Beware: your electricity company may be ripping you off!

The Latest:

The Greens are sick and tired of waiting for the Rann Government to ensure householders are paid a fair price for the solar power they produce from their roof.

The Government has been sitting on a Consultants’ Review into their solar feed-in scheme since before Christmas – meanwhile other states are powering ahead with more generous schemes.

So, the Greens are going to take the next step and have introduced a Bill into State Parliament to create a new, more generous solar feed-in credit scheme.

For more information, you can view Mark's Media Release on the issue, his Second Reading Speech which explains the Bill, or the ABC News Coverage of the Greens' Bill.

Mark discussing the Bill on Channel 7 News

Background to campaign:

Before July 1 2008, when the scheme commenced, companies such as Origin and AGL paid you between 16-24c/ kilo watt hour (kWh) - depending on your contract - for the electricity you produced. 

Since July 1 2008, some retailers chose to replace what they were already paying to you with the $0.44c premium, rather than making the new premium additional.    

You have to remember that this premium is paid for by a small extra charge on all SA electricity consumers which is then passed on to you by the retailer.  It does not come out of the pockets of the retailers!

So instead of earning 20c/kWh (approx.) from the retailer plus 44c/kWh from the solar premium = 64c/kWh, many people were only getting the 44c/kWh passed on by their energy company.  This makes a huge difference to the payback period for solar panels.

Companies like Origin, AGL and TRU are collecting windfall profits while expecting the rest of the community to pick up the tab for climate change action.

 The Greens campaign (2008):

• The Greens started a campaign to ensure households with PV cells get paid what they deserve.
• Mark Parnell wrote to the ESCOSA (Essential Services Commission) asking them to investigate, and met with them directly to discuss the issue further.
• Mark also began raising this issue in the media. Click here and here to find out what he said. 
• He also started an online petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-the-solar-rip-off.html

Greens Private Members Bill passes in the Legislative Council

On the 29th of October 2008, Mark introduced a Greens Private Members Bill, the  Electricity (Feed-In Rates) Amendment Bill 2008, into the Legislative Council. This Bill would have closed the loophole and required electricity companies to do the right thing by their customers and pay them a fair price for the electricity they put back into the grid.

Click here to see a copy of the Bill and to read Mark's speech introducing the Bill. 

You can also read his media release about the Bill.

Click here to read Minister's Conlon response to Mark's Bill.

The Greens Private Members Bill was passed by the Legislative Council on 8th April 2009, despite opposition from the Rann Labor Government. 

Unfortunately, the Government rejected the Bill in the Lower House.

Greens again raise issue in Parliament

After getting frustrated at the lack of Government action, Mark Parnell again raised the issue in Parliament.

Click here to read his question to the Premier.

Government to (finally) Review their scheme (Nov 2009)

After a 5 month delay, the SA Government finally released the Terms of Reference for its Review into the SA Solar Feed-in Scheme. 

The Review was supposed to commence in May 2009.  In June the Government voted down the Greens Bill to fix-up the loop-hole.  At the time they said they would have an alternative response in Parliament by September 2009. 

Yet the Review only began in November 2009.  The delay means there is now virtually no chance to change the law before the middle of 2010 (due to the March state election).

We are still no closer to knowing how the Government intends to fix their scheme up.  Meanwhile, Origin, AGL (and since August, TRU Energy) continue to rip households off.

This is extremely frustrating!

Even worse news is that the Government has indicated it intends to slash the maximum size of solar systems that qualify under the feed-in scheme from 30KW down to 10KW.  This will affect many who have chosen to invest in larger systems in order to generate an exciting source of income by harnessing the sun. 

The Review's findings are expected sometime in early to mid 2010.

Here's how you can help:

1.   Write to your local Member of Parliament and push for an urgent change in the law. Click here for contact details for all local MPs.

2.   Write to the Minister for Energy, Patrick Conlon. Email the Minister at minister.conlon@saugov.sa.gov.au.

3.   Check your electricity bill and see if you are being paid fairly.  If not, contact your energy retailer and demand they do more than pay a 'token' amount for the electricity they receive.

4.   Spread the word: encourage everyone you know with PV panels on their roof, or interested in going solar, to get active.

5.   Join the Greens! 

We are confident with your help we can eventually force the Rann Labor Government and energy retailers to do the right thing.

We strongly encourage you and everyone else with an interest in solar electricity to urgently contact the Premier and let him know you are unhappy with the delay in fixing this problem.

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