Solar energy customers being paid less than the energy they provide

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A new charge to export solar to the electricity grid has come into effect in South Australia. South Australian Power Networks has begun collecting the "export tariff” which comes at the same time feed in tariffs are dropping meaning many solar customers are being paid much less for the energy they provide.

Transcript

00:00Retiree Stephen Folds is installing a new solar and battery system at his home in Adelaide's

00:07West.

00:08I think the electricity bill, gas bills etc, that's going to be the bulk of where my money

00:12is going to go.

00:13So getting the solar in is going to probably free up a bit more money for us as well.

00:17The rising cost of electricity and the new federal battery subsidy has him convinced

00:21it remains a worthwhile investment despite solar feed-in tariffs dropping to just a few

00:27cents on July 1.

00:28Well we were getting 25 cents many years ago feed-in tariff and now it basically gets

00:33down to either just a few cents or in some cases nothing at all.

00:39Now solar users could be facing an extra cost with a new export tariff charge introduced

00:44in South Australia.

00:46It will allow SA Power Networks to raise $80 million over the next five years to upgrade

00:51the network so it can cope with the continuing growth of solar.

00:55South Australia has the highest rooftop solar uptake in the world and that's great but

01:00now we need smart and efficient investment in the grid.

01:04The new charge will be collected from energy retailers such as AGL and Origin but it remains

01:09to be seen how or if that cost will be passed on.

01:12If it did charge solar households, the cost, according to SA Power Networks, would be under

01:17$20 for households and around $70 a year for businesses.

01:21Origin said in a statement it isn't charging its customers an export tariff but added,

01:26we will continue to assess this policy change to better understand customer behaviour and

01:31impacts over the coming months.

01:33The South Australian Council of Social Service says solar customers should pay for the export

01:38tariff and is concerned low-income households could again bear an unfair cost.

01:43We should pay something towards maintaining the network in a way that enables that provision

01:49to continue to be available.

01:52The South Australian Government says New South Wales is also introducing new export charges

01:57and Victoria is looking to bring them in next year.

02:03we have arage them.

02:04We have arage

02:26I'll just let the original

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