One of my friends has sent me the below email. Please have a read, and if it's something that you feel is wrong, please sign the petition at
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Microgenerators/
"As you may know, some three years ago we made the decision to invest a considerable amount of money in photo-voltaic panels to generate electricity at Allerdown. Our financial plan anticipated a long term payback, even with the then-expected Government grant of up to 50% of the cost. In fact, once I had signed the contract with the installer, the Government grant was capped at £2500, an immediate reduction in the grant of some £6000. After some some compromises on the components the installation went ahead, driven largely by our desire to make some small contribution to the carbon issues.
To cut to the chase, it has always been the case that the amount of money recouped from the generated electricity had been subject to market forces and would rise year on year. However, Government proposals currently being proposed would cap the amount received per unit of electricity for EXISTING microgenerators (people like me) at the present level, whilst offering a much more attractive amount to new installations. The difference depends on the type of renewable energy involved, but is typically 9p/unit versus around 25p/unit.
When you have a project lifetime of 25+ years, and investments of several thousands of pounds to recoup, this is yet another kick in the teeth for those who have actually 'done' what the Government urges.
The picture is actually quite complicated, but the petition in question makes a simple request - that owners of both new and existing microgeneration installations be treated equally. The proposals in their present form seem to be wide of the mark.
Please don't hesitate to pass this on to any one else you think might be interested. By definition, there are only a relatively few 'early adopters' - which is why any claims from the government about the cost of treating us all equally seem so misplaced!"
If anyone wants any more information, feel free to PM me.
Thanks,
Soph
