Everything you need to know about the Feed-In Tariffs (FITs): how it works, what systems are eligible, what changes are being contemplated and a whole lot more...
You can also read about the Renewable Heat Incentive for low carbon heating on our sister site www.rhincentive.co.uk
You want to reduce your carbon footprint and your energy bills, become more self-sufficient in energy, and earn some extra income. The Feed-In Tariffs are a new Government-backed measure to make it worth your while to produce renewable electricity.
The definitive information source on the Feed-In Tariffs
This website tells you everything you need to know. If you want to know more about the Feed-In Tariffs see our Quick Guide or look at the sections on the regulations, eligibility requirements, tariff levels or the detailed pages listed at the bottom.
Need help? Do you know which renewable energy technology would work best for you? Can we help you find trusted suppliers in your area?
We also have a statistics section which shows the uptake of the Feed-In Tariff system.
Renewable heat has its own similar tariff mechanism. You can find more information on our sister site www.rhincentive.co.uk. This scheme is called the Renewable Heat Incentive and covers, among others, solar heating systems.
How the tariffs make you money
There are three separate ways that the Tariffs help you make money from generating your own energy:
The Generation Tariff:
You earn a fixed income for every kilowatt hour of electricity you generate whether you use yourself in your property or export it to the grid.
The Export Tariff:
You earn an additional fixed income for every kilowatt hour of electricity you sell back to the grid.
The bit you still buy from your electricity supplier:
When you can’t generate enough electricity for your needs (if the wind don’t blow and the sun don’t shine) you still buy electricity from your utility company at the normal rates but it’ll be much less electricity than you currently buy.
A QUICK EXAMPLE on the FITs
If a household installed a 2.5kW solar system, the Feed-In Tariffs would provide the following benefits:
In a typical location in South central England this system should generate about 2,125kWh each year, earning a generation tariff of about £330 a year[1], tax-free; plus
If, say 1,500kWh is used in the home this would save a further £210 per annum if electricity costs are 14p/kWh; plus
The remaining 625kWh would be exported, earning about £30 under the export tariff.
Therefore the total benefit would be around £570 to £590[2] per year.
[1] Nov 2012 to Jan 2013 installations at higher rate [2] Because most houses without export meters receive the export tariff for 50% of the generation - about £50.