What exactly is the Feed-in Tariff scheme?
Feed-in Tariffs, also known as 'Clean Energy Cashback', have been designed to encourage the installation of small-scale, low carbon technologies up to 5MW. As an incentive, the government is backing the Feed-in Tariff Scheme whereby it will be worth your while to install renewable energy technology. The Feed-in Tariff actually consists of two tariffs.
The first is the Generation Tariff, which is a fixed amount your electricity supplier pays you for every unit of electricity your eligible renewable energy system (e.g solar PV or wind turbine) generates for up to 25 years, which you are free to use yourself or export to the grid. The second part of the Feed-in Tariff is the Export Tariff, which is an additional payment you would earn for any electricity you don't use and then export back to the national grid through your electricity supplier. You will also benefit from savings on your electricity bill, as you will be generating part of your electricity requirements on-site, so will need to buy less electricity from your supplier.
There are a number of renewable energy technologies that can be used for power generation. Those eligible for registration into the Feed-In Tariff scheme are solar (photovoltaic), hydro, anaerobic digestion and wind.
The primary driver for Feed-In Tariffs is the Energy Act 2008, which delivered the powers necessary for the introduction of renewable Feed-in Tariffs for small-scale low-carbon electricity generation, up to a maximum limit of 5MW. The scheme is administered by energy suppliers and Ofgem, with the feed-in tariff rates being set by the Government.
In addition to the suppliers and Ofgem, the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust have been nominated by the Government to provide public information on the scheme and advice on how to apply. The Feed-in Tariff start date was 1 April 2010. An equally good source of information is a Feed-In Tariff approved supplier, such as BritishEco, who can supply accredited technology and help with all the necessary scheme registrations.
More information
Find out if you could install a solar power or wind power system. Contact BritishEco, a Feed-In Tariff approved supplier
Further Reading:
How do renewable power Feed-in Tariffs work?
DECC, Feed-in Tariffs and what its involvement guarantees
Green Energy UK Regulations and the Feed-In Tariffs scheme
