60c Feed-in Tariff ends December 2016
The NSW solar bonus scheme and 60c Feed-in Tariff will be ending on 31 December this year. E-Smart Solar was recently a guest on Blue Mountains Radio’s Business Show discussing the end of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT). Approximately146,000 of NSW households will be affected by the changes, if you are one of the many people affected we’ve listed some tips below to help you prepare for the changeover:
- Change your Gross Meter to a Net meter – some retailers are offering this for free, otherwise your local Level 2 electrician (yes, that would be E-Smart Solar!) can do this for you.
- Look at shifting your energy loads – it’s simple, but sometimes easy to forget. Shifting your energy consumption to when the sun is shining and solar is at its peak is best practice and will set you up with amazing energy habits (if you don’t already have them!). Things like scheduling your washing machine or dishwasher to work during the day will go a long way in saving you money on your energy bill.
- Reevaluate your energy retailer – are there better deals out there and can you renegotiate your rate? As always, it’s worth shopping around to see what offers best suit your needs.
- Get more solar panels – more solar panels can be a great solution for those not yet ready to commit to battery storage. Solar panel efficiency has increased significantly in recent years – during the 60-cent scheme, the typical output for a solar panel was around 250w. This has now increased to around 320w for the same size panel – a whopping 28% increase in energy output.
- Install solar batteries – solar batteries are currently on everybody’s lips courtesy of the Tesla Powerwall. Batteries are a fantastic way to make use of your daytime solar power and use it at night when sunshine’s not available and energy costs are at their peak. Technology such as Reposit can also work with your retailer and reduce your battery payback period by 30%.
Questions? Shoot us an email or give us a call on 02 4703 5411 (02 ESMART). We’re here to help.
