Plans to change what households make from solar Feed-in Tariffs 'feels a breach of pro

Scot_39

People have been - for years. 

Only now the costs of those policies - long predicted - becoming clear to public - are others - now listening.

And not attacking those voicing concerns with insults and abuse.

gefnew

Do not worry the money saved on hs2 will help, a vanity project

Scot_39

Three wrongs - still don't make a right.

But yet another example of the folly of political decisions in the 2000s and early 2010s.

Announced under Brown iirc - formalised in next 2-3 years under Cons Libs, years later finally legislated for (5 years ?) and cancelled Leeds / east and Manchester phases in early 2020s.

No longer seen as essential, necessary or fit for todays circumstances (or simply govt finances).

No doubt with many contracts cancelled or renegotiated along the way.

The_Green_Hornet

Qyburn said:

gefnew said:

Why do you think so many people are fitting solar still,
 because the early adopters took a large risk but has come with a reward and the cost has come down greatly to there benefit ...

I don't suppose the UK market for solar panels was ever enough to influence worldwide supply or pricing. I don't know if panels were ever made in the UK, but wasn't offered any when we installed.

Sharp had a solar panel factory in Wrexham but it ceased production in 2013.

QrizB

Qyburn said:

gefnew said:

Why do you think so many people are fitting solar still,
 because the early adopters took a large risk but has come with a reward and the cost has come down greatly to there benefit ...

I don't suppose the UK market for solar panels was ever enough to influence worldwide supply or pricing. I don't know if panels were ever made in the UK, but wasn't offered any when we installed.

One of the reasons for the FIT (discussed in some of the consultation documents) was to build a skilled base of installers in the UK to let us take advantage of falling equipment prices.

Arguably that worked out more-or-less as planned; the MCS scheme is mature, and pretty much the entire GB mainland is served by multiple accredited solar installers.

I'm not entirely defending Government policy here; the FIT scheme wasn't well managed and the various cliff-edges caused the solar installer base to peak and trough as incentives were withdrawn. We saw this when the payment rate was first cut in 2012 and then again at intervals up to an including the closure of the scheme in 2019.

inspectorperez

QrizB said:

Qyburn said:

gefnew said:

Why do you think so many people are fitting solar still,
 because the early adopters took a large risk but has come with a reward and the cost has come down greatly to there benefit ...

I don't suppose the UK market for solar panels was ever enough to influence worldwide supply or pricing. I don't know if panels were ever made in the UK, but wasn't offered any when we installed.

One of the reasons for the FIT (discussed in some of the consultation documents) was to build a skilled base of installers in the UK to let us take advantage of falling equipment prices.

Arguably that worked out more-or-less as planned; the MCS scheme is mature, and pretty much the entire GB mainland is served by multiple accredited solar installers.

I'm not entirely defending Government policy here; the FIT scheme wasn't well managed and the various cliff-edges caused the solar installer base to peak and trough as incentives were withdrawn. We saw this when the payment rate was first cut in 2012 and then again at intervals up to an including the closure of the scheme in 2019.

Interesting to read this comment.

The guy who installed our array back in 2011 was a qualified accountant who recognised the opportunities around at that time, acquired the necessary training and skillset to set up his own installation business.

Completed a very professional installation for us and had 5 star rating feedback from most if not all of his customers.

Two or three years later, saw the general drift and folded his company.

I recall thinking at the time that whoever had been commissioned to advise on the quantum of the tariffs erred on the generous side from a customer point of view. This was probably recognised at some later point by the government.

The substance however is that there was a contract between willing parties for 25 years and unless someone can prove that the contract is fundamentally unfair, the terms should not be amended unless agreed by all parties to the contract.

Scot_39

inspectorperez said:

The substance however is that there was a contract between willing parties for 25 years and unless someone can prove that the contract is fundamentally unfair, the terms should not be amended unless agreed by all parties to the contract.

No there definitely was no such agreement with those who actually pay tge costs.

Given all domestic energy users - well those on ofgem regulated tariffs anyway -  pay for fit - they should have been at the time and werent made aware of the escalating costs to tgem.

Just like many of the other net zero appraches in the uk, kicked off decade plus ago, where the excessively high costs are now becoming clearer by the month, despite geeenwashong promises to tge contrary including the recent pre election £300 savings nonsense.

And they and representative consumer groups are being invited to have their say on this issue now.

But of course have to be aware of it - its not exactly been well publicised in general media.

Its not just fit contract holders and the govt / panel suppliers involved. 

inspectorperez

"Its not just fit contract holders and the govt / panel suppliers involved."

That's an interesting "take" @Scot_39 suggesting if I am not mistaken that the party with whom I contracted did not have legal capacity to contract.

Will be interesting to see if this argument is tested with early adopters and others.

Doc_N

Scot_39 said:

inspectorperez said:

The substance however is that there was a contract between willing parties for 25 years and unless someone can prove that the contract is fundamentally unfair, the terms should not be amended unless agreed by all parties to the contract.

It’s not just fit contract holders and the govt / panel suppliers involved. 

By that logic, all government contracts, and indeed all contracts, have no validity. That should play well.

_Sam_

Out of curiosity would this affect rent-a-roof companies as while the difference in payment is small for an individual, for the companies it would be more substantial given the large numbers of solar panels they invested in.