We went down the solar path just recently, however we were shocked to receive a letter from AGL to say that due to our new installation we had to pay for a new meter so we could start receiving gains from the solar panels.
Meaning the energy our panels were giving back to the grid would give us a rebate. There are 7 people living in the house so I hardly believe we were gping to be contributing to the grid in any rush.
We have to pay almost $100 for this new meter. But thats not the end. We also had to upgrade to a new plan if we wanted to use our solar panels which results in a 7 cent increase in electricity used after we used the solar energy. With the tariff increase we then had an increase in the daily supply charge.
In the end solar works out to be extremely expensive when its supposed to be a green cheap alternative.
AGL have no idea and couldnt give us any info on solar before installation. I assumed it was going to be better but im now tempted to rip them off my roof and send them back! Why dont they tell you this?
--------------------------------------------------
WEBMASTER NOTE: This is NOT a typical story. When considering ANY alternative energy solution, one should always do extensive research before making any changes - this includes calling your power supply comany and checking how you feed it into your existing setup!
Thank you however for sharing your story...
--------------------------------------------------