installed so far don't measure it.

I'm not following your argument here. The suppliers are the people making our export payments aren't they?

EricMears

Exiled_Tyke wrote: »

I'm not following your argument here. The suppliers are the people making our export payments aren't they?

I think in this context, the supplier is whichever company you pay for imported electricity. They may - but may not - be the same company that make our FIT payments. All FIT payers are electricity companies who supply (someone) but not necessarily the company we buy from at the moment.

For instance, Scottish Power were my supplier before I installed SPs but since then I have changed suppliers several times. No advantage in changing FIT providers so the two functions are now completely separate.

If you have a smart meter, your supplier might know how much you're exporting but are under no obligation to tell your FIT payer if not the same company.

Ectophile

Exiled_Tyke wrote: »

I'm not following your argument here. The suppliers are the people making our export payments aren't they?

They don't have to be. You can sign up with one company for your FITs, and a completely different one for your electricity bills. Even if it's the same company, it will be totally separate departments within that company.

pinnks

Also, I think the way it works is that the green levy is paid into a fund by each leccy provider, the FIT administrators (that is all they are doing as your contract for FIT is actually not with them) pay you and then claim that money back. So, the leccy companies don't incur any actual expenditure on FITs

theboylard

I was under the impression that if you have a certified meter that can read export, then your FiT provider can insist you give them the appropriate readings, rather than deeming?

Or can anyone say with certainty that if your FiT provider is A, and your electric is with B, then you'll stay on deeming?