About the Feed-in Tariff
The Feed-in Tariff is a financial incentive by the government to encourage renewable energy generating technologies. This means that through the Feed-in Tariff, you can earn money on the electricity you produce from your solar panels.
How the Feed-in Tariff benefits you
The feed in tariff can benefit you in three different ways:
- Generation tariff– Money earned from generating your own electricity
Your energy supplier will pay you a set rate for all the electricity you produce. The amount you receive will depend on a few factors such as the size of your installation, your property’s EPC rating and the eligibility date (discussed in more detail below).
- Export tariff– Money earned from exporting surplus electricity to the grid
You will receive a further payment for any surplus electricity export to the grid. The export tariff is lower than the generation tariff and does not depend on factors such as system size or your property’s EPC rating.
- Money saved on your electricity bills
Using electricity generated from your own solar panels will allow you to buy less electricity from your supplier to satisfy your consumption requirements. This will decrease your electricity bills by around 50% (depending on the amount of electricity you generate and use).
How to qualify for the Feed-in Tariff
In order to qualify for the Feed-in Tariff, the installer and panels you use must both be MCS accredited. To check whether your installer or panels are certified, visit the MCS website.
All solar panel installers on SolarLinker are MCS accredited and provide MCS certified products. Search our website to find installers in your area, read their customer reviews and compare quotes to help you make an informed decision.
Registering for the Feed-in Tariff
Once an MCS accredited installer has installed your system, they should register you on the central MCS database and send you a certificate confirming MCS compliance.
To register for the Feed-in Tariff, send your MCS certificate along with a completed application form and your property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) to your chosen Feed-in Tariff supplier.
Large energy suppliers are required by law to provide Feed-in Tariff payments, smaller suppliers are not, but many have opted to offer them. Visit the Ofgem site for a list of Feed-in Tariff licensed suppliers.
Factors affecting the generation tariff
The following factors will affect the generation tariff payments you receive for generating and using electricity from your solar PV system:
- The size of your solar PV system
The higher rate generation tariff can vary according to the size of your solar panel installation. You may want to take this into account before selecting the size of your installation. Most UK household systems will fall in the 4kW or under category.
- Your property’s EPC rating
Your property’s EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating can significantly influence the generation tariff you receive. Properties with an EPC rating of band D or above will receive the higher rate, whereas properties with an EPC rating lower than band D will receive the lower rate. The middle rate only applies in circumstances where the recipient owns or receives Feed-in Tariff payments from 25 or more eligible solar PV installations (energy efficiency requirement is applicable, otherwise the lower rate would apply).
- Eligibility date
The eligibility date is the date from which an installation becomes eligible for Feed-in Tariff payments. For most installations, this will be the date your supplier receives an application for the Feed-in Tariff after the installation of your system. The tariffs are reviewed every three months and are revised according to deployment rates, hence the eligibility date affects the tariff rate that you receive.
For full details of the current Feed-in Tariff rates, visit the Ofgem website.