Demand more support for renewables

Last year we won a new law to introduce a scheme to boost renewable energy owned by communities, businesses and households.

This is a major victory for renewables.

Known as a 'feed-in tariff' it means you get paid for producing energy from green sources, like solar panels.

If designed properly it could transform renewable energy in this country.

Unfulfilled potential

But the scheme the Government has proposed is poor. It will mean just 2% of the UK’s electricity comes from small scale renewables by 2020.

The Government's own research shows triple this amount could be produced if the scheme was more ambitious.

A proper price

People must be paid a better price for generating electricity from renewable sources such as:

• Solar panels
• Community wind farms
• River based hydro-turbines

Energy is for everyone

Without a proper payback on buying green technologies only the wealthy will be able to afford them.

An ambitious scheme with proper payback would mean more:

• Households took part
  especially those who are less well off
• Community projects
  Like community owned windfarms

• Action by councils
  to support renewables in their area.
  

Call on your MP to demand a scheme that lives up to the UK's renewable energy potential.

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It's a three step process:

1. Find your local MP
2. Choose a contact method
3. Send a letter by email, fax or print out to post*

Step 1 of 3: Find your local MP   

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I am writing to ask you to sign EDM 276 on Feed-in Tariffs and renewable energy, calling for a more ambitious feed-in tariff to support smaller-scale renewable electricity schemes. The inclusion of feed-in tariff legislation in the Energy Act 2008 was a major step forward and warmly welcomed by Friends of the Earth. However I am disappointed by the lack of ambition of the Government's current proposal – the scheme aims to generate just 2% of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Meeting the triple challenges of energy security, tackling fuel poverty and climate change demands that we harness the full potential of decentralised renewable energy in the UK through this scheme. Unfortunately while the scheme has many positive features, on the crucial issue of the level of tariffs to be paid for renewable electricity is falls far short of what is needed. The recent consultation claims that the tariffs proposed will give a return on investment in small scale renewable technologies of between 5-8%. This is even lower than the level recommended by a report commissioned by DECC to help them design the scheme.[1] This is missing a huge opportunity to enable communities, businesses, households, local authorities, farmers and others to play their part in generating renewable electricity, cutting their energy bills and tackling climate change. According to modelling commissioned by DECC, tariffs which deliver a 10% return on investment would result in three times the amount of renewable electricity generation by 2020 (25TWh) that will be delivered by the proposed scheme[2]. This additional generating capacity - the equivalent of the output of Drax power station[3] or two and a half times the output of Sizewell B[4] - would be a massive contribution to the energy security of the UK. A more ambitious scheme is also needed to help those in fuel poverty and on lower incomes to benefit from access to renewable energy projects and reduce their energy bills. While the cost of the tariffs will be born (like many other schemes such as the Renewables Obligation) by all consumers, unlike many other schemes it will also pay directly back to communities, both directly to consumers through FITs payments to local businesses, social landlords, farmers, communities and households and through local job created by the expansion of the renewables industry. Far from helping relieve the burden on the fuel poor to any significant degree, the proposed low level of tariffs will limit their opportunity to benefit from the income and reduced fuel bills that would come from local renewable energy generation. The proposed tariffs are too low for social landlords or local authorities to finance investment in renewable electricity installations for the homes of the fuel poor (who disproportionately live in hard-to-treat properties which can't be improved just by insulation measures alone but require renewable energy). There is a real danger that if left as it stands the feed-in tariff will be a scheme restricted to those with money in the bank. The introduction of the feed-in tariff offers an opportunity for a world leading scheme that could play a significant part in securing our energy security and decarbonising our electricity supply, as well helping to lift people out of fuel poverty and create green jobs. The current scheme is a huge missed opportunity. Please sign EDM 276 and call for the Government to revise the proposed tariffs to substantially increase the level of ambition of the scheme and offer communities, households and businesses a significant role in the development of the UK's low-carbon future. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Qualitative issues in the design of the GB feed-in tariffs, Poyry and Element Energy, June 2009 [2] Design of Feed-in Tariffs for sub-5MW Electricity in Great Britain, Quantitative analysis for DECC, Poyry and Element Energy, June 2009 [3] http://www.draxpower.com/aboutus/ourbusiness/key_facts/ [4] http://british-energy.com/pagetemplate.php?pid=96

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