DECC give early adopters a break - important - please read!

[Ivan]

My contact at the EST has informed me that today the DECC have announced that they will allow FITs to individuals with non-MCS installations (including non-MCS equipment) subject to the following conditions:

Must be registered for ROCs between July 09 and March 2010.
            -Anyone registering AFTER March 2010 will get NOTHING ie no ROCs or FITs.
            -Anyone registered for ROCs before July 09 will not qualify for FITs
It doesn't need to have any MCS inspections, or MCS work.
You'll need to install an OFGEM-approved meter - Navitron has some zero'd OFGEM-approved meters, with long calibration dates in stock, if you wish to purchase one.
You'll probably forfeit some FIT payments.
NB All this has to go through parliament before the end of this month to turn the 'should's, 'probably's etc into 'will' / 'must'
I assume that this will relate to all technologies - wind, hydro etc, so it may be worth registering all/anything you can.

LOOPHOLE ALERT: If you have a system that has been registered for ROCS before July09, contact Ofgem to let them know that you are scrapping the system, and re-apply for OFGEM-accreditation for a new system that will be installed before the end of the month. To avoid potential problems, I'd recommend

LOOPHOLE ALERT: Register a PV generation system with Ofgem NOW, even if it's not actually fully installed (or fully purchased) -this will probably enable you to claim FITs for when it is installed.
 
SO IF YOU HAVE A NON-MCS SYSTEM THAT WAS INSTALLED AFTER JULY 2009 (or to be specific, that it hasn't been registered for ROCs before this date), then contact Ofgem to get it registered for FITs BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH. The DECC have been referring to this option as 'refit', incidentally. Please note that Ofgem haven't got any manpower to deal with this (two people?), so expect to have trouble getting through, getting things done etc - you'll need to keep at them.

I'm sure this wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for our EST contact pushing for this. Having someone 'in the system' supporting the consumer viewpoint rather than the towing the government line makes a big difference, so we all owe him a big 'thank you'.

[StBarnabas]

Hi Ivan

this sounds like excellent news for the StBC system.

This was comissioned on the 26th August

I have an OFGEM approved meter

I am registred with OFGEM for ROCs - got the letter about a month ago but I applied on the 15th Sept so took about 4 1/2 months.

We indeed owe our EST contact a big thank you. Would be happy to contribute to an appropriate present. Mixed case of wine?
 

[Nicedad]

Ivan,

This is excellent news. How is it best to contactthem; by phone or email or register on their website?

[Ivan]

I'd try all methods available. I suspect they'll not cope with the demand  - they were extremely slow and inefficient regarding ROCs, even before this. My application for ROCs still seems to be somewhere in the ether, despite applying about three years ago.

[Alan]

·   Does the operator wish to apply for the REGO scheme?
·   Does the operator wish to apply for the Climate Change Levy exemption for renewables scheme

Is a Yes or No required for the above ?

Regards

Alan

[guydewdney]

Like Ivan - I am still awaiting "second and third approval" of my system. If one 'scraps' it - and re-installs it - will the date go to the date that you applied - or the date it was granted?

[Eleanor]

Well done Ivan. You have clearly put a lot of effort into fighting this cause and getting a fair deal 

[StBarnabas]

·   Does the operator wish to apply for the REGO scheme?
·   Does the operator wish to apply for the Climate Change Levy exemption for renewables scheme

Is a Yes or No required for the above ?

Regards

Alan

Hi Alan
I applied for the REGO and also now have a REGO as well as FIT Registration. I didn't bother with the climate change levy exemption, but CeeBee did register. Not sure if it makes much difference but GoodEnergy wanted my  RGEO number as well as FIT number.

Sean

[CeeBee]

I applied for the REGO and also now have a REGO as well as FIT Registration. I didn't bother with the climate change levy exemption, but CeeBee did register. Not sure if it makes much difference but GoodEnergy wanted my  RGEO number as well as FIT number.

Indeed I applied for all 3 (ROC, REGO, LEC) because I could. Who cares if 2 out of the 3 are fairly useless or inapplicable to the small generator. Because I'd registered myself before transferring my rights to SSE (in exchange for their pretty-decent tariff), I had to use the wonderful OFGEM online system (expect it cost a fortune) to transfer my ROCs to SSE. SSE quickly took them up. I tried to transfer whichever of LECs or REGOs I'd also earned some of, but last I knew they were just floating about without SSE having 'accepted' them. Must log on to OFGEM again someday to check.

As for the real question in hand: unless there's positive news from anyone else in my position (system installed around March 2008, applied to OFGEM soon after and accredited from then, even though it took OFGEM more than a year to process the application properly!), then I imagine doing nothing and seeing what happens. I wouldn't be like me to try to pretend I'd scrapped and re-installed a system when I manifestly hadn't, and couldn't produce any documentation to say that I had. And who knows - in the present 'lottery' (full FITS for systems installed on Tuesdays when the moon was gibbous, etc.) then who knows - they might introduce yet something else that anyone pretending to have re-installed will get Heinz all. Perhaps a change of government will sort it out.

[StBarnabas]

Clarke

If I get FITs I will not obviously object but is a disgrace that early adopters like you look as if they won't. I'm not sure what to suggest but I wouldn't get too angst ridden by using loopholes. You have every right to occupy the moral high ground.
Sean
 

[Paulh_Boats]

So what should I do with my completely unregistered 488Wp system with no Ofgen meter?

cheers
Paul (in slight panic mode, was almost gonna scrap system and start again with 1kW)

[ecogeorge]

Try reading this thread -
http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php/topic,8427.0.html

That's what i'm doing , what have we got to lose?
rgds George.

[Paulh_Boats]

Try reading this thread -
http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php/topic,8427.0.html

That's what i'm doing , what have we got to lose?
rgds George.

Thanks George - I registered on the Ofgen site, just waiting for password

[Paulh_Boats]

It looks like MCS got a real dusting recently:

http://www.yougen.co.uk/blog-entry/1428/Three+ways+we+could+improve+UK+feed+in+tariffs/

 

-Paul

[StBarnabas]

It looks like MCS got a real dusting recently:

http://www.yougen.co.uk/blog-entry/1428/Three+ways+we+could+improve+UK+feed+in+tariffs/

 

-Paul

Paul
thanks for the link. A very sensible and well argued article.