SSE and FIT readings /payments

[Drawmer]

I'm convinced that SSE are completely at sea with their FIT payments systems, so I thought I'd start a topic especially for them.

I've just realised that I have not been asked / reminded to submit my December 31st readings, and as there's been a new way of doing for almost every quarterly reading so far, I was wondering the best way to do it.
So I will submit my generation reading today by both the web page used previously (which has no way of acknowledgement) and by email to fitreads@sse.com

https://www.southern-electric.co.uk/BeingGreen/SolarEnergy/FeedInTariff/MeterReading/

Paul D.

[andito]

Paul,

I've been lettered last 2 quarters requesting readings. Last time I used web page but will be using e-mail address this time as like you said there is no confirmation from web page of submitting readings. I even got a statement 2 weeks ago detailing the payments from last quarter (generated/exported). I would be wary of submitting twice as this may confuse things.

Andy.

[Iain]

Hi
I had a reminder(postal) a couple of weeks ago from SSE with a form to fill in and send off. As you, I have sent the readings via the web page and also via the E mail address. Will just wait and see.
Iain

[Antman]

Paul

I had a letter just before Xmas detailing how to submit the reads. Considering I had only signed and returned the contract the previous week, I thought that was pretty quick off the mark (especially after the jammed SEC meter saga).

The letter quotes a different "new online facility" at www.swalec.co.uk/beinggreen/microrenewableenergy/feedintariff/

I have just sent mine via the provided email address (option2)  fitreads@sse.com  on the basis this at least matches my electricity supplier and FiT payment provider (rather than an address being part of the umbrella organisation).

I put the FiT ID in the email header and confirmed FiT account and SEC electricity account numbers in the email. They can't possibly have too little info there.
I also cc'd it to my work email address for good measure. That way I can provide independent dated proof I sent it 

The letter also stated the quarterly dates for the next four reads in 2012 of 31/3, 30/6, 30/9 and 31/12.
I assume from that, they will not send a further reminder since the letter does seem to emphasize in the Q&As that it is my responsibility to send the reading in on time.
e.g "7) What would prevent you from paying me this quarter?"
...."If we have not received any meter readings from you"....

I take that as "the ball's in my court if I want payment"  

It is somewhat strange that the optional A4 form only has name, postcode and meter reading & date. No space for any account confirmation detail which I would have thought would be the primary ID reference. It's OK if you are the only person in your road with PV but must take longer to process (cross-check) if several neighbours all have it with the same provider. More likely to get an error then....

Antman

[strutt]

Hi,

I to use the web entry and also email so I have a record that my reading is sent, they too sent me a letter 19th Dec

[skyewright]

The letter quotes a different "new online facility" at www.swalec.co.uk/beinggreen/microrenewableenergy/feedintariff/

I have just sent mine via the provided email address (option2)  fitreads@sse.com  on the basis this at least matches my electricity supplier and FiT payment provider (rather than an address being part of the umbrella organisation).

If things have not changed since last time, you might find that if you replace the www.swalec.co.uk in that URL with your own electricity supplier the same form appears with relevant branding.

That certainly worked last time (I've not tallied up yet as have two thirds of the floor up in my office to complete insulating under the floor; I managed all the rest from below).

[CeeBee]

If things have not changed since last time, you might find that if you replace the www.swalec.co.uk in that URL with your own electricity supplier the same form appears with relevant branding.

I wouldn't worry that the address happens to be 'swalec' - input no doubt goes to the same place regardless which of the SSE brands the form URL is.

I got the letter from them a week or two ago. I'd say much improved on previous quarters (although I'd prefer email) - this time they've avoided requesting readings be sent to a particular employee's address (generic fitreads@sse.com instead), and they've managed to request readings from both my systems (different properties) in the same letter, and refer to them by FIT ID rather than just name/postcode which clearly might not have been unique. [Later edit: I see Antman above says his letter still just has name/postcode, so I wonder if I got a 'special letter' which included first line of address, postcode, and FIT ID (for two systems).]

I'll be responding by email, as some people didn't seem to have a good experience with the web form last time round. Remains to be seen whether the email gets an auto-acknowledgement - last time round, they said it would but it didn't, leading to me and others sending duplicate submissions.

So basically, I reckon SSE are improving bit by bit in dealing with this hassle imposed on them. Last quarter, I received my payment very quickly (within a few weeks) but my 'payment agent' (the person mentioned in the letter) had promised priority payment a recompense from them having written a letter to the wrong address (installation address, rather than my own).

[skyewright]

If things have not changed since last time, you might find that if you replace the www.swalec.co.uk in that URL with your own electricity supplier the same form appears with relevant branding.

I wouldn't worry that the address happens to be 'swalec' - input no doubt goes to the same place regardless which of the SSE brands the form URL is.

Agreed. The little experiment with tweaking the URL to a different SSE domain suggests that maybe all the websites may just be differently branded views of the same thing anyway?!

[Later edit: I see Antman above says his letter still just has name/postcode, so I wonder if I got a 'special letter' which included first line of address, postcode, and FIT ID (for two systems).]

Our letter had a FIT ID too.
Perhaps relevant that Antman had only recently returned his signed contract?

I'll be responding by email, as some people didn't seem to have a good experience with the web form last time round.

The web form worked for us last time (it would have been nice if they had made the form produce an acknowledgement of the submitted figures, but it worked fine nonetheless).

[Wickham]

I used email to fitreads@sse.com on 31st September, early in the evening but it still took six weeks for my cheque to arrive so I don't think they deal with them in date order.

I used fitreads@sse.com again yesterday including my FIT ID, meter number, Southern Electric account number, name and address, the reading and the net reading after deducting the previous readinog and asking for a cheque.

[regen]

As far as I am concerned the saga goes on!  Received the letter- they even offer a postal reply using a business reply envelope which they conviently forgot to enclose!!  Yet again I have still not been paid for the quarter to 30 september despite following their instructions to the letter - Only difference is i have not bothered to chase them this time 93 days and counting.

Their supply side is just as incompetant. Still after 2 calls and threatening to stop the standing order I did get a rebate cheque from them for £547 which included a £50 compensation for the problems caused. And my direct debit reduced to £40. It should be £30 as they estimate my yearly use at £350.

Sadly the people I get to speak to are helpful and polite but unable to make any decisions.

Time to look at the other suppliers i guess.

Regen

[Drawmer]

Has anyone had a reading acknowledgement from SSE?

I wonder if it's worth bombarding them with email confirmation requests. If they 'don't do' reading acknowledgements, and your reading gets lost, you won't know until... well, for ages.

They really do need to do some process engineering to their FIT payment scheme.

[regen]

No confirmation.  Seem to have reached an understanding now.  They ignore my reading - I wait until I send in the next reading then ring them up and moan loud and long.  They then send me a cheque within a week covering the six month period.  Last cheque £1130. This has now happened twice!

I have given up trying to get any sensible system working with them as its not rocket science.  I send reading they send cheque what could be simpler!

Regen

[CeeBee]

Has anyone had a reading acknowledgement from SSE?

No - no ack, but I wasn't really expecting one (back in Q3 2011, the blurb said their would be an acknowledgement, but they later said this was a mistake). I agree that ideally there should be, but so far it just seems to work for me - 'statement of account' eventually turns up, followed by payment direct to my bank a bit later. So far, I've always emailed readings.

I don't know whether I'm lucky, but I'm still on a 'Direct Debit each bill' payment scheme (the actual amount), so I don't get this nonsense of account getting into credit. Not sure whether this relates to be actually being supplied by Ebico (account administered by SSE).

[wombat]

Hi all.
We have had same problems repeatedly with SSE for last year as described in above thread, with FITS taking 8 weeks to be paid, with last one "lost"...
I then complained and the Oct Nov Dec FIT of £250 was paid this time within fourteen days! 
 When i contacted SSE FIT reads team i was told that this was because they now have more staff and possibly because ours had been prioritised due to my complaint......have to wait to see the truth of the matter.
In the meantime i am now in "discussion" with EDF who we changed to in August for our energy (but not FITS thankfully) who have failed to sort out our electricity account due to allegedly SSE/ network/ meter units not providing details of our new electronic meter which was installed by SSE/network in August after six months of telling them our old meter was going backwards!
 EDF appear even worse than SSE and their electronic account message system is never answered.  Come September will be looking to move away from EDF if prices allow due to their dreadful service, but not sure where to jump to for any better service / reasonable utility rates.

[ludditeman7]

sse sent me a letter late December. I use the web entry and also emailed sse on the 1st Jan, received a cheque 14th Jan, can't complan this time (last time 68 working days till cheque came). now fingers crossed for a very sunny spring