• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
DIY Doctor
Open MenuClose Menu
  • DIY Doctor menu logo
  • Home
  • DIY Projects
    • All Projects
    • Brick, Block, Marsonary and Concrete
    • Damp, Condensation, Rot and Woodworm
    • Doors, Windows and Conservatories
    • Electrical
    • Fencing, Decking, Paving and Patios
    • Floors, Walls, Ceilings and Lofts
    • Garages, Sheds and Outbuildings
    • Gardening and Landscaping
    • General Building, Self Build and Renovation
    • General Repairs and Cleaning
    • Green Living and Eco DIY
    • Ground work, Foundations and Drainage
    • Heating, Central Heating and Boilers
    • Joinery and Carpentry
    • Materials, Fixings and Fixing
    • Painting, Decorating and Finishing
    • Planning Regs, Project Management and Safety
    • Plastering, Plasterboard and Rendering
    • Plumbing
    • Roofing and Gutters
    • Tiling and Tiles
    • Tools, Appliances and Access
    • DIY Tips
  • UK DIY Forums
  • DIY Videos
    • Bathroom DIY Videos
    • Building Foundation Videos
    • Building Videos
    • Carpentry and Woodworking Videos
    • Damp and Damproofing Videos
    • Decorating Videos
    • Electrical Videos
    • Fitting Blinds Videos
    • Flooring Videos
    • Gardening Videos
    • Green and Eco Friendly Videos
    • Hand and Power Tools Videos
    • Heating and Central Heating Videos
    • Kitchen Videos
    • Plastering and Drylining Videos
    • Plumbing Videos
    • Security Videos
  • Find Tradesmen
    • Find a Tradesman
    • Contract Download
    • Working with Tradesmen - Ultimate Guide
    • Home Improver Protection
    • Price Doctor
  • Tool Store
    • Tool Store
    • Bookstore
    • Tool Reviews and Product Reviews
  • Blog
    • Blog
    • DIY Competitions
  • About us
    • About DIY Doctor
    • What we do
    • Trade Shows and Exhibitions
    • Master Classes
    • Contact Us

Home > DIY How To Projects and Tutorial Guides > Feed in Tariffs – Get Paid for the Extra Electricity you Generate and Don’t use

Feed in Tariffs – Get Paid for the Extra Electricity you Generate and Don’t use

How government funded Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) can pay you for generating your own electricity at home.

Don't want to do this job yourself? Let us help you find a tradesman local to you

TwitterFacebookPin ItBuffer
Project MenuProject Menu
  • How to Tutorial
  • Video
  • Find Tradesmen
  • Help

Feed-In Tariffs: The Basics

Feed-In Tariffs are payments you can receive from your energy supplier in return for generating your own electricity at home using a renewable or low carbon electricity generating technology, such as solar PV or hydroelectricity. This means that on top of the money you save by generating your own free electricity, you are actually making money from the technology you have installed, which reduces the time it takes for your renewable technology to pay for itself.

You can get paid for all the electricity you generate, including what you use and the any electricity you don’t use which can be exported to the national grid for another customer to use.

Pole standing domestic wind turbine

Pole standing domestic wind turbine

Feed-In Tariffs replaced previous government grants for domestic electricity generating technology in 2010.

FIT in 5 steps

  • See what you can save and get quotes from accredited installers – complete an energy assessment in 2 minutes here
  • You install your electricity generating technology
  • You use your technology, generating your own free electricity to use, reducing your electricity bills
  • Your energy (FIT) supplier pays you a ‘Generation Tariff’ for each unit of electricity you generate whether you use it or not
  • You are paid an ‘Export Tariff’ for each unit of electricity you don’t use and export to the grid

In periods where you need more electricity than you are generating, you can import it from the grid as usual, which you pay for. However, your electricity bills will still be reduced as you are generating at least part of the electricity you are using free of charge.

Calculate your savings now!

How Feed-In Tariffs Work

As with the Renewable Heat Incentive subsidies, the scheme is administered by Ofgem, the U.K’s energy regulator. Large energy companies are legally obliged to be FIT suppliers; if your energy company is smaller it’s a good idea to check if they provide this service.

Solar panels

Solar panels

The following renewable heat technologies are eligible:

  • Solar PV (freestanding or roof mounted)
  • Hydroelectricity (inc. some small tidal projects)
  • Wind turbines (standalone or building mounted)
  • Micro combined heat and power (CHP)
  • Anaerobic digesters
  • You choose and pay for your technology and get it installed.

You need to get the installation carried out by an MCS accredited installer using MCS accredited products. (This is not the case if the installation is hydroelectricity or anaerobic digestion or its capacity is greater than 50kW). You will then need to inform your energy supplier (your FIT supplier) that you wish to apply for the FIT and send them your application form, your MCS certificate from your installer and your EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) if you are applying for solar PV (you will need to have obtained this EPC before having commissioned the installation if you wish to qualify for the higher solar PV tariff). Your FIT supplier will then confirm your eligibility for the scheme and the terms of your FIT agreement.

In the case of hydroelectricity and anaerobic digestion projects or projects with a capacity greater than 50kW you will need to apply for ROO-FIT accreditation for your installation online by setting up an account on the Renewables and CHP Register. This can be done up to two months before your installation is carried out. This application is then automatically sent to Ofgem.

Ofgem will confirm your eligibility and provide your accreditation details. You then need to inform your FIT supplier that you wish to register for FIT payments and provide them with your accreditation details and application form. Your FIT supplier will confirm that you qualify for the scheme and the terms of your FIT agreement.

If your application for FITs payment is successful, your payments will be backdated from the date your FIT supplier or Ofgem receives your application. This means that it is important that you send off your application as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to find out from your supplier or Ofgem in advance exactly what information they’ll need to help you complete your application promptly.

If you are adding solar panels to an existing solar PV system your FITs payments will be dated from the date the panels were commissioned rather than the application receipt date.

Your FIT supplier pays you a ‘Generation Tariff’ for every unit of electricity you generate whether you use it or not. This tariff value is set at the time you start receiving payments and stays the same (linked to inflation) for the duration of your payment period, which can be up to 20 years. The tariff value you are assigned will depend on whether you have an EPC if you are looking to install solar PV.

Your FIT supplier will pay you an additional ‘Export Tariff’ for each unit of electricity you don’t use and export to the grid. This tariff is currently set at 4.5p/kWh. The amount of electricity you export is not currently measured but estimated to be around 50-75% of what you generate.

Tariff Tables

Solar PV:

Total installed capacity (kW) Generation tariff with eligibility date 1 Nov 2012 – 31 Jan 201 Lower tariff (if energy efficiency (EPC) requirement not met) with eligibility date 1 Aug 2012 – 31 Jan 2013
<4kW (new build and retrofit) 15.44p/kWh 7.1p/kWh
>4-10kW 13.99p/kWh 7.1p/kWh
>10-50kW 13.03p/kWh 7.1p/kWh
stand-alone 7.1p/kWh 7.1p/kWh

Solar PV tariffs are being reviewed every 3 months and adjusted according to the level of uptake of the technology. As more customers install micro generation technology, the technology becomes cheaper, reducing the need for the same level of FIT payment. These adjustments will only apply to new customers, however – when your FIT is set, its value does not change.

Hydroelectricity, Wind turbines and Micro-CHP:

Technology Tariff band (kW capacity) Current generation tariffs Generation tariffs from 1 December 2012 Export tariff from 1 December 2012
Hydro <15 21.9p/kWh 21.0p/kWh 4.5p/kWh
>15 to <100 19.6p/kWh 19.6p/kWh 4.5p/kWh
Wind <1.5 35.8p/kWh 21.0p/kWh 4.5p/kWh
>1.5 to <15 28p/kWh 21.0p/kWh 4.5p/kWh
>15 to <100 25.4p/kWh 21.0p/kWh 4.5p/kWh
Micro-CHP <2kW 11.0p/kWh 12.5p/kWh 4.5p/kWh

All project content written and produced by Mike Edwards, founder of DIY Doctor and industry expert in building technology.

TwitterFacebookPin ItBuffer

Video

Back to the Top

Apologies, but we don't seem to have a video for this project yet, but we will do our best to get one up soon

Find a Reliable Local Tradesman

Back to the Top
Don't fancy doing this project yourself? We work with the industries best to ensure that we recommend only reliable and trustworthy tradesmen.
Let DIY Doctor help you find a tradesman

Find a tradesman now!


Give us Some Feedback!
Was this page useful:
We read and respond to all feedback by email. To allow us to do so you will be added to our email list, however you can unsubscribe at any time using the links at the bottom of any of our emails. Find out more in our privacy policy. Any DIY questions should be posted to our Forum
Sign me up to the DIY Doctor Newsletter:

Primary Sidebar

DIY Doctor deal of the week

DIY Utility Kit:

Build your own work bench!

RRP Price: £49.99

Special Price: £39.95

Get it here now

See our other deals now!

Master Basic DIY - By DIY Doctor

Our Book - Master Basic DIY

Grab your copy now for all the DIY help you need right at your finger tips!

Buy it Here!

Signup for our Newsletter

Keep up to date with our DIY projects, tips and latest deals

Sign Me Up!

Our Sponsors

Find out about advertising on DIY Doctor

Advert

Footer

DIY Doctor

Site Menu

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Media/Press
  • Community Work
  • DIY Projects
  • DIY Videos
  • Superstore
  • DIY Tips
  • DIY Suppliers
  • UK DIY Forum
  • DIY Webinars

Other Stuff

  • Advertise
  • Competitions
  • T and Cs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • NHIC
  • Sitemap

DIY Doctor Social Channels

Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on YouTube
Follow us on Pinterest
Follow us on Tumblr

DIY Doctor are members of:

© DIY Doctor Ltd 2021 All Rights Reserved