Energy: Find the cheapest supplier & earn cashback

harryhound

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Hi harryhound

A standard meter as now which records all the electricity bought from the Grid.

There ain't no such thing as a standard meter. Some of them go backwards when exporting electricity back to the grid. Some of them are electronic and don't.

A generation meter which measures all the electricity produced by accredited renewable sources installed at a property.

Agreed, it must be very satisfying to see you have something the size of a 3 bar electric fire working for you on a sunny summer's day

An export meter to measure any electricity exported back to the Grid.

Most grid operators take a considerable time to get a round tuit and install one of these. Until they do it is assumed that half of the electricity created is going backwards into the grid (even if it is really heating your neighbour's swimming pool.) The exported electricity is worth 41.3 pence plus 3 pence per unit.

The standard meter will continue to work as at present and customers will receive bills for all electricity channelled through this meter. Again, as now, customers can change supplier for all electricity taken this way whenever they wish.

If it is not going backwards.

The generation and export meters will be linked directly to the Grid. Therefore, the electricity will go through the distributor for the area involved. This will not change unless the regional distributor changes.

Physically this is obviously true, just like the electricity locally probably comes from your nearest power station whoever is operating it - electricity is a bit like telephone calls, the company you pay may not be doing much of the work. The same applies to buying road fuel. Just because the pump says Tesco or Shell, it does not mean that those companies made the fuel - remember that chaos when someone blended diesel anti foam agent into a batch of petrol - the damaged cars had been filling up at all sorts of different filling stations.

Payments for every kWh generated will be made to the customer, whether used at the property or exported to the Grid. The rate per kWh will depend on factors like the type and size of generator used.

It is the electricity bill provider who has to give the credits of 41.3 pence per unit plus an extra 3 pence is the electricity is exported rather than used at home. Yes it is possible to own a second property (say) and end up with a negative electricity bill. Those figures apply to an "up to 4 kw" generator - probably PV roof panels but it could be a wind turbine or a water mill.

Additionally, there will be a separate payment for every kWh exported to the Grid.

Yes 3 pence per unit, so the hunt is on for a cheap way of making sure all the electricity is used at the home rather than exported - perhaps by storing it as hot water. The suppliers of "solar thermal" panels will be squeezed out of the market.

These payments are fixed by the Government and will be the same across the country, regardless of who the regional distributor is.

I'm sorry my knowledge of this subject is a bit sketchy but hope the above makes things a little clearer. Again, give me a shout if I can help further as I definitely need to increase my understanding of this topic.

Malc

Thanks Malc,
I have added my comments above.
I think all we can say at this stage is that nobody with a FiT agreement has yet switched suppliers.
I had a run in with National Power because I have a meter with one reading for 7 hours per day and another reading for 17 hours per day - They took on my business and then decided they did not want it when they discovered I had a new liquid crystal EdF meter.
(Yes meter readers do try to get the figures the wrong way round - it must be rocket science ?)

Keep your ear to the ground Malc and let us know how it pans out when the disputes start.

Harry

System

I managed to get 120 pounds reduction after arguing with EDF who said I was on cheapest tariff, which I wasn't, after checking the switch article I saved another 288 pounds by switching to Eon on a fixed deal for 1 year, and got a free case of wine to boot, via U switch, process was quick and easy.

Total saving 408 quid a nd a free case of wine result. :j

Thanks to Moneysavingexpert.com

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

harryhound wrote: »

Thanks Malc,
I have added my comments above.
I think all we can say at this stage is that nobody with a FiT agreement has yet switched suppliers.
I had a run in with National Power because I have a meter with one reading for 7 hours per day and another reading for 17 hours per day - They took on my business and then decided they did not want it when they discovered I had a new liquid crystal EdF meter.
(Yes meter readers do try to get the figures the wrong way round - it must be rocket science ?)

Keep your ear to the ground Malc and let us know how it pans out when the disputes start.

Harry

Hi Harry

More than happy to keep you informed as these schemes take shape.

I'm learning about them myself so need to keep up to speed with what's happening.

I suspect, as with any new developments/innovations, there will be problems in the early days as both suppliers and customers come to terms with the technology. The test will be in how the problems are overcome.

I'm sorry if some of the info I've provided is not as detailed as I would have liked. As I say, I'm still learning myself. Just to clarify a couple of things.

When I mentioned a standard meter, I was talking about the meters already in properties. The ones bills are currently based on. Sorry if my terminology was a bit lacking there. I should have called it the existing Import Meter.

I take your point about there already being certain import meters capable of measuring exports back to the grid.

You're also absolutely right about probable delays in fitting export meters.

I can't speak for other suppliers but I can confirm, in the interim, E.ON will estimate the level of exports back to the grid as 50 per cent of the total generation of the system. This is for all forms of micro generation except Hydro.

For Hydro generation, the estimate will be 75 per cent of the total generation of the system.

Customers can apply to any of the energy providers for FIT payments. They don't need to go to their actual supplier if they don't wish to.

The payment of 3p per kWh for electricity exported to the grid is in addition to the amount paid for generating the electricity. For instance, someone with a 4KW Solar PV (new build) system will receive 36.1p per kWh + 3p per kWh (a total of 39.1p) for each kWh of electricity exported to the grid.

I hope this is useful Harry. As I say, please forgive me if I have repeated myself or stated the obvious. Am doing my best to understand all the implications of these new tariffs.

Malc

SD-253

brandeberryj wrote: »

Sometimes I wonder if we are living in a real world "The FIT for retrofitting PV is 41.4p per kWh if fitted before next April." You can easily buy electric for 10p a KWh I wonder how long before people start putting electric into the system from a generator or batteries and getting back 2, 3 or even 4 times there cost. Can it really be good for the environment to create electric for 41.4p when it only costs 10p max to produce & sell normally?? Do they care about the damage (carbon produced) in manufacturing and putting in place these so called carbon reducing products??

The expected output of a PV on a south facing roof in the south of England is 1800 Kw a year the wholesale price of which is £70. Cost of fitting is £10,000??? Does it reduce total Carbon output? I doubt it, probably increases it if you add up all the cost (carbon costs) of production etc. So anyone who is having PV fitted is damaging the environment not helping it AND RIPING OFF HIS FELLOW ELECTRIC USERS who are paying the subsidy. Basically this is away for the middle class to feel good about themselves while making loads of money at the same time............ mainly of the working class.

SD-253

harryhound wrote: »

This is an open question to any electricity company representatives monitoring this thread.

I am seriously thinking about installing solar PV (Solar electric panels on the roof).

If I then wanted to change suppliers, to get a cheaper supply rate during the day or night or both, would my FiT cause extra problems?

As above!! you are damaging the environment and ripping off virtually everyone in the country if you go for Solar PV. JB

competitionscafe

Why does the page: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity make no mention at all of the cashback available via cashback sites like topcashback etc which is significantly higher than the amounts offered by energy helpine, uswitch etc?

Eg: http://www.topcashback.co.uk/RetailersByCatUtility_Services.htm

Shows there is up to £130 cashback on offer for a dual fuel switch - far more than the £15/£30/£35/£40/£70 / cashback/ free wine offers in the article.

oblomovukuk

I can't see how you are meant to get the cashback talked about in martin's email. Energyhelpline and uswitch both say that the scottish power tariffs can'tr be purchased through their websites. Any ideas what is going on?

competitionscafe

oblomovukuk wrote: »

I can't see how you are meant to get the cashback talked about in martin's email. Energyhelpline and uswitch both say that the scottish power tariffs can'tr be purchased through their websites. Any ideas what is going on?

Don't know, but if you go via a cashback site like topcashback you get £130 cashback for Scottish Power, almost double the £70 offered by Uswitch:
http://www.topcashback.co.uk/scottish_power/

dave.smith_2

Hello,

Thanks for giving the information about the cheapest supplier .. I hope so it is good.

Thanks
Dave Smith

youngatheart_2

Just changed suppliers from Scottish Power to E-On through topcashback. E-on says cashback is £55 for dual fuel but it is only tracking at £30. Anyone else confused by this or am I reading it wrong?