6-8 months to stop deeming and pay on real export figures?

[tonybrett]

Hi Folks,

I got an email from SSE this week with the new FITS tariffs for 2011-12.  Pleased to see 43.3p for generation and 3.1p for export from 1st April 2011 (for our 3.33kWp system installed Jan 11) but a bit surprised to read under export:

"(Please be aware that until the meter is fully registered the export deeming rule applies, as set by the Secretary of State. The deeming rule means that 50% of your Generation Meter Reading will be used to calculate your export payments, until full registration is completed, which can take 6-8 months)."

How come so long?  SSE installed the meter so how can they take so long to notice it.  This matters to us as we are exporting a lot more than the deemed 50% of what we generate.

Thanks,

Tony

[Jober]

SSE like everybody else finds it hard to part with their money.
Perhaps we should all have a moan to Ofgem about this - simply not acceptable!

[Ted]

Please do - I already have. There is simply no valid reason at all why it should take 6-8 months to register an export meter.

[skyewright]

Please do - I already have. There is simply no valid reason at all why it should take 6-8 months to register an export meter.

And if they install a dual purpose import/export meter (as they did here, Landis+Gyr 5254E), odd how the import figure on exactly the same meter is considered valid right from day one...

[tonybrett]

Ted - tell me how to complain to Ofgem and I will do it right away!

[Ted]

It's a drawn out process unfortunately. You are expected to exhaust all possibility of redress at stage 1 before going to stage 2, etc:

1. Complain to your supplier using whatever complaints procedure is detailed on their website.
and follow the advice on the Energy Ombudsman's website - http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/3-52-making_a_complaint_to_an_energy_company.php

2. Complain to the Energy Ombudsman directly - http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/3-31-making_a_complaint_to_energy_ombudsman.php

3. Complain to Consumer Direct - http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/

4. Complain to OFGEM - consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk

In practice I don't see any reason for not pursuing 1, 3 and 4 simultaneously.

[Ivan]

I'm sure this is a scam by the utilities. I have an export meter which was fitted several years ago. Npower paid me on the basis of my export reading. Now Swalec are telling me that it needs its own MPAN number (Npower said it shared the same number as my import meter). Without an mpan number, they will only pay 50% (although I've exported 70%). However, due to the other problems I've experienced, and the fact that I am at the Ombudsman stage now, I told them that I'd add this to my list of complaints, and they suddenly found they could make an ex gratia payment equivalent to my export.

[marshman]

My export meter was installed last June by SSE. They clearly told me at the time both in verbally and in writing that until it had been registered by OFGEM my export would continue to be at the deemed 50%. They said OFGEM had told them 6 to 8 months. True to their word it was finally registered mid December - so my last payment had 2 weeks of actual export payment. In this case it appears its OFGEM and not the utilities that are holding up the process.

I personally think OFGEM are the main antagonists in the delays that occur in the registration process.

Roger

[tonybrett]

Well I hope export is registered sooner than that for me.  We are already exporting way more than 50% and that's from late Jan to late March!