Australian households with rooftop solar could be facing extra fees to prevent ‘logjams’ in the system.
According to The Australian Financial Review, the proposed pricing reforms could cut the typical savings made by an average solar household by around 7 per cent.
The reforms, which are expected to be met with vitriol from existing solar households, are designed to help ease the overloading of the distribution network in some areas.
“We are trying to get value for everybody, whether you’ve got solar PV on your roof or not,” Benn Barr, chief executive of the Australian Energy Market Commission, told the publication.
“If nothing happens and we don’t do this, solar customers are going to be impacted – they are going to get constrained off when these traffic jams hit – so we need to make some changes and we think everyone can benefit.”
Barr said the average solar household would still be able to net $900 in annual savings under the proposed reform, just $70 less than present.
The AEMO predicts the number of solar households will double in the next 10 years to more than 50 per cent.
Under the reform, 80 per cent of households without rooftop solar will see a small saving in annual power bills of about $15 on average.
The final ruling on the reforms will take place in July, followed by 12-24 months of consultation before the changes are imposed.
