With the advent of the "Feed In Tariff Scheme" (FITS) back in April 2010 many consumers have become lost in the jargon and politics regarding claiming from their relevant "Utility Service Provider" (USP); this short guide is aimed at making this process as simple as possible for the individual homeowner or business.

In order to claim FITS for a solar PV installation from your USP you need to confirm with your installer 2 main items :

1.  What is their "Microgeneration Certification Scheme" (MCS) accreditation number? (Cleaner Air Solutions is registered under MCS number 1033).  If you are in any doubt then search on the following website for all MCS registered companies :

www.microgenerationcertification.org/installers

2.  Is the product MCS accredited? (Cleaner Air Solutions ONLY use MCS accredited solar PV modules unless specifically requested not to by the customer).  Again, if you are in doubt then seach on the following website for all MCS registered companies :

www.microgenerationcertification.org/products

In addition to the above it is advisable (although not critical to claim FITS) to use Ofgem registered meters and known components - cheaper isn't necessarily better.

Before actually purchasing a solar PV array from any installer it is always a good idea to check the following :

1.  Is planning permission required?  The Energy Saving Trust (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk) state that planning permission is NOT required on most domestic installations but it is always better to consult your local council's planning department to be sure.

2.  Does your USP support the FITS?  Although the majority of the UK's USP's do support the FIT scheme it is important to know before paying out your hard earned money.  In order to do this, we have searched the larger USP's and got contact phone numbers and in some cases the contracts that you will be required to submit (we will endeavour to maintain this section of this article as best we can but it is always bes to speak directly with your relevant USP to get the most up-to-date information).

This certificate is actually supplied by the MCS (registered on your behalf by the installing company) through an internet based database and as such there "shouldn't" be a way to forge such a document which will give you peace of mind for the decades of free electricity to follow.

Once you have this MCS certificate and your relevant USP application form then the process to apply is relatively simple.  Simply complete the application form, attach a copy of the certificate to this and send them both back to your relevant USP.  You should hear something back relatively quickly but as this is a growing industry then timescales may become elongated as the number of application increase.

In most cases the FITS payment is made by personal cheque to the person named on the household utility bill every quarter.

We hope that the above has been useful to you and has helped the often difficult task of speaking to someone human when contacting your relevant USP.