*** UPDATE ***
Submissions have now closed. Stay tuned for updates on this issue.
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), who make the rules that govern the electricity market, are considering allowing solar owners to be charged for feeding their electricity back to the grid. That’s right, they want to charge solar owners for providing their clean energy to the grid.
Now, the AEMC is calling for submissions from the public on whether this unfair solar charge is a good idea. When they tried to introduce a similar charge in 2013, more than 28,000 solar owners joined together to stop it and the proposal never eventuated.
It seems like the AEMC hasn't got the message: Australians love their solar and they won't put up with unfair charges. To knock this new charge on its head, we need to build a groundswell of opposition, bigger and louder than before. Make sure you have your say by sending in a submission to the AEMC using our hand form below.
We've put together some handy talking points, but feel free to persoanlise your message.
Points to include in your submission:
- It is unfair for solar owners to be charged to export clean, renewable power to the grid when big dirty power companies don't have to pay a cent
- There should be a fair feed-in tariff that recognises the environmental and health benefit of solar, along with the network savings that solar provides to the grid
- Include any experience that you’ve had with putting on rooftop solar and why you’ve done it
- Mention the impact that charging you for your solar exports to the grid would have on your household
