Feed in Fusspots

I've been having fun and games applying for the Feed-in Tariff:

I was warned by the installation company that the energy companies are notoriously tricky when it comes to applying for the FiT.  They recommended I post off my application recorded delivery - they have a habit of 'losing' the paperwork.

So I pored painstakingly through the application forms, and the boss bloke from the solar panels company confirmed it was all filled in correctly.

We're with npower for our elec/gas, so it is with npower's application form that I have experience (they vary from energy company to energy company).

At the end of the form, it asks for you to supply 'supporting documents'.

I am already an npower customer, so I didn't need to supply a photocopy of my driving licence and two utility bills addressed to me at my address.

But I did have to supply:

• the EPC certificate for our house, showing at least band D (to qualify for maximum FiT rate)
• the MCS certificate from the installer showing the installation is complete and has been carried out to regs
• the invoice from the installer showing my home address to confirm my relationship with them having installed it

I sent all these off on Tuesday, recorded delivery, with the forms, thinking I've dotted every i and crossed every t.

But I thought I'd better ring npower's FiT team this morning to check they've received the application and that everything is ok.

The 'helpful' lady at the other end of the line confirmed that they had indeed received my application, but they had had to reject it because the invoice does not state that it has been paid in full, and have returned it to me second class post.  She said that if I can get another invoice from my installer showing that it has been paid in full, I can re-apply and all will be fine.

*steam*

I rang the Low Carbon Energy Company this morning and explained the situation. The chap had a steam also, ranting a bit about how picky the energy companies are becoming about these FiT applications. He's posting me out a fresh invoice, showing that it has been paid in full, so I can re-apply.

I'm now thinking, 'have npower really posted my application back to me? She did say "second class"... perhaps that's code for 'You've not received it? Oh it must have been lost in the post'.....

Ah well, have to wait and see... I'm half expecting to have to fill out a brand new form again.  Good job I only sent scans of the original documents, and not the original documents themselves...