The Newman Government has axed the 8 cent feed-in tariff, and as of July, 40,000 solar homes, and all future solar owners in Queensland, will have to negotiate directly with retailers to receive any return for the energy they provide into the grid.
In our recent meeting with Energy Minister Mark McArdle, he stated that because of high uptake of solar, retailers will have to offer a fair price for solar, as they will be be uncompetitive if they don’t. But, our experience with NSW, where families are receiving very small feed-in tariffs after negotiating with retailers, proves this otherwise. When pressed, Minister McArdle had no clear response as to how the Newman Government would guarantee that a fair price would be provided by retailers.
Although Minister McArdle had no answers on dealing with retailers, thanks to suggestions from many of you, we have a few options. We could continue to fight for fair legislated feed-in tariffs, or we could look into the option of bringing thousands of solar owners together to use our market power and negotiate a good deal with the energy retailers. Both options will use time and energy, so we'd like your thoughts on what the best use of our campaign resources. Let us know what you think below!
Showing 370 reactions
A: Yes.
A: No.
A: No.
A: IF Ergon pays 8 cents to buy Solar generated power from folk in Cairns it will, selling that same power for 29 cents to folk in Cairns, make a substantial profit, and it does not have to pay the Wheeling charges, ie line costs to bring it up from Rockhampton, nor the variable and growing costs for coal and gas generated electricity down south as well, nor does it have to pay any local line costs as the Solar folk are already connected to the local network and buying 29 cents electricity at night time or cloudy days anyway.
So, our local Solar generating folk are selling power to Ergon cheaper than were it to come from down south, where most of it comes now. Ergon gets it’s electricity cheaply late at night, when it is better to keep the coal fired generators running than to start them up again in the morning, – that is when you find the cheaper deals, but pays top dollar down south during the day, particularly when it is hot, – refrigerators, fans and air-con all running full on, yet is only paying 8 cents for the local Solar electricity at the time Solar is most available.
That 8 cents also stays local rather than being shipped down south to Rocky so it helps our local economy. It is obvious that more people should get Solar and Ergon and Cairns should be grateful, so what is going on with these politicians? Could Minister McArdle have really looked at the simple facts? or has he another agenda totally nothing to do with what he speaks nor the facts.
A: Yes.
A: Maybe.
A: Yes.
A: No.
A: Can solar owners form a co-operative to sell power much like a renewable power company? Or, can solar citizens approach appropriate renewable energy providers to see if we can supply them with our excess power.I would prefer to get little return from a small Aussy owned renewable power company than get a pittance from Energy Australia .
A: Yes.
A: Pursue both options please!
A: Yes.
A: No
A: Yes.
A: Pursue both options!
A: Yes.
A: we payed a lot of money for our solar to save us money in the long run and giving a feed in to the grid must save them money as well
A: Maybe.
A: The choice of Solar solidarity to obtain a fair price for electricity is the only way to achieve it. The govt is so arrogant that they will not budge, re the Doctors fiasco.
Therefore only by forming a “co-op” to negotiate the tariff can a fair price be obtained, and in the process it may require legal action under fair trading, as they are taking the solar electricity and there is no way to stop them other than disconnecting your solar from the grid!. Under the govts plan there is no mechanism to force the electricity suppliers to pay one cent!
To achieve the goal of a fair tariff it may be able to apply pressure if the “co-op” makes it known they are negotiating with companies for the supply of Battery storage systems to replace the grid, the loss of 40,000 customers would hurt.
Similarly 40,000 at the ballet box should make the govt act where nothing else will.
A: My problem in Bundaberg is we only have one electricity supplier Ergon, so they can pay what ever they want & we get shafted, thanks Newman. 4c from Ergon what a joke.
A: Maybe.
A: Maybe.
A: Yes.
A: if solar power users are such a drain on Ergon why wont Ergon let us go with another supplier.
Here in Hervey Bay Region we have no choice for us its Ergon or Nothing
A: Yes.
A: Maybe.
A: No.
A: No.
A: Maybe.
A: Why not pursue both options, if one does not bear fruit, we are still on the road with the other option. Also I have suggested to all my friends with solar to band together. Then if we are shafted by the retailers, we can all shut our systems down for maintenance on a very hot day – we will soon see how well their grid handles the load on its own. My mate in NSW is now getting 8c/KWH – hardly worth the effort. Myself I would then start looking at going off grid or just shutting it down & sell the bits on Ebay. All I ever wanted was to give myself a $0 power bill for my retirement years – I would be happy with that. Don’t want a greedy govt. or profiteering retailer to wreck it.