Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Solar power tariff - open letter to Julian Sturdy MP


Dear Julian,

I am one of the many people who support solar power, to the extent that I have installed solar panels on my roof. Solar energy is supported by the vast majority of the population (something like 6 in 7 people support it). 

The IPCC recently warned that we must drastically cut carbon emissions far more quickly than the government is currently proposing in order to avoid climate breakdown.  I am therefore shocked and appalled that the government is now preparing to remove the final support mechanisms for new solar installations. The export tariff payment currently sits alongside the feed-in tariff subsidy for small scale solar installations. The export tariff pays solar owners in exchange for surplus power exported to the grid for use by others. The export tariff is the supplier buying energy generated by people’s homes, and is in no sense a subsidy.   If it is removed, as proposed, then people will be giving electricity to their electricity supplier, when they generate it, while having to buy electricity when they are not.


I am writing to ask you to urgently write to the minister, Claire Perry, to express your opposition to this removal of the ability of home owners to sell their surplus electricity and ask her to guarantee an ‘export tariff’ for rooftop solar installations after March 2019.


Best wishes

Tom

Tom Franklin 

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