Latest on the court challenge!!!

[Somecamel]

More or less tempted to say sod this and wait for April when the madness subsides and I know its 21p, the problem is with roof space for ~4KW system - projection over 25 years is massive difference for 21p to 43p. If I could be sure I was not getting done on the panel price, and able to get a well experienced and stable installer I would just order now as normal.

We don't know what the Tariff rate will be Post April 2012

 

[moggy1968]

I think best advice to customers is get it done before April when everyhting could change again. assume a 21p return, anything else is a bonus.

 

[moggy1968]

I know this is going to sound stupid but surely selling at 21p is also misselling as the tariff is actually 43p.... So much uncertainty its ridiculous. I feel like i'm being bullied by Chris Huhne and Greg Barker

rather unlikely someone is going to sue your --- off 'cos they got too much money though!!
And yes, the Government is trying to bully us. I think they are now only fighting this to try and save face, It's definately personal now. And lets not forget how they tried to force us to accept their illegal behaviour by threatening to close the scheme altogether. Unbeleievable.

 

[powervan]

just makes me laugh that say PVKITS DIRECT send out email GOLDRUSH and all existing stock has GONE!! who is worse government? installers ? suppliers? when is the appeal? if you fit at 43.3 and they win can/WILL (real) take people to court?? so many questions

 

[Gavin A]

If I'm reading this right, then if the supreme court doesn't make a judgement for months, does this mean we'll still not be certain of the rate even from 3rd March, or even 1st April?

This looks like being a very hollow victory for those who've taken the court action on behalf of the industry but without asking for for or receiving anyone elses backing on it, and I reckon the delays and uncertainty this has caused will have led to at least as many job losses and bankruptcies as the actual reduction to 21p from 12th Dec would have done by itself if left to stand. Maybe a bit unfair to lay this at the door of those taking the court action rather than the government, but this response was entirely predictable, and I reckon the likes of BPVA had it right with their strategy of trying to keep the government on side and working with them to try to get a better framework in place instead of going head to head with them in court.

Just my two pence worth.

 

[moggy1968]

no, the changes from April have been made by legal means. It will only affect installations between 12.12.11. and 02.03.12
I presume then that your happy just to bend over and take it like a man!
Personally I don't think politicians should be allowed to break the law and get away with it.
I'm not, why should they be.

 

[SRE]

Am I missing something???

We're still @ 21p until the Supreme Court hears the appeal - that won't be until well after the 3/3 when everything drops to 21p. So where's the goldrush? Only for idiots imho ;-) I'm ignoring it. I think I can make 21p work - just - and that's what I'm selling until 1st April.

 

[SRE]

For what it's worth I think the appeal was right - I need to be able to tell my customers they will get the 21p for 25 years and this at least will make the govt think again about changing that. 43p's a lost cause now I think, a nice bonus if it comes through but it doesn't even come into the equation anymore for me.

 

[JulianC]

I think some of the panic buying news might be scaremongering from suppliers trying to get us to start panic buying. After all, they can't have been shifting much stock lately. Spoke to my main supplier today, one of the bigger players, and they told me they'd seen some upturn but nothing to write home about.

 

[Gavin A]

Am I missing something???

We're still @ 21p until the Supreme Court hears the appeal - that won't be until well after the 3/3 when everything drops to 21p. So where's the goldrush? Only for idiots imho ;-) I'm ignoring it. I think I can make 21p work - just - and that's what I'm selling until 1st April.

I don't know about a gold rush, but if the equipment we need to do the installs we've contracted for at 21p is being snapped up, then we also have to get the confirmations in and buy the equipment up. No panels, no installation whatever the FIT rate, although it's only really certain panels there are major problems with - eg Sanyo H 250's via segen at least.

I think it's calmed down a bit now though.

 

[Graeme Harrold]

Wish the supporting agencies would get their acts together. while sifting through all of the "panic" junk from bottom feeding suppliers, I came across the EST mail confirming the 43.3p rate, and no mention of the supreme courts appeal. Full story link from the EST mail

 

[SolarCity]

Okay, I give up. Where's Jeremy Beadle?

 

[solarsavings]

Dead! like the 43p

 

[Surboy]

Personally I am going to sell at 43 pence with a caveat in the contract to cover my back. Main problem being shortage of inverters at the moment. One of my suppliers has already ran out and lead times from manufacturers are shockingly long...according to Krannich Solar they are receiving a large amount of Kaco 4kW inverters next week but SMA are difficult to get hold off. Thank you DECC for making our lives a nightmare!

 

[Somecamel]

Personally I am going to sell at 43 pence with a caveat in the contract to cover my back. Main problem being shortage of inverters at the moment. One of my suppliers has already ran out and lead times from manufacturers are shockingly long...according to Krannich Solar they are receiving a large amount of Kaco 4kW inverters next week but SMA are difficult to get hold off. Thank you DECC for making our lives a nightmare!

Make it a caveat with your customer as well then- It's always best to be honest- not all customers are stupid

 

[The Launderer]

Personally I am going to sell at 43 pence with a caveat in the contract to cover my back. Main problem being shortage of inverters at the moment. One of my suppliers has already ran out and lead times from manufacturers are shockingly long...according to Krannich Solar they are receiving a large amount of Kaco 4kW inverters next week but SMA are difficult to get hold off. Thank you DECC for making our lives a nightmare!

You are WRONG to be selling at 43.3p, And a caveat in your contract compounds that. Make no mistake you are mis selling!!!

If there are installers blatantly admitting their dodgy practices on this forum I dread to think what they are doing in their customers houses.

Given the events of the last few weeks I can understand your frustration but that does not excuse your actions. The customer deserves better advice.

We will be telling customers the guaranteed feed in tariff is 21p and we will hopefully demonstrate that that it is still a great investment. We will also tell them that there is a reasonable possibility that they will get 43.3p as it would appear the government are on very shaky legal ground.

We are selling it as a no risk gamble - guaranteed 21p - good chance of 43.3p but the decision is for the customer - not something to be hidden in the small print of a contract.

 

[Surboy]

I am making my customers fully aware of the situation so don't be so quick on making acussations. However the reality is that based on the veredict today by the High Court the FiT has actually gone back to 43 pence. Let's all work together instead of b*tch*ng about each other :wacko:

 

[finchy]

Like that stance Launderer, We will be taking the same position at the End of the Day it works at 21p ! THEY are still missing the point about C-rating !!!!:furious3::furious3::furious3::furious3::furious3:

 

[Surboy]

Don't get me started on C-rating...I can see PV returning to be a cottage industry...

 

[bigring]

What a !!!!!!!! Shambles. We sat down afterxmas break and worked out systems with the new prices we had received from suppliers, and came up with a range of options to make pv viable at 21p (just).
After a slow start we have booked in 5 jobs, so it was slowly getting there, now it's all kicked off again!!!!
suppliers saying stocks are out, blah blah, the prices will go up Again! , and we will all be chasing our tails again.
we have cut our margins to a minimum , so any increases will eat our already meagre profit.
we are only selling at 21p, but advising fittiing before the 3/3 with the chance of a bonus.
we shall see what the next few weeks bring