Energy and utilities public relations

Fast-track review of the Feed-In Tariffs Scheme

Feed-In Tariffs are a system by which renewable energy by individual homes and businesses is incentivised through a subsidy funded by a levy on utility bills. The FITs were introduced under the Brown government, by then Environment Secretary Ed Miliband.

In 2011, the government announced it would be fast-tracking its planned review of FITs as they apply to solar photovoltaic panels (pictured above). Chelgate worked with the industry to get across the case to government and Parliament for encouraging the use of solar.

The eventual review in June 2011 did reduce subsidies for new "large scale" solar installations of more than 50kW and less than 500kW, arguably the first time subsidies for renewables had been reduced. The government argued that this would guarantee the money would be spent predominantly on smaller installations, while some critics alleged that it was a case of cutting back on a scheme because it had been so successful.

For more information about Feed-In Tariffs from Chelgate Public Relations, please contact Peter Cuthbertson here.