Watt – no power rebate!

By Tania Martin
A SILVAN South man says he has been cheated by power company TRU Energy on a solar power tariff buy-back scheme.
James Thomas said he switched to TRU Energy because he was offered a one-to-one scheme for his solar power.
He said this meant that any excess power he didn’t use would be put back into the power grid and TRU Energy would pay him a dollar for every kilowatt that he didn’t use.
Mr Thomas said he was also offered a discount scheme where he could get three per cent off his power rate and another three percent discount for paying his bill on time.
He said he entered into both programs under a verbal agreement and had never received a contract in writing.
But he said that offer for the solar power by-back option has now been withdrawn and he is calling for answers.
Mr Thomas said he was prompted to contact the power company after reading the story titled Call for Rebate to Boost Solar Use in the Mail last week.
The story reported that Upwey woman Meghan Butterfield was calling for the introduction of a tariff rebate system for solar power.
“Reading this reminded me that we hadn’t heard from the power company since we had our solar power installed,” he said.
“When I spoke to them (TRU Energy) I was told that I couldn’t be part of both schemes that I had signed up for.”
Mr Thomas said he was told that if he was on the discount system he couldn’t be part of the tariff program.
“So I am paying for the power that goes back into the grid and they don’t have to pay for it – that’s just not right.”
But a TRU Energy spokeswoman denied that Mr Thomas had ever been offered the tariff program.
She said he was never eligible for the tariff system because he doesn’t have the right type of meter.
Under TRU Energy’s terms and conditions it states that if the meter type or availability weren’t compatible with the program then the customer would be ineligible.
But Mr Thomas said he had a verbal agreement that he would be able to take part in the program.
“We had to spend $80 to get a new meter and now they are saying we can’t use the one-to-one system,” he said.
“I am feeling very cheated because we were told one thing and now that we’ve switched power companies it’s a different story.”
But a spokesperson for TRU Energy said the tariff system was only just being developed and in the trial stages.
“We are developing mass market production for residential customers with solar panels to enable them to receive credits on their electricity account for excess energy they may generate.”
However, Mr Thomas said it was disappointing that it has taken power companies so long to jump on board and offer rebates for solar power.
“Solar power has been around since the 1980s – power companies should have developed a solar rebate a long time ago,” he said.
Mr Thomas is now warning other people that getting solar power and joining a rebate scheme may not always be as easy as it seems.
“I will be writing to the energy Ombudsman to have the matter investigated,” he said.