Key dates for the FIT scheme

Please be aware, on 18 December 2018 the Government announced their decision to close the FIT scheme to new applicants from 1 April 2019. Any applications for full accreditation received on or before 31 March 2019 are unaffected by the closure of the FIT scheme. For any applications received after the 31 March 2019 but before the 1 April 2020, the installation must have been accredited on or before the 31 March 2019 and have an MCS certificate which was issued on or before 31 March 2019 to be eligible for the FIT scheme.

The information on this page relates to applications for new installations with an MCS certificate issued on or after 15 January 2016.

Deployment caps which were announced in 2016 by Ofgem for new installations will still apply for installations with an MCS certificate issued on or after 15 January 2016. This means when we receive your eligible application, it will be registered based on the deployment cap rules; the MCS issue date and time will determine what tariff rate you will be offered but, your eligibility date (the date you are eligible to receive FIT Payments from) will depend on the latter of:

  • The date we receive your eligible FIT application; or
  • The first day of the tariff period that you installation falls into.

Please take meter readings from your generation meter and export meter (if applicable) on the date you send your completed application form to us and then, on the first of every month afterward until you hear from us to ensure you receive accurate FIT payments.

To ensure that you receive the higher tariff, you must provide an Energy Performance Certificate of Level D or above. For all applications received on or after 10 May 2016, the EPC you provide must be dated before the commissioning date of your system to receive the higher tariff.

As part of this new guidance, unfortunately any additional capacity which you have added to your existing installation is not eligible for FIT Payments.

For further information on the deployment caps and eligibility rules, please visit Ofgem's website .

Generating electricity What you could get Getting a Feed-in Tariff Questions we get asked

What are Feed-in Tariffs?

You could be paid both for electricity you generate and surplus electricity that is exported back to the National Grid.

  • Reduce your electricity bills. Generating your own clean, sustainable electricity to run your lighting and home appliances means you are likely to buy less electricity from your supplier, so your electricity usage may reduce.
  • Earn money for exporting electricity. Where export is permitted to be deemed, the Secretary of State determines the percentage of electricity deemed to be exported. Such a determination is published at least one month before the beginning of each FIT year.
  • Both generation and export tariff rates are index-linked which means that they increase and decrease with inflation. The tariff rates are adjusted annually by the percentage increase or decrease in the Retail Price Index over the 12 month period ending on 31 December of the previous year.

    • The energy regulator, Ofgem, administers the Feed-in Tariffs scheme but your electricity supplier makes FITs payments. There are three ways you can benefit from Feed-in Tariffs:

    1. Reduce your electricity bills – generating your own clean, sustainable electricity to run your lighting and home appliances means you are likely to buy less electricity from your supplier, so your electricity bills may be lower.
    2. This rate depends on when you register for FITs but it is guaranteed for the period of the tariff (as defined in your FIT plan letter) and will increase or decrease with inflation, in line with the Retail Prices Index.
    3. Earn money for exporting electricity – surplus electricity that you generate but don’t use can be exported back to the national grid. Subject to eligibility you would earn 4.91p/ kWh for electricity that you sell back to your supplier.

    A full list of Feed-in Tariffs is available from the Ofgem website .

    An example of how Feed-in Tariffs work

    1. Electricity is generated by solar panels. Your electricity supplier pays you for each unit of electricity you generate. You can use the electricity you generate meaning you don’t have to import from the grid.
    2. You export electricity back to the grid when you don’t use it. Where export is permitted to be deemed, the Secretary of State determines the percentage of electricity deemed to be exported.
    3. You only import electricity from the Grid when you require additional power.

What you could get with Feed-in Tariffs

The money you can earn through Feed-in Tariffs varies according to the technology you install. For a full list of Feed-in Tariffs please visit the Ofgem website .

Solar PV system

In accordance with MCS guidelines, please note that the performance of solar PV systems is impossible to predict with certainty due to the variability in the amount of solar radiation (sunlight) from location to location and from year to year. This estimate is based upon the standard MCS procedure is given as guidance only. It should not be considered as a guarantee of performance.

What you could get with FITs

The figures here are provided for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. No two installations of the same type and scale are likely to produce the exact same level of generation each year for the same cost, and thus generation and export figures can vary between installations. Actual electricity bill savings are dependent upon occupancy patterns and individual behaviour and circumstances. Does not include any installation costs, maintenance costs or tax implications.

Tax free generation

Generation and export income is tax free provided that the income is not received in a business capacity (e.g. the individual must not be running a business from their house) and that the individual is not providing a form of service or facility in connection with the electricity being generated. However, the income is subject to VAT if the generator is VAT registered.

Registering for the Feed-in Tariff

The Feed-In Tariff scheme is closing.

On 18 December 2018, the Government announced their decision to close the FIT scheme to new applicants from 1 April 2019. Any applications for full accreditation which we received on or before 31 March 2019 are unaffected by the closure of the FIT scheme. For any applications received after the 31 March 2019 but before the 1 April 2020, the installation must have been accredited on or before the 31 March 2019 and have an MCS certificate which was issued on or before 31 March 2019 to be eligible for the FIT scheme.

We are able to accept applications to the FIT scheme up to the 1 April 2020, however your MCS certificate must be issued prior to the 31 March 2019.

You can request a FIT application form by contacting us:

Email: microgeneration@npower.com

Phone: 0800 048 0520 or 0330 100 7567 Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

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When you have obtained your application form you will need to fill it in and return it to us by either email or post.

What to include with your application form

You will require:

  • Microgeneration Certificate Scheme (MCS) certificate or ROO-FIT certificate (if over 50kW) for your installation to complete the application form. If you have not yet received this please contact your installer. (For applications received after 31 March 2019, the MCS certificate must be issued on or before 31 March 2019.) MCS certificates issued after 31 March 2019 will not be eligible to join the FIT Scheme.
  • Proof of ownership (i.e. an invoice that demonstrates the owner of the installation).
  • An Energy Performance Certificate or official exemption letter (PV installations only).
  • Signed Multi-Installation Declaration as set out in the application form.
  • Proof of photographic ID (such as a copy of a passport or driving licence) – domestic customers only. Please do not send originals.
  • Proof of address (such as a copy of a utility bill or council tax invoice). Please do not send originals.
  • A valid generation meter reading and export meter reading where applicable.
  • What is a valid meter reading?

At this stage we will tell you the date on which you will be eligible for FIT payments and at what FIT rate. Therefore we require a meter reading on this date. Please keep a record of generation meter readings and export meter readings (where you have an export meter) on the first day of each month until we have been in contact with you.

Your eligibility date

If we receive your application form during an open tariff period (and your installation falls within this period) you will hear from us within four weeks to confirm that we have registered your application. At this stage we will tell you the date on which you will be eligible for FIT payments from and at what FIT rate. Please ensure that you keep a record of your generation meter reading and where applicable export readings, on the 1st of each month following you sending us your application form. We will contact you for a meter reading when we register your application. If the application form is incomplete, we will return it to you and ask you to re-apply, you must do this by 31 March 2020. If you have any queries about the above please refer to Ofgem's website .

If you have any further enquiries you can find answers to frequently asked questions. Alternatively, please contact us.

Related documents and websites

Terms and conditions (PDF, 170KB)

Privacy policy (PDF, 82KB)

Application pack (PDF, 165KB)

Application guidance (PDF, 40KB)

Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy - BEIS

FAQs

You can call us on:

0800 048 0520

or

0330 100 7567

We're open:

Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

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