How are generators paid?
HomeGen offers a payment of 15p/kilowatt hour (kWh) for the total generation from domestic renewable generators. HomeGen customers are paid for every unit they generate, including the units they use on site. This avoids the need for export metering which can be financially unviable for small generators.
HomeGen credits are issued twice a year. We will request your total generation meter readings on 1st April and 1st October. Once we have received your readings your HomeGen credits will appear on your Good Energy supply statement, reducing your bills.
What are Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs)?
ROCs are a financial incentive to encourage the growth of renewables. ROCs are awarded by Ofgem, the electricity regulator, for power generated from a renewable source.
Who claims my ROCs?
As part of the Home Gen contract, Good Energy will act as an agent and claim the ROCs on behalf of each generator. Generators will not need to make the claims themselves.
The value of the ROCs is included in the HomeGen offer. We ask that all HomeGens are ROC & REGO (Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin) accredited by Ofgem or agree to go through the accreditation process. We will help you with this process as much as we can and will act as an “agent” in order to claim ROCs on your behalf. This allows us to claim for all our smaller generators together which maximise the value of the certificates for us and reduces the work for you!
We make an annual claim for the certificates that our generators have produced. To support our claim, we require all HomeGen customers to provide us with two meter readings annually: one on 1st April each one on 1st October.
If you decide you no longer want Good Energy to act as your ROC agent, you must inform both Good Energy and Ofgem. In most cases Ofgem and Good Energy would expect at least a month’s notice and for the date of the change to be on the 1st April. Once we stop being your agent you will no longer be eligible for the HomeGen scheme.
What types of renewable generators qualify for the scheme?
Our HomeGen scheme is designed for solar PV technology and small-scale wind turbines less than 6kW in size and generating less than 8MegaWatt hours (MWh) per annum. We may allow other technologies on the scheme, such as hydro generators. We reserve the right to decline certain generators entry to the scheme or to recommend a transfer to other Good Energy generation schemes if we choose. For more information on our generation schemes call 0845 456 1640.
How do you record my generation?
All generators must have a meter that measures the renewable generator’s total generation. This “total generation meter” must be Ofgem approved so that we can claim ROCs and REGOs. Please see the Ofgem PDF file on our website for a list of approved total generation meters. Your installer should be aware of this and you will need to speak to him/her to ensure that the meter they fit is approved. If your meter is not approved then the generator is not eligible to be part of the HomeGen scheme.
What about generators that may be too big for Home Gen?
For generators greater than 6kW in size or generating more than 8MWh per annum, we request you fill out and return a Renewable Generator Form, available on our website, so that we can assess which of our schemes is right for your generator. Please view our scheme for small commercial generators – SmartGen, or if you have a large commercial generator visit our Power Purchase Agreements sections of our website.
Can you offer any installation advice?
Yes we can. The Good Energy Shop offers a range of microgeneration products to provide heat and power for your home. We also provide information about each technology, grants and planning permission. The Good Energy Shop can also assess your property and recommend which technologies are suitable. View all our microgeneration products and information at www.goodenergyshop.co.uk
Can I get a grant for my installation?
You may be eligible for a grant towards to the cost of your renewable generator. The Low Carbon Buildings Programme is the government grant scheme and is administered by the Energy Savings Trust. The programme is UK wide (apart from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and will provide grants for renewable technologies. Please visit www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk for more information or contact the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012 or visit www.est.org.uk. In Scotland you may also be eligible for help under The Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/schri
Do I need permission to connect to the grid?
Before connecting your renewable generator to the grid, you will need to comply with the regulations of your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). How this is done depends on the size of your installation. If your generator is less than 16A per phase in size (either 3.6kW single phase supply or 11.2kW three phase supply) you will need to fill in a G83 form for compliance. This is available from your installer or DNO. You will then have an automatic connection to the distribution network as long as you can comply with the terms set in G83. If your generator is larger than this, you will need to contact your DNO and negotiate directly for a connection.
Your installer should be able to provide you with guidelines. If the installation has already taken place your installer will still be able to advise if the agreement had been made.
Do I need an export meter?
HomeGen customers do not need to have an export meter fitted as we are paying you for your total generation and not what you feed into the grid. Having an export meter installed may not be cost effective for small renewable generators due to the charges that need to be met to maintain the metering. If you already have an export meter installed please contact us on 0845 456 1640.
Can you estimate how many units I will generate?
We can estimate how many units may be produced from a certain installation based on the size and type of generation and the energy source (wind, solar etc). Your installer should also be able to give you a figure for the average annual output.
What happens to the electricity I generate?
We hope you find this diagram helpful in illustrating how a typical HomeGen customer generates and uses the power, and also imports electricity from the local distribution network when they are not generating enough electricity to meet their needs.
If you have any more questions about Good Energy’s HomeGen scheme or about generating your own energy, please call us today on 0845 456 1640
Useful definitions
Renewable generator: Electricity generation technologies that use renewable resources, such as wind, wave, solar, biomass and small-scale hydro power to generate electricity.
Small-scale generators: Small-scale generators are also known as microgenerators. These range from 1kW to 50kW installed capacity. Good Energy’s Home Generation scheme is specifically designed for generators under 6kW’s.
Installed capacity: this is the maximum power that can be generated if the generator is working at its full potential, also known as its maximum power rating. It is normally measured in kW or MW. An average solar PV site is about 1 kW and Good Energy’s Delabole wind farm, which supplies 2,500 of our customers is 4 MW (4,000 kW).
Import: This relates to the electricity drawn from the national grid (via your local electricity distribution network) which is used at your property; and measured through an import meter.
Total Generation Meter, its make and model: This meter is installed at the inverter (which converts the generators electrical output from DC to AC), to record the total electricity generated by your renewable generator. The meter make and model is normally found on the total generation meter, and the meter serial number is often represented as a barcode under the total generation meter, and is a unique number.
Ofgem: Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, the industry regulator. http://www.ofgem.gov.uk
Ofgem-accredited Total Generation Meter: A total generation meter that has been accredited by Ofgem to receive payment for all renewable benefits, including ROCs.
Export: Refers to any electrical power that is generated by a renewable generator, which is not used on site at the property, but passes onto the local electricity distribution network through a settlement export meter.
Electrical schematic diagram: A simple diagram of the electrical connections for your renewable generator, as specified in the FAQ’s, that includes the generator, import meter, any export meter, and the inverter and associated wiring.
Good Energy’s 100% renewable supply: Good Energy supplies 100% renewable electricity to homes and businesses in the UK. This means for every unit of electricity you import into your property, we buy one from renewable generators and supply this to the national grid.
Local Distribution Company: The owner of your local electricity distribution network, including the wires and the meters that connect your property to the national grid.
Connection agreement: Permission from the local distribution company to connect your generator to the local electricity distribution network. There are different connection agreements depending on the installed capacity of your renewable generator. G83 Compliance is for generators less that 16A per phase and G59 is for all other generators.
Home Generation Payments: Payments credited to your Good Energy supply account for each unit of electricity that you generate.
Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs): Awarded by Ofgem with every 1 MWh of power generated from a renewable source. This value varies each year with normal market forces, just like any other tradable commodity.
Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs): Awarded by Ofgem with every 1 MWh of power generated from a renewable source. Good Energy uses REGOs to prove that the electricity we supply is 100% renewable. REGO’s currently have no market value.
ROC & REGO register: Ofgem issues ROCs and REGOs to internet-based registers. Each renewable generator can be issued with a ROC and REGO register unless they nominate a supply company, like Good Energy, to be issued the ROCs and REGOs on their behalf.
Supply number: For each import and export meter registered in the settlement process a unique supply number is issued. Each registered supply number, or meter, incurs a maintenance and operational charge. The supply number is also known as a Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN).
