FiT bureaucracy

At last I got around to registering my solar installation for payment of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT). Soon after my solar panels were installed, I was sent a certificate that I would use to claim for these payments because it certifies that my system is eligible. Then I got busy and the days ticked by. The panels generously provided valuable power but it has taken me a week to finally get around to making that claim. I did so today and it proved to be interesting. First, a recap of the FiT system.

Feed-in Tariffs are an arrangement whereby microgenerators (like me) get paid for every unit of electricity they generate, even if they use it themselves. If they don't use it and put it on the grid instead, they gain an additional small amount called an export tariff. All the major electricity companies support the FiT scheme and the money comes from a levy on all other electricity users.

To claim my FiT payments, I contacted the Green Energy department of EDF Energy, my supplier. They said I could apply by email but I would need to include a scan of some form of ID (my passport), a proof of address (utility bill), the invoice from Installation Company and a copy of the MCS certificate. I asked whether the initial meter reading from the panels (00001) would be used as the starting point for the payments. I was told that a meter reading would be asked for when I filled in the form and it wasn't to be backdated. As it was now at 00110, it means a loss of £45, the payment that would have been due for the first 7 days generation, had I got off my backside as I should.

EDF sent me an application form in the form of a PDF. I was at work and had hoped I could register from there, but having discovered I would have to scan documents, I would have to wait until I get home. When I did get in front of my computer, I saved the PDF to a folder and opened it to fill it out. It then told me that I wouldn't be able to save the completed form but that I could print it out for my records. I couldn't work out how I was to use this to apply by email.  I did check with EDF and the lady said they were getting many applications by email. Maybe I'm missing something. Anyway, I filled it in electronically and printed out two copies - one to send and one for my records.

All the forms and requsite scans were put into an envelope and posted to EDF. The PDF is a bit naff as it drops all the leading zeros, some of which are important in the likes of meter serial numbers and bank codes. I added them by hand. I guess had I been able to send it electronically, those zeros would have been included.

It's good to learn from EDF exactly how the FiT payment will work. At the start of every third month, I will send them a reading from my generation meter. They should then lodge the appropriate payments to my bank account within that month. I should therefore expect quarterly payments. For now, there is no way to determine what proportion of the solar power is fed to the grid and what is used here at home. Therefore, it is assumed that the ratio is 50%. This means that for half of the units I generate, I will get the basic FiT of 41.3 pence and for the other half, I will get an additional 3 pence.