FITGATE – GOVERNMENT LOSES AGAIN

- and this time it’s final.  The government today was refused leave to appeal to the Supreme Court – by the Supreme Court, so there’s nowhere left to go.  So, if you were one of those who kept the faith and had PV panels installed between 12 December 2011 and 3 March 2012, you will get the full high rate of Feed In Tariff, index linked, tax free, for 25 years.  So well done you!

To add to the celebrations, the RPI looks like coming in at 4.85% for FITs, so from April domestic installations (up to 4kW) can look forward to 45.4p per kWh generated, with an extra 3.23p for the half of it you are deemed to export to the Grid.

We warned the government that it was acting outside the law when it decided to cut FITs before it had even finished consulting about its actions, but we’re nobody; luckily some bigger players took up the issue and the government lost, lost and lost again in ever more senior courts.  Nevertheless, the damage was done to the industry anyway as people got cold feet and cancelled contracts in droves.  We’re pleased to be proved right, but ‘Told You So’ is an empty award when it’s fairly clear that this coalition has abandoned all pretence of being ‘the greenest government ever’ in the face of  severe economic difficulties and fierce lobbying by all the usual heavyweight suspects.

But to happier things.   Church Stretton  Town Council offices will be shrouded in scaffolding next week as the installation of their solid wall insulation gets under way.  If you have solid walls – we sympathise with you over your whopping energy bills, but you can visit the Council and see for yourself how external wall insulation is applied, and how it works.  The expectation is a drop in heating bills of about 30%, which is not to be sniffed at!

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