Solar options for home in 2022

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1258 posts

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#3416895 21-Sep-2025 10:31

prob:

Interesting reply I just got back from PowerEdge regarding GST paid on their export rate:

"The reason that we show GST on the solar rate is:

Our approach differs from other power companies. We treat solar generation as a credit rather than an income. This means we are able to return the GST to you, even if you are not GST registered. To give you a clearer comparison, we credit 20c for solar, while other companies may offer 8c, 11c, or similar rates." Is this kosha? Also awaiting a reply from PE regarding the possibility of 'cashing out' excessive accumulated credit.

Here is an an extract invoice from July from Power Edge. Terrible solar production, but more importantly our solar export is offset from our usage before the balance has GST added so I take this to be how " gst is returned.."

How do other power companies account for exported power?

Usage Charges
Description Quantity Rate Total
All Day 26/07/2025 to 25/08/2025 443.45 kWh x $0.2930 = $129.93
Daily Charge 26/07/2025 to 25/08/2025 31 days x $1.2000 = $37.20
Night Usage 26/07/2025 to 25/08/2025 397.85 kWh x $0.2400 = $95.48
Solar Credit 26/07/2025 to 25/08/2025 364.89 kWh x $-0.1739 = $-63.45
EA Levy 26/07/2025 to 25/08/2025 841.29 kWh x $0.0015 = $1.26
Total EXCLUDING GST $200.42
GST $30.06
Total Including GST $230.48

Good spotting! You've raised an important point. We are currently with Ecotricity (ecoSaver) but previously with Octopus (Flexi) but they wanted us to move to their Peaker plan when our installation topped 10 kW so we jumped ship.

From the invoices I have archived Ecotricity have a similar approach in deducting the GST exclusive export from the GST exclusive imports and then add GST to the remaining balance, including on our August invoice where a $6.23 credit was increased to $7.16 credit with GST added.

Octopus however deduct the GST exclusive export from the GST inclusive import and supply tally so the customer isn't paid GST for their export.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

HarmLessSolutions

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#3417505 22-Sep-2025 18:54

richrdh18:

Just signed up with PowerEdge yesterday. Their daily rate 120c is the same as Genesis, 32.8kwh power and 17c buy back, fixed for 3 years + $150 credit to start with. No contract can leave at anytime but if earlier than 2 years, then they may reclaim their credit back.

I read the T&Cs and you can cash out your credits once a year in Sep but they encourage you to store them for use over winter.

This is the fist time in 25years that I have changed power companies, to pretty nervous etc to see how it all goes.

Worth being aware that according to an email from PowerEdge they have advised:

"Our current policy regarding credit balance cash-outs is as follows:

Option 1: Annual Cash-Out (September)

Each September, after customers have used their credits over winter, we initiate an email to all customers with a credit balance as of August 31.

- The email is an invitation to cash out the account balance.

- Customers can either roll over the balance for another 12 months (retaining the GST) or cash it out (without the GST, unless GST registered)

- All credits are paid on September 15th per customer instructions

Option 2: Financial Hardship

You may apply for a cash-out due to financial hardship as qualified by WINZ"

My take away from that is 'Use it or lose it (the GST)'.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

LightbulbNeil

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#3417545 22-Sep-2025 21:20

Interesting about how the GST is calculated.

With our last bill, with Meridian, our costs, so charges fees etc net is $253.50 then gst of $38.03

Our account credit of generated power is $169.66

Now if the credit was applied to the 253.50 , then the GST amount owed would be on the difference of $83.84 and gst would be $12.58

That would be a saving of $25.45 on this account.

Now my question is, has Meridian been calculating the GST owed incorrectly?

HarmLessSolutions

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#3417548 22-Sep-2025 21:46

LightbulbNeil:

Interesting about how the GST is calculated.

With our last bill, with Meridian, our costs, so charges fees etc net is $253.50 then gst of $38.03

Our account credit of generated power is $169.66

Now if the credit was applied to the 253.50 , then the GST amount owed would be on the difference of $83.84 and gst would be $12.58

That would be a saving of $25.45 on this account.

Now my question is, has Meridian been calculating the GST owed incorrectly?

From your post it sounds like Meridian is deducting your GST exclusive export from the charges after the GST has been added to them, in the same way that Octopus does as per my post earlier. This does make a difference to the customer equivalent to the GST amount on $169.66, which is $25.45, compared to when the export is deducted from the charges before GST is added which essentially then results in you getting a GST benefit on your export.

It's not a case of correct or incorrect so much as different power providers having their own ways of processing export credit amounts. It is what it is.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

fastbike

499 posts

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#3417551 22-Sep-2025 22:03

LightbulbNeil:

Interesting about how the GST is calculated.

With our last bill, with Meridian, our costs, so charges fees etc net is $253.50 then gst of $38.03

Our account credit of generated power is $169.66

Now if the credit was applied to the 253.50 , then the GST amount owed would be on the difference of $83.84 and gst would be $12.58

That would be a saving of $25.45 on this account.

Now my question is, has Meridian been calculating the GST owed incorrectly?

Meridian are making a taxable supply to you, selling you electricity. They are a GST registered business so have to add GST.

Separately they are purchasing electricity from you. As you are not GST registered there is no GST added to the "Buyer Created Tax Invoice" they add onto the end of your power bill.

They are doing it correctly.

Otautahi Christchurch

HarmLessSolutions

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#3417555 22-Sep-2025 22:16

fastbike:

LightbulbNeil:

Interesting about how the GST is calculated.

With our last bill, with Meridian, our costs, so charges fees etc net is $253.50 then gst of $38.03

Our account credit of generated power is $169.66

Now if the credit was applied to the 253.50 , then the GST amount owed would be on the difference of $83.84 and gst would be $12.58

That would be a saving of $25.45 on this account.

Now my question is, has Meridian been calculating the GST owed incorrectly?

Meridian are making a taxable supply to you, selling you electricity. They are a GST registered business so have to add GST.

Separately they are purchasing electricity from you. As you are not GST registered there is no GST added to the "Buyer Created Tax Invoice" they add onto the end of your power bill.

They are doing it correctly.

I'm seeing it as neither correct or incorrect, just a matter of how the electricity supplier dresses up their export processing. Similar to the advertisements that some big box retail stores state 'we deduct the GST from the price for X period'.

The PowerEdge info I quoted in my post at the top of this page explained their way of portraying their GST inclusive export payments, followed by them later saying that if a standing credit balance was 'cashed out' then they will deduct the GST from the amount paid to the customer.

Smoke and mirrors, creative accounting, whatever. Just something to be aware of for the 15% difference it can have on your FIT.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

timmmay

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#3417558 22-Sep-2025 22:48

I read in the news not long ago that solar export is considered income and people should pay tax on the income. From memory the tax department had decided not to pursue this, though I guess it could be considered tax evasion.

Article

fastbike

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#3417561 22-Sep-2025 22:58

timmmay:

I read in the news not long ago that solar export is considered income and people should pay tax on the income. From memory the tax department had decided not to pursue this, though I guess it could be considered tax evasion.

Article

You would then be able to apportion the cost including finance and claim the portion that related to the exports. IRD were not keen on enforcing it as they anticipated many loss making claims and high compliance costs for little revenue.

Otautahi Christchurch

HarmLessSolutions

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#3417654 23-Sep-2025 08:40

timmmay:

I read in the news not long ago that solar export is considered income and people should pay tax on the income. From memory the tax department had decided not to pursue this, though I guess it could be considered tax evasion.

Article

All the more reason to consume as much as possible of your own generation onsite rather than 'sell' it to your power provider for a reduced value. Without drilling deep into solar owners' generation and consumption/export data (from those that bother keeping records of that) much of the 'behind the meter' detail is essentially invisible to TPTB.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

CrashAndBurn

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#3417942 23-Sep-2025 15:29

I just received a quote for solar below and was wondering how it compares to others. House in Drury. Single face metal tile install. Electric hot water timer included.

12 x Trina S+ 500

6kW Sigen Energy Inverter

Fully installed 13.5K

Add 8.5K for a 9kWh Sigen Battery

Is this a reasonable price?

HarmLessSolutions

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#3417952 23-Sep-2025 15:51

This video was posted on the NZsolar subreddit. Some good solid simply explained advice that mirrors our installer's advice for us to not bother with batteries, due to our consumption management and use model.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

Stu1

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#3418018 23-Sep-2025 17:06

HarmLessSolutions:

This video was posted on the NZsolar subreddit. Some good solid simply explained advice that mirrors our installer's advice for us to not bother with batteries, due to our consumption management and use model.

Good vid , the excel sheet would be great to play around with

timmmay

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#3418026 23-Sep-2025 17:27

CrashAndBurn:

I just received a quote for solar below and was wondering how it compares to others. House in Drury. Single face metal tile install. Electric hot water timer included.

12 x Trina S+ 500

6kW Sigen Energy Inverter

Fully installed 13.5K

Add 8.5K for a 9kWh Sigen Battery

Is this a reasonable price?

Last year we paid $15K for 21 440W panels (9kw total) and a 6kw Sigen inverter mounted on a stainless steel roof. Generally you want a bit more panel capacity than inverter capacity, if you can add another couple of panels I think it'll help. We have 21 panels and on dull days we often only get 1kw, and even on sunny winters days we don't sit on 6kw for more than a couple of hours even with 9kw of panels. We went with the standard 440W panels rather than a small number of 500W panels as it didn't make sense at the time - for the same money we got higher generation with larger numbers of the lower power panels.

We didn't bother with battery. Our buyback rate is good so there's no need, unless you have a lot of outages.

Your price $13.5K isn't bad, we paid a little more for 50% more capacity in the panels. maybe it's costs more to install onto tiles than steel.

Jase2985

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#3418028 23-Sep-2025 17:33

CrashAndBurn:

I just received a quote for solar below and was wondering how it compares to others. House in Drury. Single face metal tile install. Electric hot water timer included.

12 x Trina S+ 500

6kW Sigen Energy Inverter

Fully installed 13.5K

Add 8.5K for a 9kWh Sigen Battery

Is this a reasonable price?

if you can fit more panels i would, its cheap to install now rather than coming back later to do it, see if you can fit another 4-6 on there.

HarmLessSolutions

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#3418036 23-Sep-2025 17:56

CrashAndBurn:

I just received a quote for solar below and was wondering how it compares to others. House in Drury. Single face metal tile install. Electric hot water timer included.

12 x Trina S+ 500

6kW Sigen Energy Inverter

Fully installed 13.5K

Add 8.5K for a 9kWh Sigen Battery

Is this a reasonable price?

Price seems about right though overpanelling is recommended to maximise generation day length and performance in poor weather.

Worth checking what fixing they're using on your tile roof. Our installer uses a special Tin Tile bracket that requires lifting the tiles, fixing direct to the batten and then the bracket has a profile that zigzags out between the tiles. This avoids drilling through the tile which would compromise your tile roof warranty but it adds a bit of expense to the installation. A lot of installers don't bother with the extra expense of doing this in order to win on price.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

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