Households in Canberra and the ACT considering installing solar power systems need to take action now – the Territory’s feed in tariff is about to be kneecapped for new connections.
Following what has become an unfortunate tradition in Australia, the current generous 1:1 feed in tariff paid by ActewAGL for new connections in the ACT will be changed on July 1, 2013 to a net tariff paid at a rate of 7.5c per kWh for surplus electricity exported to the mains grid.
This is a substantial decrease that will have a significant effect on the payback time of a system.
To qualify for the existing gross metering and ActewAGL’s existing solar buyback tariff, a special connection request form must be received by ActewAGL Distribution prior to close of business on 30 June 2013.
For existing solar generators and those beating the deadline, ActewAGL will continue to honour the 1:1 arrangement until 30 June 2020.
National solar provider Energy Matters is currently offering ACT residents special deals on solar panel systems and will assist households with submitting the necessary paperwork on time – however, with a rush expected; Energy Matters urges immediate action.
The company can be contacted on 1800-EMATTERS (133 786). A system can also be secured via Energy Matters’ online quoting application.
To assist more households in going solar, the company is also currently offering a zero dollar deposit payment plan option.
According to Energy Matters, a 4kW solar power system installed in Canberra can return financial benefits of approximately $1,050 annually under current arrangements. The estimate is based on an average 17c per kilowatt hour electricity price.
Among ActewAGL’s reasons for the cut is “the cost of solar systems has reduced significantly over recent years and it has subsequently become more commercially viable for households to generate solar electricity without any subsidies.”
