GREEN party councillor slams plans to cut solar power tariffs:

Bacup: “It is clear that both this and the last government do not understand the urgency of the matter. The Climate Change Act 2008 sets out a clear target of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions. This is generally considered a minimum. Encouraging solar energy use is an important part of the actions necessary to meet that target. They just don’t get it.”

Magdale: “All those who advocate wind and solar energy production should be forced on to interruptible tariffs for their domestic supply. When the wind stops blowing and the sun goes down, then off their power should go. Nuclear/gas/coal are the only real long term solutions.

Intsticks: “But those using wind and solar energy are taking the strain off the grid, saving more fossil fuels (long term) for you. They should be applauded, even if it’s not perfect.”

Village_Idiot: “ ‘2,700 die because of fuel poverty’. I suppose that’s nothing to do with them subsidising the greens then! The spiralling cost of gas and electricity combined with the impact of green taxes is putting health and lives at risk, researchers found. The study concluded that green taxes on household power bills are ‘regressive’ and have a disproportionate impact on poorer households.”

crystal: “If solar is to work it must have batteries and inverter to supply power, as Magdale says. When the sun doesn’t shine you use the stored power. I have seen first-hand a house with a generator, 24 solar panels and a huge wind turbine. Of course it had the many, many batteries and inverter required and they have now been connected to the electricity supply. PS this house is in The Canaries where it is very windy and very sunny.”

Gowkerer: “It’s about time the Greenies were brought into the real world. Feed-in tariffs should be reduced to a break-even level and installation subsidies discontinued.

“These PV and other ‘green’ installations ‘wind and heat pumps etc’ should be looked at and properly assessed as to whether they cost more in ‘carbon footprint’ to manufacture, install, and maintain than they truly save.”

Newsome36: “I don’t understand the problem. If you pay for your energy from the Grid it costs about 10p a unit. If you sell back to the Grid it was 43p but it’s now 21p. That’s still double what you would pay for it. If these Greens are doing it for the good of the planet and not for greed then they should be happy with double the money, not moaning that they’re not getting quadruple!’’