This is a thing in many places in the US as well. Building codes often require a residence to be connected to the grid. Even if you have enough solar to cover all of your electricity needs, the power companies will still charge you a monthly grid connection fee which has gone up in cost as more customers use solar.

This just in: People tanning in the sun will now be charged for not using tanning beds.

This is like how SABC charges people for a TV license, and then rolls back programming and plans to stop broadcasting over the air and put everything online. Then what's the TV license paying for, eh?

The problem is you have enough energy you just don't have it at the right time. What people are learning is the infrastructure is built to handle the 10% of the time you aren't generating electricity but you still want power. The proof is in the pudding, if it was a cheap solution everyone would just install batteries but guess what? Batteries are expensive! It's weird to me people expect the utility to provide a cheap answer to one of their expensive problems.

All that said the utilities have shot themselves in the foot for having garbage rate structures the past 100 years to not give people a true understanding of what the cost of energy is, and what the cost of infrastructure is. They have done a horrible job or transitioning better to renewables. (You should see some of the PPA agreements some utilities sign, capping their renewable generation to 3% or less!) and finally they have done a horrible job of PR and instead just sit back on their comfortable monopoly allowing them security.

I personally haven't ever heard of someone being "forced" to connect to the grid but if so that's a sad thing. "Forced" to use a certain utility yes but but "forced" to connect.

Edit: I guess I should have expected down votes... Stomp on renewables, pick on utility companies... Some just can't handle the truth though lmao

My buddy feeds electricity into the grid from his solar rig. The electric company gives him credits, which he is unable to use beyond the bill he shouldn't have to pay to begin with, since he's too efficient.

AFAIK eskom has lots of corruption going on with subcontractors being overpaid for repairs after inside sabotage of utilities, as well as higher up political corruption. With that context in mind, such moves are not surprising.

Who are you anti-solar and anti-wind people? Just why?

Alabama Power already does this, fuck Southern Company. They charge a fee if you add solar panels, even if it's not connected to their grid.

if it was a cheap solution everyone would just install batteries but guess what?

I'd say it can be a cheap solution (see below) but folks don't want to decrease their power use to do it. Tiny Home dwellers and vanfolk can live offgrid indefinitely because they plan their use and electrical systems mindfully.

I lived off-grid for over 6 years with a power setup that cost about $1,350. And even then I was using a premium solar charge controller and semi-premium battery bank. If I were building out the same capacity today it'd cost about $850.

I personally haven’t ever heard of someone being “forced” to connect to the grid but if so that’s a sad thing.

I used to live in a tiny rural town, pop. ~700. Town council passed an ordinance that everyone had to be connected to the grid. This happened about a month after the mayor (and town plumber) stood on my porch and talked about how gummint should stay out of people's business.

some months that 'fee' is more than my actual usage billing.... and that's without any solar or other 'green' improvements.

You're actually correct on both accounts.... People could reduce their usage to make this more achievable and they won't ever do it lol

You're probably aware but efficiency improvements are always the best financial decision you could make to reduce energy... Way way cheaper then going solar. Unfortunately putting extra insulation and sealing your house just ain't as sexy as solar panels.

Out of curiosity what country do you live in? That's wild to force people to connect.

what country do you live in?

United States. This occurred in Rains County, TX.

So does ComEd so does Dominion so does NIPSCO so does Consumers. Idk about Ameran because I was outside their area... I'm not saying it's right at all just that so many of them to it. It sucks.