If you are one of the Queenslanders lucky enough to join the Solar Bonus Scheme under the old lead-in tariff of 44 cents per kWh, well done!
Simply signing up isn't quite enough however, and it seems that many who got in while the going was great are stalling on their solar plans rather than putting them into action.
The Herald Sun reported today (February 18) that of the 75,000 Sunshine State residents who got in before the solar incentive decreased to 8 cents per kWh in July 2012, more than 42,000 have yet to install solar PV systems.
The figures come from an Energex report which further reveals that of those 42,000 applications, around 26,000 agreements were yet to be signed and returned by customers, while 16,000 that had been returned had not yet resulted in installations.
"For some reason people are sitting on their hands," Ron Flynn of Sunshine Coast-based Solaron told the Herald Sun.
"Perhaps they will realise in coming weeks and there will be a rush leading up to the cut-off date."
That cut-off date is rapidly approaching. If you signed up to the 44 cent Solar Bonus Scheme, you have until 30 June 2013 to get your solar panels connected to the network or ready for connection.
So with just a few short months until the deadline hits, those wanting to take advantage of that great tariff rate might want to consider taking some timely action.
Customers on the Solar Bonus Scheme are paid for surplus electricity generated by the household's PV system.
With a feed-in tariff of 44 cents, customers could maximise their benefit by ensuring that they are exporting as much of their solar energy to the grid, for example by reducing their power consumption and increasing their energy efficiency.
Posted by Bob Dawson