Registering for ROCs

[Ivan]

How easy is the path to becoming a registered generator for ROCs?


I 'registered' sending in standard letters produced by my electricity supplier (npower) over a year ago. When I installed my PV system, I registered again, as apparently Ofgem had lost the paperwork. That was about 4 months ago. Yesterday I received a letter from npower stating that Ofgem hadn't received any paperwork, but that it's important that I get registered in order to receive FITs. So it looks like I've got to send it all in for a third time.

Has anyone been through this and successfully registered as a generator to gain allowance for ROCs? If so, how long did the process take? I'm worried that my ROCs will be lost due to slow/non-existant processing by Ofgem.

[Ted]

I registered for ROCs via npower in 2007. On checking back on the paperwork the dates were:

initial application: 18th May
resubmit: 31st May
acknowledgement from OFGEM: 8th August  with registration dated from 6th June.

(OFGEM admin is in a state - part of the reason for pushing all small systems to FITs to relieve the burden on them.  People failing to get registered by OFGEM needs flagging up as an important topic for the FITs consultation response.)

[Ivan]

Hmm. You needed to resubmit too - so they've got form for losing paperwork. I'm going to be giving them a ring on Tuesday.

[Ted]

I think my problem was with npower rather than OFGEM.

[CeeBee]

Has anyone been through this and successfully registered as a generator to gain allowance for ROCs? If so, how long did the process take? I'm worried that my ROCs will be lost due to slow/non-existant processing by Ofgem.

Done entirely myself (admittedly including a PDF diagram produced by my PV installer) starting in April 2008 via OFGEM's (then) new online system:

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/RCHPreg/Pages/RCHPreg.aspx (and click on the 'opens in a new window/tab' thing).

To get to this from OFGEM's home page, you need to click 'Sustainability', then 'Environment', then 'Renewables and CHP Register'.

I've whinged on here before, but registering as a user, then submitting the form was the easy bit. It then took OFGEM about 15 months, punctuated by many "What's going on?" phonecalls from me, before my generator was finally accredited. Usual excuse was that my application had been 'passed on the the next stage, and something would happen soon'. At least accreditation counts from when you applied - not when they get round to it. I get the feeling the website had many 'teething' problems. At one point, they said they hadn't received information which it was clear that I'd filled in on the site - I'd even got a printout to prove it.

I reported my 2008/9 generation (again online) - again maybe something was wrong with the site, as it didn't seem to have the correct options for my type of generation, but eventually got there, and first ROCs (and REGOs and LECs) were electronically awarded. I then immediately transferred the ROCs and REGOs to SSE, as my export contract with SSE stated, and have since nominated SSE to act as 'agent' for me (i.e. deal with OFGEM on my behalf).

[Ivan]

I think the online system fooled npower - they asked me to submit various paperwork to Ofgem, who presumably binned it (I was told today that they don't accept paper submissions and haven't done so for a year or more).

The guy I spoke to says that applications are normally processed within 10days, but due to the fact that this is the second time that nothing has happened, he will try to do it in 4 for me. Having said that, he didn't email me at the end of the day, as promised, so it's not a good start.

[jotec]

Ivan
Who did you speak to at npower? I have to register and it makes sense to have a name if possible.
D ick

[StBarnabas]

Hi
Clarke and Ivan thanks for the info re ROCs. I am probably being stupid but can't find out where I need to go to set up an account on the OFGEM site. Without an account I can't register for ROCs. I am probably just being stupid as usual.
Sean

[CeeBee]

Clarke and Ivan thanks for the info re ROCs. I am probably being stupid but can't find out where I need to go to set up an account on the OFGEM site. Without an account I can't register for ROCs. I am probably just being stupid as usual.

Go to that link I said above (on OFGEM site), and click on the "Ofgem Renewables and CHP Register - link opens in a new browser window." about halfway down the page.

Of (if it doesn't open), then the place it takes me is https://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/, which has the choice of login or register on it. I can no longer remember what I had to fill in to register, and it wasn't entirely automatic - I think I got a confirming email, but it seemed to need a human to look at it at their end before I got what I needed to log in. At this stage, you're just registering as a person/organisation/whatever - you only get to apply for accreditation for your actual 'generating station' once logged in.

[Ivan]

microgeneration@npower.com

Mr. T.Harris/Ms. Warman

Be warned, they seem to miss a lot of correspondance, and they're sometimes very slow to reply.

[StBarnabas]

Will let you know how it goes...

[jotec]

Thanks Ivan, I will start with an email. Will post  result.
Dick

[StBarnabas]

Have now registered submitted the appropriate forms for ROCs  through the OFGEM web site. Who knows when I will be added to the system? Have generated 153 units so far in the past 20 days (So no ROCs on those) - which would give me a yearly average of 2792 units PA which I would be very happy with. Sadly mainly downhill for the next few months. I look forward to crisp march days...

[petertc]

Lets hope we get paid for them !

i am having a little spat with southern as so far i have not recievied any payment for what i have produced, i have  been paid for what i have exported.

here's what they said:

The ROC payment is made once a year, normally in July/August each year after Ofgem have issued the ROCs.  We will write to you in March 2010 asking for your total generation reading, which will then be submitted to Ofgem.  The payment for your generation will be 9.2p/kWh from accreditation date up to 31/03/10.

so i am going to wait nearly 2 years from installation for any payments for total production ( i think i will need to read my contract !!!)

[StBarnabas]

Hi Peter
I think I have used the wrong terminology.
I have submitted the forms electronically and have an accreditation application in the system  which may be processed within the next x days/weeks/months/years? Not sure what will happen but to register for FITs may be a first step....