Bought a house with solar panels....

Bought a house with solar panels....

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Discussion

Dogbash

Original Poster:

477 posts

180 months

Thursday 8th February 2018
quotequote all
Thanks, I am currently chasing the previous owner again. Hopefully I'll get somewhere with him.

Sounds as though I've messed up. I just wrongly assumed that it would be switched over like a normal energy contract, i.e. you move in give them a meter read and your details and it gets changed over.

Will update soon.

Andrew

SystemParanoia

14,343 posts

199 months

Thursday 8th February 2018
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Just rip out the generation meter

Paul Drawmer

4,878 posts

268 months

Thursday 8th February 2018
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There's some barmy advice on here.

There's no need to turn off the solar panel system.
If you do that, you wont get the benefit of using the power produced during the day.

If you do turn it off the previous owner will never notice.

FIT tariff payments are calculated from the a generation meter fitted after the inverter and before the consumer unit. The readings of this meter are used to calculate payments based on the amount of power generated by the panels. Nothing to do with how it is used or fed into the grid.

The previous owner isn't going to be able to access the meter to read it, so he won't be able to claim his tariff. If a meter reader from the FIT receiver (Eon?) comes to read the meter - deny them access to read that one. It's your meter now.

It may be that your incoming meter is capable of reading reverse flow; in which case there is a calculation done on a much smaller tariff to pay an additional amount for the power actually fed back into the grid. If that is not measured, the the std contract allows for a feed in payment based on 50% of the amount generated.

hkp57

285 posts

123 months

Thursday 8th February 2018
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markiii said:
not obvious on their website, how much does it cost?
Think I paid around 250 for mine 3 years ago, maybe a little less.

FarmyardPants

4,112 posts

219 months

Thursday 8th February 2018
quotequote all
In my experience the FIT payer (Eon) will use estimates in the absence of true meter readings. Denying access to the meter won't necessarily work (for a while at least).

I like the idea of charging them to rent your roof though thumbup

indi pearl

319 posts

198 months

Thursday 8th February 2018
quotequote all
We bought 2 years ago with solar array on roof fitted by the owner in 2012 and FIT payments via Scottish Power.
The panels were listed in the questions before contract as coming with our purchase. As with yourself we were required to get his signature to transfer the FIT payments even though we now owned the panels. The old boy left no forwarding address so we ended up getting a letter from our conveyancing solicitor confirming both ownership and recipients of all future payments. Scottish Power then acted and transferred payments.
I trust the panels are shown in the questions before contract and can be confirmed as now in your ownership?

Casa1862

1,073 posts

166 months

Thursday 8th February 2018
quotequote all
I purchased a place with Solar Panels 3 years ago, 90% of the issues were related to the Solar panels, endless questions and contracts to sign, I knew the FiT payments were worth around £1k a year, no way would I risk that hence made sure the transfer was part of the contract.

V40TC

2,004 posts

185 months

Thursday 8th February 2018
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Our FIT company
no readings= no payments.

Dogbash

Original Poster:

477 posts

180 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
quotequote all
Hi, bit of an update...

Spoke to the chap this morning and he was fine with me. He said he has been busy which is the reason for replying.

He said he will get the form sorted and sent off for me but said it doesn't bring in much money. He said when he first had it installed it brought in good money for a few years but that tariff has ended and its on a much worse tariff now. They were installed in 2011 so he said he was getting 40 something pence per kwh when they were first installed.

I was under the impression that these contracts were usually 20 years long so it should still be giving the same rate. Is there any way what he is saying can be right?

Andrew

Zoon

6,710 posts

122 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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Dogbash said:
Hi, bit of an update...

Spoke to the chap this morning and he was fine with me. He said he has been busy which is the reason for replying.

He said he will get the form sorted and sent off for me but said it doesn't bring in much money. He said when he first had it installed it brought in good money for a few years but that tariff has ended and its on a much worse tariff now. They were installed in 2011 so he said he was getting 40 something pence per kwh when they were first installed.

I was under the impression that these contracts were usually 20 years long so it should still be giving the same rate. Is there any way what he is saying can be right?

Andrew
FIT are index linked from the time they were installed and honored for 25 years as far as I know.
He's talking out of his backside.

Oakey

27,592 posts

217 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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Sounds like "It's not really worth it mate, you may as well not botther, i'll just forget about the form eh?"

arfursleep

818 posts

105 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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Had panels installed in 2011 and we're still on the same FIT payment contract which is good until 2036 so unless he was on a very shonky deal back in 2011 then get him to sort the form out. Better in your pocket than his.

Andehh

7,112 posts

207 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
quotequote all
Oakey said:
Sounds like "It's not really worth it mate, you may as well not botther, i'll just forget about the form eh?"
Yeah, I'd agree with this!

Old Man Fred

821 posts

90 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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Depending when in 2011 they were installed 40odd p per kWh is correct, see link below to find out exactly.

The contract would have been for 20 years so it does sound like he may be trying to persuade you not to do anything for his own benefit.

Turning off the panels etc will make no difference as it is not an AMR meter and will just stop you benfitting from the electricity, he is probably making up the meter readings and submitting them to keep the payments coming. This is maybe why he is reluctant to change it over, as it will show he has been making it up and he could theorictically have to pay all the money back if found that he is obtaining it falsely


https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/...

ETA all tariffs starting in 2011 should get paid 44.19 ppu

Edited by Old Man Fred on Friday 23 February 14:33

bobtail4x4

3,717 posts

110 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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they have to read the meter each year dont they?

Paul Drawmer

4,878 posts

268 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
quotequote all
bobtail4x4 said:
they have to read the meter each year dont they?
Should, not have to.

fastbikes76

2,450 posts

123 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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I’m with EON and they ask for quarterly readings from me .

anonymous-user

55 months

Friday 23rd February 2018
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SSE want quarterly readings from me with a visit every 2 years to check the installtion is 'okay'.

Can't remember when the ones on my house were installed but I get something like 52p per kwh generated plus whatever I save by using the power generated.

The government did try and challenge the contracts to reduce the FIT rate but lost, you really can make money when the sun shines.

Dogbash

Original Poster:

477 posts

180 months

Thursday 12th April 2018
quotequote all
indi pearl said:
We bought 2 years ago with solar array on roof fitted by the owner in 2012 and FIT payments via Scottish Power.
The panels were listed in the questions before contract as coming with our purchase. As with yourself we were required to get his signature to transfer the FIT payments even though we now owned the panels. The old boy left no forwarding address so we ended up getting a letter from our conveyancing solicitor confirming both ownership and recipients of all future payments. Scottish Power then acted and transferred payments.
I trust the panels are shown in the questions before contract and can be confirmed as now in your ownership?
I am still struggling with the seller. Basically, I think he's having me on and just keeps saying he will do it but then not doing it. Its only a couple of pages long so its not difficult.

I have spoken to EON and they replied saying if I can get a letter from solicitor as mentioned above that it can be transferred. How long did it take to transfer once you sent them the letter? I am currently getting my solicitor to draft a letter and hope it will bring a resolution to the matter.

Many thanks,
Andrew

indi pearl

319 posts

198 months

Thursday 12th April 2018
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Scottish Power took several weeks to arrange transfer of future payments. However since the previous owner could not access the solar meter as it being inside the garage, and I had forwarded the reading on the day of move Scottish Power made payment from that date.