Home Solar - Delay in Nett meter installation

Hi all,
So 6 months ago I received a letter saying that as of January 1st the Solar rebate will drop back to 6 cents a Kw and that a new Nett meter will be installed free of charge before Jan 1 to allow us to use the power we make then sell the rest back to the grid at 6c.
I chased the installation up with Origin Energy a couple of weeks ago and they told me that due to us having 3 phase power there will be a delay in the installation of the meter.
When will the installation be i asked ?
Some time in 2017 was the reply.
So….until they install the meter I sell everything I make back to them at 6c a Kw then buy everything we use back at 24c a Kw.
The delay is due to them and I can't see why they would rush to install the meter when they are getting such a good deal.
Has anyone else experienced this and do you have any advice ?
Cheers

 

No, I think with the wrong metering and no agreement in place you get nothing possibly.

Once done, you can use what you produce, and anything you draw you pay full price, you will get 6c back on excess fed to grid if that is what your providers agreement is.

Ask them ? And use sparingly till sorted.

 

My mother in law has 3 phase power also and was told it would be delayed. She's with energy australia as was sent an email stating she will receive $40 for every month it's delayed. I have solar also (no 3 phase power) and was sent the same email

 

Important information about your solar installation.



Hi JOSHUA

We’re writing to you regarding your new smart meter installation, as part of the Solar Booster product that you’ve taken up with us.

Due to the volume of smart meter installations we’re completing, there will be a delay with your installation which will now occur in early 2017.

What does this mean?
Rest assured that the Solar Booster feed-in tariff that you’ve arranged will commence on 1 January 2017 and you’ll still receive the feed in tariff you’ve organised as part of your Solar Booster product.

Will I be disadvantaged?
We’ll apply a $40 credit (Incl. GST) to your account each month that your meter installation is delayed by us, as a gesture of goodwill. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

When will my new smart meter be installed?
We’re working hard to get your meter installed as soon as possible and we’ll contact you in early 2017, once we’re able to book in your installation.

What do I need to do next?
There’s nothing you need to do as we’ll contact you again in early 2017. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch at energyaustralia.com.au

Yours sincerely,



Kim Clarke

 

Out of interest, did you consider installing batteries?

 

I haven't really looked into it l only have a 1.5 kw system. Not really sure it would be worth it. We currently use more power then we produce. The only reason we got solar in the first place was because of the generous fed in tariff of 60 cents, now that's finished I'm not even sure if the current offers with regards to net meter pricing are even worth it. Would like to know your thoughts

 

The only answer I can give is that it depends. You will have to crunch the numbers to determine the best option.

There is a lot of information that I don't have. For starters:

1. What is the size of your inverter?
2. What is the maximum power per day your current array produces?
3. What is your daily power consumption?
4. What is/will be your feed-in tariff?
5. What is the cost of your grid power?

We have 9 x 250w panels (2.25 kW) connected to our batteries. Our average house power consumption is 29 to 30kW per day. We sell our excess power, up to just 29kW per day according our Contract, at 50 cents/kW. Grid power cost us 22+ cents/kW.

The calculation isn't that hard. You just need to have all the raw input data . Most people have no idea.

 

Thanks @kierank I'm one of those with no idea. I'll have to look into that when I get back from holidays in a couple of weeks. Cheers

 

The only way to make solar work is to re arrage habits and usage so you use as much of what you generate as you can, with a 1.5kw system that won't be too hard, it won't even run your typical domestic jug even if it is putting out it's peak output.

At a guess it is going to give you maybe $20 bucks of credit at best a month, I would be hoping it is the end of 2017 before they come out.