On the first of October, participants in South Australia’s legacy Group 4 solar feed in tariff were switched to a new solar feed in tariff rate.
Group 4 participants include those who signed up between 1 October 2011 and 30 September 2013 and had their import/export meters installed before January 30, 2014.
Prior to October 1, these participants were receiving 16 cents per kilowatt-hour for surplus electricity generated by their solar power systems that was exported to the grid. With the end of the program, the solar feed-in tariff has dropped to as little as 6.8c per kilowatt hour.
This reduction will have a significant impact on the electricity bills of affected participants; the number of which is estimated at around 60,000.
Group 4 participants who haven’t shopped around power retailers for the best deals for their high value solar electricity should certainly consider doing so now.
It’s also a good time to consider upgrading a system to incorporate more solar panels and/or retrofitting a battery system in order to increase self-consumption of solar electricity.
Battery storage may be on more South Australians’ minds after the state-wide blackout last week. If one of the reasons for acquiring energy storage is as a form of blackout insurance, it’s important to realise that not just any battery solution will serve the purpose of having backup power.
Solar and storage provider Energy Matters has published a couple of very relevant guides for South Australians who were participating in the Group 4 solar FiT
- Home Battery Systems And Blackouts – What You Need To Know.
- South Australia Group 4 Feed In Tariff Info
South Australians wanting friendly, expert and obligation-free advice on their best options can contact Energy Matters on 133 SUN.
South Australia isn’t the only state where some legacy feed in tariff programs are ending. According to an ABC report, more than a quarter of a million solar households across South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria will be impacted by January 1 next year. In some cases, the financial consequences will be far greater than in South Australia.
Learn more about who will be affected and when – and the steps that can be taken to minimise impact.
