Farmers saved £200,000 thanks to NFU intervention post Solarplicity colapse

Farmers affected by the collapse of electricity supplier Solarplicity will be paid thousands of pounds worth of outstanding Feed-In Tariff payments after the NFU raised its concerns with the energy regulator, Ofgem.

The regulator initially ruled that farmers who had switched away from Solarplicity prior to its insolvency in August would not receive their payments which, in at least one case, were in excess of £100,000.

The NFU made the case to Ofgem that it had misinterpreted the law and Ofgem’s decision to reconsider its position means that affected farmers will now receive their outstanding Feed-In Tariff payments.

NFU Deputy President, Guy Smith, said: “I’m absolutely delighted with this result and I’m very grateful to Ofgem for listening to our concerns. This is a significant decision for farmers affected by the collapse of Solarplicity. Our members were owed collectively over £225,000 in outstanding Feed-In Tariff payments and this decision means they won’t be left unfairly out of pocket.

“The NFU has a proud tradition of helping its members in the face of possible injustice and the work of our legal team in this case is an excellent example of the vital work they do across many issues.

“We are urging any farmers that believe they are owed Feed-In Tariff payments by Solarplicity to contact their new tariff licensee to seek the payment they are owed.”