Feed-in Tariff
Exported electricity
Embedded benefits
GDUoS
Half hourly (HH) meter administration and data charges
Meter provision contracts
Meter maintenance contracts
Connection charges
Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs)
Levy Exemption Certificate (LEC)
Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO)
Triad

Feed-in Tariff

The Feed-in Tariff is a financial mechanism introduced by the UK government in April 2010 to encourage the deployment of small-scale low carbon electricity generation (less than 5MW installed capacity). For more details head to the Feed-in Tariff section of our website.

Exported electricity

Electricity produced by the generator and exported on to the local distribution network via a grid compliant Half Hourly (HH) settlement export meter. Please note that until an HH settlement export meter is present at your site (via a Meter Operation Provider (MOP) agreement) and is registered to Good Energy for Data collection (DC) and Data Aggregation (DA), Good Energy cannot provide payment for export generation.

Embedded benefits

These are benefits for exporting electricity within the area maintained by the local Distribution Network Operator (DNO). They include the avoidance of Distribution and Transmissions losses and are built into the export rate(£/MWh) offered to the generator.

GDUoS

Generator Distribution Use of System (GDUoS) charges relates to the positive charges and negative credits associated with the local distribution of exported electricity on to the grid. GDUos for generators are calculated differently depending on where the generator is located and where they connect to the local electricity distribution network, but all charges are available on request from your local Distribution Network Operator (DNO) and will be part of any connection agreement that you have in place with them.

Negative charges (credits) are applied when the additional exported power has a positive effect on the distribution of electricity via the local grid. Positive charges (charges) are applied when the additional exported power has a negative effect. For example, if reinforcement works are required for things like transformers and cables in order to connect the generator to the local grid the genertor in question will result in a positive charge GDUoS.

GDUOs prices are calculated each year by the local DNO and suppliers are notified of any charges and credits. These are then passed through to a generator as per their agreement.

Half hourly (HH) meter administration and data charges

These charges include Data Collection (DC) and Data Aggregation (DA) for the generators' half-hourly export meter and also includes Good Energy's administration charges for managing the export meter.

Meter provision contracts

Half hourly (HH) metering is an industry requirement for all generators with an installed capacity greater than 30kW. Good Energy does not provide HH meters so installation must be arranged independently via a contract with a Meter Operation Provider (MOP). Please see the Association of Meter Operators for a list of accredited providers and further information on the services they can provide.

Meter maintenance contracts

Maintenance of the Half Hourly Export Meter and Total Generation Meter is usually built into a contract with the Meter Operator. These contracts mean that if there is a fault with the meter it will be corrected by the Meter Operator and will normally include general maintenance and servicing of the meter.

Connection charges

Any charges agreed between the generator site and the local Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for connecting to the local distribution network. These charges will be outlined in the Grid Connection Agreement. Please contact your local DNO for further information.

Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs)

The Renewables Obligation (RO) came into force in April 2002. It requires suppliers to source a specified proportion of the electricity they supply their customers from renewables. The percentage is set to increase annually until 2037.

It works on the basis of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) being issued to renewable generators based on the amount they output. Suppliers are allowed to comply with RO in one of two ways; either by submitting ROCs or paying a buyout fee to OFGEM. The ROC Buyout fee is fixed each year and will increase with RPI until 2015 (for April 2010 to March 2011 it was £36.99, for April 2011 to March 2012 it is £38.69). The funds raised by suppliers paying the buyout fee is then paid back to the suppliers that complied with the obligation using certificates after the end of each compliance period (financial year). This payback to suppliers is known as the ROC Recycle and is dependant on the number of ROCs that were submitted in that compliance period. The value of a ROC to a supplier is the ROC Buyout (fixed in advance) plus the ROC Recycle (determined after the compliance period).

Following extensive consultation, the UK government decided to reform the originals Renewables Obligation Order to introduce ROC Banding. The driver behind ROC Banding is to increase the deployment of less established or emerging technologies that are perceived as being higher risk, or more difficult to finance, by increasing the number of ROCs granted to those technologies for their generation. Conversely, technology types that are considered to be established within the market (lower risk and more easily financeable) receive a lower level of ROCs for their generation.

Small renewable generators are considered to be emerging technology under the most recent reform of the renewable obligation, therefore will be eligible for maximum benefit under the RO – receiving one ROC for every 0.5MWh of renewable electricity generated. See DECC for more details on specific technologies.

Levy Exemption Certificate (LEC)

A LEC is used to provide exemption for business customers from the Climate Change Levy (CCL) - a charge placed on the use of fossil fuels, designed to encourage efficiency and use of renewable technologies. The value of the LEC is related to the level that CCL is set at. Until 31 March 2011 this was £4.70/MWh and from 1 April 2011 to March 2012 it is £4.85/MWh (after March 2012, the Levy will increase to £5.09/MWh).

Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO)

REGOs are certificates of proof, designed to ensure that green electricity is not counted twice. REGOs are used by electricity suppliers to show what proportion of their energy fuel mix comes from renewable sources. Good Energy uses REGOs to prove that our eletricity is 100% renewable. Unlike ROCs and LECs they do not have an intrinsic value.

Triad

For generators, Triads are a potential bonus for generating exported power at peak demand times. They are the average demand on the national grid during three half hours between November and February each year. Each of the three Triads must be separated by at least ten days from each other. Historically, they are normally at around 5 to 6pm and often on particularly cold days.