Newcastle's Going Solar

Under the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme, only customers with gross metering arrangements are eligible for the 60 cent/kwH (noting that some energy retailers are offering 66c / kwH) gross feed-in tariff after the transition period expires on the 1st of July.

We suggest householders with existing solar PV systems and net meters organise this gross meter for their home in coming weeks, as there is likely to be further delays in the installation of these meters, and you never know when the scheme will reach its limit of 'subscribers'.

The meter is free, but residents must arrange and pay for the electrician to install the meter. 

The first step is to get a qualified electrician on board who will inspect your meter box, put a purchase order in for the right meter with Energy Australia, and do the installation. They should also look after all the required paperwork. So check they will do all of this when you're seeking quotes for your home. 

Gross meters must be installed by an accredited level 2 service provider (electrician).  The Department of Fair Trading (DFT) provides this list of level 2, category 4 accredited service providers (electricians). http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/pdfs/Consumers/ASP_list_level2.pdf. You can also call the DFT on 02 9895 0008 (if you don"t want to trawl through the 55 pages of electricians listed by suburb).

A range of websites suggest that the installation should cost somewhere in the range of $200 - $400 (incl gst) if the meter box is close to the solar power inverter. (Although no CAN people have heard of anyone securing a $200 quote to date!). Additional costs may arise if the meter box is located further away. 

for more information:

http://www.energyaustralia.com.au/State/NSW/Residential/Products-and-services/Solar-power/NSW-Solar-Bonus-Scheme-Questions-and-Answers.aspx#Q11