generate your own electricity
The Government’s
feed in-tariff scheme is encouraging people to think about generating their own electricity, whether from
solar panels (photovoltaic or ‘PV’),
wind power or
anaerobic digestion. This small scale production of renewable energy is often referred to as
‘microgeneration’.
The electricity industry has put in place a system to make it easy for you to install domestic-scale
‘microgeneration’, so long as you let us know you have done it. You must contact your local Distribution Network Operator (
Northern Powergrid for the North East and Yorkshire) us if you propose to install or operate generating equipment, as the equipment could affect the network or require alterations to your connection. You should always use a recognised installer if you are planning to install generating equipment of any capacity. For more information, see the Northern Powergrid Guide to
installing your own electricity generation.
However, this system only works so long as
‘microgeneration’ installations are few and far between. Unlike computers, electrical equipment is not “plug and play”. What you do can affect your neighbour’s electricity supply and can be expensive to put right.
As more and more people install
microgeneration, the cost of modifying the electricity network using traditional methods is likely to be high – and this all ends up on your electricity bill. Our project, using customer volunteers, will aim to find cheaper ways – both using new technology and encouraging people to use the power when it is available - to make sure you can get the benefit of generating your own electricity without annoying your neighbours.
For more information on installing your own
microgeneration,
visit the Knowledge Zone