NSW Ex Solar Bonus Scheme Homes See Sharp Bill Rise

Compare Gross Versus Net Metered ROI

Some NSW Solar Bonus Scheme homes are about to get a nasty POWER BILL SHOCK! As their first electricity bill of the year is due, since the closure of the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme. Where the majority of homes were getting 60 cents for every kW exported!

With Gross metering now gone and Net metering being applied, there is going to be a dramatic financial drop of revenue in the first quarter and thereafter for many of these households.

So for those of you whom want a quick heads up on what to expect, at Aussie Home Energy we have done the basic maths. Maths to help you see what financial return you can expect, when you are using more or less of your net metered solar power.

The concept of Net metering can be foreign to many people, when they are simply used to being paid for all solar power sent back to the grid. We hope this data table helps you realise with Net metering you need to use more of your solar power.

As an example the maths is based on excess solar power being sent back to the grid for ONLY 6 cents per kWh. And imported power costing 25 cents per kWh. No one will argue that from 60 cents to 6 cents is a large drop for power sent back to the grid.

Even if the householder was to use 100% of the net metered solar power [extremely unlikely for Mr. Average], then there is still going to be a 41.5% drop in solar investment return, when compared to the NSW Government's recent 60 cent Gross scheme.

If you were on the 20 cents per kW Gross FIT then the difference is not that bad. But for the 60 cent per kW Gross FIT households, there certainly will be plenty of 'Power Bill Shock' causing unwanted financial pain!

Not forgetting as the scheme has run for around six years most of these 60 cent householders will have forgotten, what a normal electricity bill is! As they have simply got used to the solar power credit added to each bill.

So to help you to get an idea of the financial return to expect when being Net metered, we have created a simple data table HERE.

Now that 41.5% gets a lot worse for those homes, where there is little use within the sunny hours of the day. Yes those of you out working with only the fridge / freezer on at home, plus a few other basic appliances such as phones, clock radios and AC control panels. Shockingly up to

90% LESS!

Now that is 90% less of any recent quarterly SBS 60 cent Gross return that you are used to gone. This 90% less is for those homes now sending 75% of the power back to the grid! Check the maths! Obviously different tariff rates will affect our maths, but hopefully you will get the picture!

So as we have being saying for years to anyone with Net metering

'USE IT OR LOSE IT!'

Now it is not all that bad if you can control your appliances, as this will allow you to use more of your solar power and offset imported power costs. And that is how you make money with a NET metered Solar System. Yes you make more by offsetting imported power costs!

There are a few appliances in many homes that can be programmed or simply controlled by a timer to use up some of that excess solar power.

Check out the maths of our GROSS VERSUS NET METERING MATHS

This blog post brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY SAVING SERVICE industry in Australia.

Get Ready For The End Of NSW Solar Bonus Scheme 30/12/16

130,000 Gross metered householders in NSW are about to switch to Net metering at the end of the year, when the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme finally comes to an end on 31/12/16. 

Meaning households receiving 60 / 20 cents per generated kW fed back to the grid, will have to make changes.

Some savvy householders are already researching their options and making any required adjustments.

Let us hope everyone does their homework well before the end of the scheme on the 31st December 2016. 

Everyone meaning distributors, retailers and householders, so as to reduce any unwanted bottlenecks from occurring. 

It will certainly pay to be at the front of the wave for meter changeover requests!

According to our research it looks like:

• NO NSW SBS Gross metered household [as from 1st January 2017] will receive a cent for exported power, unless they have made changes to their metering

Making changes prior to 31st December 2016 is going to be the best idea! Changes such as these found listed on our NET FIT METERING page.

This blog post brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY SAVING SERVICE industry in Australia

Can I Expand My NSW 60 Cent Gross Solar System?

NSW SBS 60 Cent Gross Options

The following is extracted from the NSW Trade & Investment's SOLAR BONUS SCHEME web page, primarily for adding clarity to questions from the Australian householder, regarding the available options when it comes to modifications to existing solar systems.

I am a 60 cent Solar Bonus Scheme customer. I wish to expand the generating capacity of my solar system. What are my options?

NSW Solar Bonus Scheme customers receiving the 60 cents per kilowatt hour tariff who increase their Scheme generator’s capacity will move to the 20 cents per kilowatt hour tariff unless the components (for the expansion) were purchased on or before 27 October 2010.

The customer will remain eligible for the 20 cent tariff provided the system does not exceed 10 kilowatts (kW) of generation capacity.

Alternatively, Solar Bonus Scheme customers who receive the 60 cents per kilowatt hour tariff MAY EXPAND their overall generating capacity and retain the 60 cents tariff for their Scheme generator, if the additional capacity is from a separately metered non-Scheme generator.

No Scheme payments are available for the non-Scheme generator. Customers should check what feed-in tariffs are available and confirm with their preferred retailer whether they will pay a non-Scheme tariff in addition to the Scheme tariff. At the time of writing this entry in NSW this is 6 or 8 cents per exported kilowatt.

Customers should consider how the expansion of their solar PV system will affect Scheme tariff payments and other benefits before deciding to expand the generating capacity of their solar PV system.

For detailed information on the effect of expanding a 60 cent or 20 cent GROSS system visit the NSW Trade & Investment's SOLAR BONUS SCHEME web page.

This blog post and podcast brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY REDUCTION SERVICE industry in Australia.