Feed-in Tariffs (FIT)

Statistical audit programme for Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) installations 2023-24

Our new statistical audit programme is focused on ROO-FIT installations for participants on the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) scheme. This will launch in October 2023 and will run alongside our existing targeted audit programme, over an auditable period of 18 months. 

Is my installation an MCS-FIT or a ROO-FIT installation and what’s the difference?

Whether your installation is categorised as MCS-FIT or ROO-FIT depends on the technology type and capacity.

An MCS-FIT installation is a:

• solar PV or wind installation with a declared net capacity (DNC) at or below 50kW, or a
• micro CHP installation with a capacity up to the 2kW scheme maximum

ROO-FIT installations are:

• solar PV and wind installations with a DNC above 50kW and 
• all AD and hydro installations.

If you are the generator of a ROO-FIT installation, you must inform Ofgem (in addition to your FIT licensee) of any changes to your installation or its ownership by updating the Renewables & CHP Register. If you are the generator of an MCS-FIT installation, you only need to inform your FIT licensee of any changes.

Otherwise, except for the sustainability requirements applicable to anaerobic digestion installations, MCS-FIT and ROO-FIT installations are treated the same.

Why does my tariff rate change?

Generation and export tariffs are adjusted every financial year by the Retail Price Index (RPI) percentage increase or decrease over the previous calendar year. You can find the most up-to-date tariff rates on our tariff rates page.

How do I switch FIT licensees?

If you wish to switch your FIT licensee, you should contact a different one and ask to switch. They will then contact your current FIT licensee and begin the transfer process. 

You will need to agree to a new statement of FIT terms with your new licensee and provide up-to-date meter readings before they will start making payments to you. The time taken to complete the switch will vary from licensee to licensee but usually takes around 4-5 weeks.

You can find the contact details for all FIT licensees on our FIT licensee contact details page.

For more info on switching, see the ‘FIT Licensees’ section below. 

When will I get paid from?

Once you’re set up to receive payments, your licensee will make back payments for all electricity generated (and exported, if you are signed up for export payments) from your Eligibility Date, provided that you can provide initial meter readings taken on that day. 

The Eligibility Date is the date an installation’s eligibility for FIT payments begins:

For installations commissioned and with application receipt date before 15 January 2016, the Eligibility Date is either the application receipt date or commissioning date, whichever is later.

For installations with an application date after 7 February 2016, the Eligibility date is the application receipt date or the first day of the first Tariff period it qualifies for, whichever is later.

If you can’t submit a reading that was taken on the Eligibility Date, then payments will only be backdated from the first reading taken after the Eligibility Date. You should receive your first payment within 90 days of the date you provide the readings to your licensee.

I have a dispute with my licensee. Who can I contact?

If you have a complaint about your FIT licensee, you should first follow their complaints procedure, which should be available on their website and in your statement of FIT terms. If the complaint has not been resolved, you can escalate this to the Energy Ombudsman.

You can find further details on our dispute resolution guidance page.

What happens if my FIT licensee has its supply license revoked or ceases trading?

Energy suppliers must have an electricity supply licence to participate in the FIT scheme. Therefore, if an energy supplier’s license is revoked, they stop being a FIT Licensee (in addition to no longer being allowed to supply electricity to customers). 

If an energy supplier fails their customers are automatically switched to a new supplier when their current one fails. However as a FIT generator, in the event of licensee failure you are responsible for selecting a new FIT Licensee, agreeing FIT terms with them and providing them with the information they ask for to continue receiving payments. You will need to do this even if your original FIT licensee was also your electricity supplier.

I’ve made a change to my installation. Do I need to notify anyone?

You must notify your FIT licensee of any modifications to an accredited installation that increase or decrease its total installed capacity (TIC) from the same type of eligible technology (eg solar PV or wind).

This may happen by: 

• adding or removing generating equipment 
• replacing generating equipment with a larger or smaller TIC

You also need to notify your FIT licensee when:

• a generation or export meter has been replaced, removed or begins measuring electricity that is not generated by the accredited installation
• battery storage is connected to the accredited installation
• there are any other modifications to the accredited installation

If you are the FIT generator of a ROO-FIT installation, you must also notify Ofgem of the changes by updating the installation’s registration on the Renewables & CHP Register. Ofgem will then review any changes before they are applied.

For more information, see our Feed-in Tariffs: Guidance for renewable installations.

Will my accreditation be affected by repairing or replacing my generating equipment, and can I use pre-used generating equipment?

You may repair or replace some or all of the equipment without affecting the accreditation of your installation, provided that the installation continues to meet the scheme rules. These include that: 

• the maximum capacity of 5 Megawatts (or 2 Kilowatts for micro-CHP) is not exceeded 
• the accredited installation continues to generate electricity from the same eligible technology
• the accredited installation is not decommissioned or relocated

You may replace generating equipment with equipment that has formed part of an installation previously accredited under the FIT or Renewables Obligation schemes. 

If, at any time, all of the plant forming the site up to the point of grid connection is removed, we will consider the accredited installation to be decommissioned and the accreditation to end.

If your installation was accredited under ROO-FIT, you must notify Ofgem of the modifications to the accredited installation and, if the TIC of the accredited installation also changes, your FIT licensee as well. Generators of MCS-FIT installations only need to notify their FIT licensee.

For more information on modifications to accredited installations, see our Feed-in Tariffs: Guidance for renewable installations.

Can I extend the capacity of my installation?

You can modify your accredited installation to either increase or decrease its capacity as long as the total installed capacity (TIC) of the installation and any extensions does not exceed 5 Megawatts (or 2 Kilowatts for micro-CHP). 

However, you cannot receive FIT payments in respect of electricity generated from any additional capacity unless the extension was commissioned before 15 January 2016.

You must notify your FIT licensee of the modification, as well as Ofgem if the installation was accredited under ROO-FIT. If generation and export meters record electricity generated by both accredited capacity and non-accredited capacity, then payments must be prorated accordingly.

You can read more about extensions and proration in our Feed-in Tariffs: Guidance for renewable installations.

I have recently replaced my generation or export meter. Do I need to tell Ofgem about it?

If you are the generator of an MCS-FIT installation, you only need to notify your FIT licensee. If you have a ROO-FIT installation, you must also notify Ofgem of the changes by updating the installations registration on the Renewables & CHP Register. Ofgem will then review any changes before they are applied.

I’m planning on getting a smart meter installed. How will this affect my payments?

Your generation payments will not be affected. If you currently receive ‘deemed export payments’, then these will stop and you will instead receive export payments for the amount of electricity recorded by the meter exported to the grid. 

‘Deemed export payments’ are paid when installations have a capacity under 30kW with no export meter, or where the electricity exported cannot be properly measured. These payments are based on an estimate of the amount of electricity the installation exports to the grid. The amount of electricity that is deemed to be exported is fixed at a percentage of the generation of the installation. That percentage is set each year by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

I want to add battery storage or an electric vehicle charging station to my property. Will this affect my payments?

As long as your electricity generation (and export, if on metered export) can still be accurately measured, your payments will not be affected. However, if it can’t be, you can’t receive payments for that electricity. 

You must be able to measure the electricity generated (and exported, if applicable) by the installation separately from all other sources to receive generation payments (and export payments, if metered). 

For more in-depth guidance, together with example installation diagrams, please see our co-location of electricity storage guidance. 

 

I’ve moved into a new house with solar panels on the roof. Can you tell me if they’re registered on the FIT scheme?

Yes, and we can also tell you which FIT licensee the solar panels are registered with.

Find the information about how to submit a request for this information on our Dispute Resolution page.

If you are the new owner of an MCS-FIT installation, you should contact the FIT licensee who the installation is registered with, who will then update the details of the generator on the Central FIT Register.

If you are the new owner of a ROO-FIT installation, you should instead first update the installations entry on the Renewables & CHP Register by emailing renewable@ofgem.gov.uk. The team will then send you a transfer request form. Email the completed form, along with the relevant supporting documentation, to the Renewables & CHP Register Team inbox (renewable@ofgem.gov.uk). You must then also notify your FIT licensee when the ownership change has been made, and they will  update the ownership details on the CFR.

ROO-FIT installations only - How do I change the registered superuser for my installation’s account on the Renewables & CHP Register?

A Superuser should be the individual or representative of the company that proposes to construct or operate the Eligible Installation.

To amend the Superuser on the account, you must first email renewable@ofgem.gov.uk requesting this change. The team will then send you a form. Email the completed form, along with the relevant supporting documentation, to the Renewables Team inbox (renewable@ofgem.gov.uk), who will then update the details on the register.

I’m having trouble getting my change of ownership registered. Who can I complain to?

If you are having difficulty getting your change of ownership request processed, you should first follow your FIT Licensee’s complaint process, which should be available on their website and in your statement of FIT terms. If the dispute has not been resolved after eight weeks, you can refer the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.

You can find more information on our dispute resolution guidance web page.

How can I withdraw from the FIT scheme?

If you wish to withdraw from the scheme, you should notify your FIT licensee, following the instructions that should be included in your statement of FIT terms (this is the agreement you should have signed with your FIT licensee when registering your installation with them).

Once we have received notice from your FIT licensee that you intend to terminate your participation in the FIT scheme, Ofgem will send you a letter notifying you of this, giving you twenty working days to change your mind. If we do not hear from you within that time period, we will then proceed to remove your installation(s) from the Central FIT Register (CFR). We will send you a second letter confirming this.

If you do not receive a letter from us after a reasonable waiting period, you should first chase up your FIT licensee. If you still do not hear from us, you can then contact the CFR team at FITRegister@ofgem.gov.uk.

Please note that once we have removed the installation(s) from the CFR, you will be unable to re-join the FIT scheme at a later date.

In some cases, the owner of an installation may be different to the owner of the property or site at which the installation is located. This type of ownership is usually referred to as a third party ownership and most of them work on the ‘Rent-a-roof’ model. The most common arrangement is where the installation owner (The FIT generator) receives FIT payments for solar PV panels installed on the roof of a home, with the homeowner typically receiving the electricity generated (lowering their electricity bills). 

Where an installation is owned by a third party, there is likely to be a signed ‘agreement’ between the homeowner and the installation owner (such as a lease agreement) with the homeowner agreeing to rent their roof for the purposes of installing solar PV panels. The installation owner is likely to be a company rather than an individual.

These installations may be sold between companies, especially when companies go out of business. This change in ownership may not be communicated to the homeowner. We can help you identify the owner of any solar panels that may be on your property. You can find details of how to submit an ownership query in our Dispute Resolution Guidance. 

How do I find out who owns the solar panels on my roof?

You can find details of how to submit an ownership query in our Dispute Resolution Guidance.

I have a complaint. Who can I contact?

You can find out who to contact to raise a complaint on our dispute resolution guidance page.

I want to request information from Ofgem. How can I do this?

You can find all the information about how to submit an information request on our dispute resolution guidance page.

What is the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) and can I apply for it even if I’m a FIT generator?

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) requires electricity suppliers to pay small-scale generators for low-carbon electricity which they export to the grid. SEG Licensees determine the rate which they will pay SEG Generators, the contract length and other terms, but the tariff rate must always be above zero.

Most accredited FIT installations will be eligible for the SEG, provided they have a smart or export meter installed. However, you cannot receive both SEG payments and FIT export payments for the same electricity. In order to register for the SEG, you must first opt out of FIT export payments for their installation by contacting your FIT Licensee.

You can learn more about the SEG on the Smart Export Guarantee page.