We now have a new briefing for you to send to your MPs detailing the misinformation being used to justify FITs cuts.
A lot has gone on in Parliament since the announcement – there was the intital statement Ministers were forced to make, the full debate on 23rd November, DECC and Treasury Ministers giving evidence to joint hearings of two Select Committees, as well as the regular monthly DECC questions – all of which have repeatedly forced Ministers to justify their position.
View a full briefing HERE in response to the recent debates
Then download the editable letter HERE and send it as a covering letter or email, along with the briefing above, to your MP demanding he or she takes the issues up with Ministers and ask how they can correct the record.
If we are going to save our solar future:
It is vital MPs know what the proposed changes would mean for the industry and the jobs it supports, and realise how shaky the foundations of the Government’s case are. That means we need solar businesses, customers and employees to get campaigning.
We need to let as many MPs know what the proposed changes would mean for the industry and the jobs it supports. That means we need solar businesses, customers and employees to get campaigning.
When it comes to influencing local MPs, you have far more sway than any trade association or environmental NGO – because businesses, employees and customers are their voters.
• National organisations can write to all MPs – but many of those letters will go straight in the bin. If you, your employees and customers write, you will almost certainly get a response.
• National organisations can invite 500 MPs to a briefing in Parliament – but it is unlikely more than ten will attend. If you can ask them to visit your business, many will agree.
• National organisations can tell MPs that the Government policies could lead to job losses. You can bring them face to face with the threatened employees.
If you are not sure who your MP is, just enter your postcode at www.theyworkforyou.com.
Show your support! Put one of these web banners on your website
Here is a selection of banners you can place on your website to link to Our Solar Future. You can copy and paste the HTML in the text boxes below directly into your webpage to make the banners work
38 Comments
Gutted gutted that’s all i feel
We are a local company that set up this year fitting solar pv, just getting of the ground and bam they have shafted us again !!!!
They did it to us with the housing boom which we had a part in, till the banks stopped funding us
over night and killed us .
So why do we even try!
Just don’t put your faith in governments full stop.
Tories know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. People still vote for them though. This country gets what it deserves. Sweet FA.
Never trust a politician. 8 new nuclear power stations going up. Government owns the banks. Still bailing out other countries. Potentially we could stop buying our power off the French with renewables. The cost of panels has not dropped that much in recent times there still very expensive. Maybe put the army in Afghanistan on stand down for a month that would save enough money to do the feed in tariff as planned for next 5 years. There will always be “death and taxes”.
Stand up and protest to no drop in feed in tarrif rates………………..unite
We as a country should be doing all we can to encourage renewable energy, reducing the feed in tariff will only deter homeowners from having them and create unemployment.
Is our coalition government both intent on cutting the fledgling business of solar and at the same time its own throat. Who is likely to want to support them in future, “Get Britain Working” NOT. Instead damage a growing business and put more people out of work as demand disappears.
As a small business we have invested a lot of money in Solar by way of training, equipment and trade body fees as we can see this as a viable source of power giving everone the chance to do their bit, hoever are goverment are shortsighted in their view.
The reduction in FIT and requirement for a dwelling to have a Energy performance Certificate of C or above will kill the growing Solar PV industry and set back the implementation of green energy by years.
This leaked document was so disturbing to read, we are a small family firm who have invested largly in time, effort and money to gain the correct training and experience in order to offer our customers the service they deserve. Without a shadow of a doubt, if these measures are introduced we will struggle to keep trading.
You have my support. Reducing the FIT is ridiculous.
Hi,
I wondered if you knew at all – what dates & times the london protests will be in downing street?
Thanks,
Michelle
Absolutely ridiculous. They stopped pv “farms” by dropping the feed-in tariff, now it should be the turn of the big companies fitting thousands of” free”installations and making massive profits. The single domestic install should be reduced slightly,as planned, so that small buisness’s can carry on after investing much time and money.
The North West has been slow to take up the offer of solar PV. Yes the 43.3p is high, but such a swingeing cut and in such a short time frame, it means that we will be busy from now until the 12th December….. then what? Shut down for 4 months?? Can’t see anyone buying into solar at 4 to 5% return on investment, why would you?
Savings accounts are available paying upto 4%, why bother putting your hard earned cash on your roof for the Government of the day to chop the potential return when they feel like?
The government have yet again let down small businesses and the construction industry.
Like many small businesses, we have invested heavily in the industry.
We physically will not be able to carry out all our orders and will have to refund deposits.
We are in the same boat as many who are concerned aboout the drop in the fit’s. We too have invested heavily in the infrastructure to get us up and running. Costs involved training, advertising, access equipment, new van, testing equipment, tools………etc…….
We were getting orders and becoming quite busy but two responses from probable customers are “They would not go ahead with the new rate”.
Will the government compensate us for this outlay?
Will the govcernment reduce the 11% grenn energy tax on our fuel bills?
Cameron said today “We will roll our sleeves up on the jobs front” They give with one hand and take away with the other.
They are pandering to the whims of the supply companies, who are foreign owned anyway, and if we the British publis are having to take a hit with the economy why can’t they??????
As a small mechanical and electrical contractor who has battled through the past three years without losing a single member of staff this is a kick in the teeth from which we are unlikely to survive.
We have provided apprenticeships, work experience and community services and been a responsible local employer. What now? Having invested heavily in training, compliance and equipment including visiting oversea’s suppliers to source quality products we have nothing to show for it.
I agree the level of tariff was unrealistic and the multi installation companies have done us all no favours. However the governments approach is both short-sighted and not in keeping with it’s philosophy of support for small business and being a “Green” champion. Breaking News – Politicians can’t be trusted I will be joining the protest to Downing Street. Details please
I smell a rat, …. who worked out the feed in tariff and why really cut it….. what really happened with the big 6 energy companys he met a couple of weeks ago as its the energy companys that pay the feed in tariff?
Why do we put up with our political leaders? We’re Lions led by donkeys.
Yesterday, 31.10.11 the government announced a proposal to cut FITS by 50%.
It is a sad day for a young industry which is just developing.
I’ve spent over a year and a lot of money getting qualified and registered to install Solar PV. Unless Solar modules come down 50% in price, there is no real business anymore. The knock on affect from this will be disastrous
Well, maybee this will shove the double glazed salesman selling North faceing systems out !
And give us a reputuable companies (working out shading etc) a breath of fresh air.
Wont be long before Solar is on Watchdog etc again !
Let us loose the cowboys and mony grabbing folk !
Get it done right, Correct survey, an honest survey and a proven expected return to the customer as per their situation.
I am hoping the honest people selling these systems will still be around after such a dip in the FIT & the con men out for a fast buck move elsewhere !!!
In August I paid a deposit for pve panels. Building control insisted that I reinforce the roof.
The roof work will be completed next week, but the panels may not be fitted by Dec 12th.
I will not have them fitted if they are’nt. I thought we had until April 1st next year.
Shocks like these need a Government health warning.
Another kick in teeth for the British working man. We have just spent a fortune (That we did not have ) Getting the certification training and marketing trying to get back onto a level playing field. Just for the boys at the top to again slap us in the face .
Sick as a parrot
The government says that it is behind green energy and then it does something like this. Plug into the Sun has pioneered the use of solar energy since 2005 and has grown organically as people have become more aware of the advantages of solar. It has been our vision to make Cornwall sustainable from the beginning of the green movement, but once again the government takes it out of the reach of the average homeowner.
I cannot believe what the government is trying to do here! Das Solar and many 1000s of other company’s are trying to make the UK an environmental friendly country, and once again the government wants to trash another fantastic opportunity for this country. Over 100000 homes already have gone ahead with this scheme and have had solar panels installed, but just because the government are not making money on it, it’s not in there interest. So there solution to this is basically cut the FIT tariff down by 22.3p more than 50% and drastically change the solar PV industry from what it is now to nothing!. Why do this? Obviously its in the governments interest to lower tariffs and save money so they can spend it elsewhere but by cutting the tariff’s by this amount will put 100,000 jobs in jeopardy and also kill the solar PV industry. Is this really worth putting all that’s at risk? The answer is NO! lower the FIT by all means but not enough to jeopardize the whole solar business. Let’s put a stop to this before it’s to late!
Jan Skrzypkowski
Das Solar
Absolutely gutted after spending thousands and months of jumping through government hoops to have them kick a thriving new industry into touch. And the 12 Dec deadline is a joke as you can’t even buy panels now due to demand. I can only urge all of you reading this to email your mp and local papers to raise the public awareness of this farce as much as possible. If the tariff was to alter to 30 p we might still have a future. Don’t sit back and just let it happen!
Ummm chaps……
The templates once downloaded are for a solar company, even the first one, which does not follow its description.
It’s too business specific to edit quite honestly.
PLEASE include a template letter for ordinary people who want to write to their MP.
That would be useful.
i have never been so angry at a government in my life and have never attended a demonstration before. 25000 people who may potentially be out of work in a months time is frightening, especially when a high percentage of people in the industry are so passionate about the work they do and are having this ripped away from them. Gutted, i will also be grabbing my tent and making my way to occupy bristol. 25000 people can make a big impact if we shout loud enough. thanks to “our solar future” for starting the ball rolling.
” It’s amazing that common sense was made and dissemble. I wonder what the politics are: government/EDF/NPower? The whole point is to shift to sustainable energy at war speed. Have we not learned anything from all that has been said on this subject. Time has run out and some are still acting like there isn’t a problem. We finally had a solution that got every to act. We could sort out our energy problem and bring cleaner air in 15 years with the current feed in tariff. One should also mention all the small business that have geared up and invested in Solar. What other major business is going to help the economy!” Scott Ballard
You have to feel for the local companies who have invested in this burgeoning market, only to have the rug pulled out from beneath them suddenly and savagely. In these economically difficult times, I would have thought that Britain ought to become as self-sufficient in energy as possible. This move by the Government is not a step in the right direction. I can’t understand it.
We only finished our MCS accreditation 4 weeks ago and we feel we should sue the government for our money back – as they must have known the cuts were coming – we contacted our local Conservative MP James Wharton – Stockton South , who said we were stupid and should understand commercial risks
We have today issued a FOI request to find exactly which government department and address is responsible and we WILL sue for our money back
If you look at our web site our new Solar training room was not cheap
I agree 100% with Mr Spence, we got our accreditation through on 18 August and have lost 3 contracts thanks to this farce. The whole affair stinks of a bent government bowing down to big corporations then trying to make excuses for it. And how many households will be able to ruled out in the future by not meeting grade c energy efficiency? They just want rid of this new thriving forward thinking industry.
Once again, the Government, and i draw a distinction between parliament and Government, has shown yhat its ” green credentials” are bogus. not only that, but that Government is owned by big business and the banks. furher more that the whole global warming farrago is a scam.
What is the matter with not only our present government, but all successive governments. They have millions for Afghanistan and other places around the world where they are sticking their noses into. Not to mention the obscene amounts paid to the EU each year.
Is it not about time they invested in this country, and begin to rebuild this country that was once the envy of the world. The reduction in the feed in tariffs are going to put thousands more on the dole, where is the economic or for that manner common sense in that ? The majority of politicians went to university and left with degrees in this that and the other, what a shame they weren’t taught a bit of common sense.
Whilst solar energy is being installed they are getting their 20% VAT, the work force are paying NICs and income tax. The work force then spend their earnings, and they receive more taxes. I would have thought this would go a long way to out weigh the cuts in the feed in tariffs.
Political incompetence used to be mildly humorous, we all knew that most of them were in it for the kudos and self gain. But this stinks of something more sinister and their decisions will decimate an incredibly successful fledgling industry. This will put thousands out of work, installers, suppliers, electricians, scaffolders and the like. Investors won’t come near this country again and who can blame them?
Politicians need to be in no doubt that as things get more serious, and when people are struggling to feed their families that they will be held personally responsible, lets try to get that message to them on the day of protest.
As architects we were very supportive of the initiative to provide the FIT as an incentive to householders to invest in Renewable Energy sources. We also recognised that the tariffs themselves were overgenerous and their take up by rental groups and large energy conglomerates effectively put paid to the scheme. Why is it though that Governments can never get their equations right – it should have been apparent from the start that the tariffs at the levels set were unsustainable over a period of 25 years but what the government should have done is reduced the period over which tariffs were paid from the 25 years to say 10 to 12 instead of cutting the rate at which the tariffs were provided. This would have maintained the impetus to the renewable energy industry whilst at the same time reducing profit taking which the public purse was never intended to subsidise.
Just received 2 identical replies from 2 different tory mp’s. If this means that our campaign is only getting as far as the secretary to these idiots then have we any chance of being heard?
In England senior politicians, newspapers and dodgy solar panel installing companies are stating that domestic solar PV gives very high rates of return; the reality is that the present rate over 25 years is comparable to or maybe worse than a cash ISA.
If the Conservatives give the correct percent per year then they can keep the present FIT tariff, scrap the hated 12th Dec deadline and the solar industry might survive.
Fuller details here http://solarfit.jottit.com
So instead of ‘Cut don’t Kill’ what about ‘Tell the truth, don’t cut, don’t kill’
G Ricks
[email protected]
This is pretty inaccurate, you have not taken into account the savings on electricity (approx £250 -£300 with a £1000 feed in tariff rate) and the % increase in electricity over 25 years, or the export tariff, you have just concentrated on the feed in tariff.
Also you are not taking into account the ability of putting into a cash ISA the £1000 feed in tariff that would attract 3% tax free, added every year by another £1000.
I would be interested to see what the new figures are when you take account of the full picture.
This is if we are looking at the complete financial befits and rate of return
For domestic solar PV 43.3p/kWh FIT equates to an ISA about 3% per annum and 21p/kWh equates to between half and one percent per year; basic compound interest over 25 years.
The government and some solar installers and some newspapers are conning people into believing solar gives very high ‘bumper’ returns. If the government came clean and ensured every quote carried the correct equivalent savings rate then people would not install en mass, the 43.3p/kWh tariff could be kept along with the best of the solar industry.
2 Trackbacks
[...] ‘Cut Don’t Kill’ campaign is at http://www.oursolarfuture.org.uk/support-solar/get-campaigning/ with plenty of ideas on how you can [...]
[...] [...]