The FIT REGO Boost service will make it easier for FIT microgenerators to register for Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) and receive payments, increasing their earning potential by up to 9%.
Since the FIT scheme’s launch in 2010, small-scale generators haven’t been able to benefit from REGOs. REGOs certify that electricity has been produced by renewable sources, but the process is often complex and not accessible to smaller, non-expert producers. To address this, Good Energy has collaborated with Ofgem to create FIT REGO Boost, a streamlined registration process for FIT participants.
This new service is part of Good Energy’s ongoing support for microgenerators. Already the largest voluntary administrator of the FIT scheme with over 180,000 customers, Good Energy recently converted 55,000 of these customers to smart export, which allows them to earn based on the actual amount they export to the grid rather than the estimated 50% previously used under the scheme.
According to Good Energy, FIT generators typically export around 60% of their generated power, highlighting the value of smart export and the new REGO boost.
Decentralised energy for a sustainable future
Together, smart export and FIT REGO Boost enable Good Energy to match the power shared by its generator customers to the power consumed by its supply customers. This marks a step forward in decentralised energy management and brings greater transparency to the impact of microgeneration on the grid.
Nigel Pocklington, CEO of Good Energy, said: “Microgeneration has been historically undervalued in our energy system. Not only has the power small scale solar generators share back to the grid been underestimated, but schemes which are available to bigger generators, like REGOs, have not been available to them.
“On an individual level, this service will help our FIT microgenerators be rewarded fairly and be recognised for the contribution they are making to the production of renewable energy. And on a macro-level it will help to better assess the contribution of microgenerators, make solar generation as attractive as possible and drive more people to produce their own clean energy.
“Small scale, decentralised clean power is essential to achieving net zero, and Good Energy is committed to making sure that these microgenerators are rewarded fairly for the vital part they are playing.”
A step toward transparency and fairness
Good Energy has long been vocal about the misuse of REGO certificates, especially where they are used to ‘greenwash’ fossil fuel-generated power. By offering REGOs to FIT generators, the company hopes to bring more transparency to the certification system.
Kit Dixon, head of policy at Good Energy, added: “While the REGO system is imperfect, it is how generators are certified to be producing renewable electricity and as such small scale FIT generators have every right to access to it.
“Change is needed to bring greater transparency and innovation to the market, ensuring that consumers know that their supplier is genuinely working to decarbonise electricity use.
“A small part of this is ensuring that all renewable generators can access the support to which they are entitled, no matter their size. This is what our FIT REGO Boost service helps deliver.”
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