Climate Change and Feed-In Tariffs
I have long been impressed bythe reman system of encouraging consumers to make their own contribution to the challenge of global warming.
In Germany there is a system of feed-in tariffs whereby a subsidy is paid to individual households who generate their own electricity by domestic wind-turbine, photovoltaic cells or whatever. This is a payment by kilowatt generated and is paid for by a small levy on all domestic energy bills (whioch amounts to around 20p a week for most households).
The effect of this has been magical. The subsidy means that the economic pay-back period for investing in the kit is reduced to a few years rather than the 20-25 years that some systems would require in the UK. This has led to a massive take-up by households and local communities which in turn has led to an explosion of manufaturing and jobs in the sector leading to big reductions in unit costs.
If ever there was a virtuous circle this is it.
So why is the Government not doing this in the UK? A good idea is just that, a good idea, and we should not turn our backs on it just because it was not invented here.
I was reminded of this by the advert on the back page of the main section of today’s Guardian, where there is an advert by Friends of the Earth extolling the virtues of feed-in tariffs. They point to a web site www.solarplayoff.org where more information is available.
You can also use the site to send an e-mail to our Labour MP encouraging stand up for tougher government action on climate change.
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