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Worth having a read of this....if you've not see it already...

Exclusive: Greg Barker

This is the sentence that has caught my eye the most...

"With the cost of panels and inverters coming down significantly, I now want to work on bringing the price of installation down. That is why I have set up a cost reduction task force with the industry to help do just that."

I wonder what that can mean.....
 
Sounds to me like he's accusing the solar installation companies of being a rip-off by not passing on the reductions in hardware costs to the customer. I'm not sure what a cost reduction task force is. If there's no collusion or illegal price-rigging going on then I don't see the point. If there is illegal price rigging then I'm sure there would already be an authority in the UK that would deal with it so I'm guessing it's vote-winning speak.
 
Sadly, there are too many companies cutting corners where ever they can just to try and survive, not having a structural survey, installing the cheapest panels they can find, the cheapest mounting kits, unheard of inverters because they are cheap, not using fire retardant boards, and I am not going to comment on the electrical side of things.
Some do not even use scaffold to save £300-£500 pounds...
Also installing as quick as possible, so cutting corners there too.

Of course Barking feels that the prices have come down, but just look at some of the crap that customers have slapped onto their roofs, unsafe and unreliable crap.
Still on the plus side it will only need to last for 20 years soon, not 25...

Quality comes at a price, and if you are a customer, please remember this when getting your quotes.
 
Bet he earns more than we do....

If he wants to bring down the cost of MCS Accreditation, remove REAL membership, reduce insurance and all the other overheads, possiby do a bit of advertising so we don't have to keep replacing leaflets, changing adverts and finding new ways to get the message out there that.

If he can do some of that, I'd consider looking at my pricing.

Otherwise he can go forth and multiply
 
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It's tough being at the top!!! I wish someone would cut his wages, and all his allowances see if he can do his job too then. Or would he still want to do his job at all, and get someone to inspect his work and he has to subscribe to being a minister
 
Bet he earns more than we do....

If he wants to bring down the cost of MCS Accreditation, remove REAL membership, reduce insurance and all the other overheads, possiby do a bit of advertising so we don't have to keep replacing leaflets, changing adverts and finding new ways to get the message out there that.

If he can do some of that, I'd consider looking at my pricing.

My sentiments exactly - how do we cover the 3 month cycle of bust, some work and possible boom created by this ridiculous regime. With so much uncertainty about Green Deal how can we possibly diversify to fill the gaps created by this cycle?
 
Thanks for your comments guys......What I don't understand is how a minster can legislate or control the price of installation of anything. Its like saying we are going to control the price of coke and popcorn in Cinemas.....Other than make intallations zero rated for VAT.....

Is he talking about having fixed prices for systems in order to qualify for FIT......or a price a system cannot go above....Well that would get rid of a lot of the nationals with their smart suited salesmen....But legally I don't see how it can be done....

They have tried with alcohol and thats coming unstuck....

DECC have stated several times they want the price of a 4kwp system to come down to £6000. I want the price of a new Merc to come down to £10,000 but I don't see that happening...

Barkers a Lib Dem isn't he....God help us.....As one well known Lib Dem said..."I didn't join this party to get into power"

My god...."A TASK REDUCTION TASK FORCE"....how much is that going to cost to set up...
 
My god i really despise this guy, the nature of his quote bears a suggestion that the price of installations is too high, therefore the customers are being ripped off.You would think a government minister would be well aware of how business operates, overheads are going through the roof and are increasing by the month.It isnt all about some modules and in inverter Greg you complete buffoon.

I would love to slap this guy right across his chevy chase
 
Barkers a Lib Dem isn't he....God help us.....As one well known Lib Dem said..."I didn't join this party to get into power"

Actually, he is a Tory.

You can tell by the unthinking, remorseless look in his eyes. The monotone robotic voice and the rotating black onyx ball where his heart should be. Only the Tory party could produce something like that. Barker wasn't born - he was forged in the pits of Hell, somewhere below a trap-door at Tory HQ. And they seriously messed his hair up too.
 
Oh, and his skin. I hate that too. It gives him a lizard-like appearance. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he wandered into a DECC meeting one day, laid some eggs and slithered off under a gap in the skirting board. Disgusting, epicene reptilian Tory scum.
 
More than a little.

I can't believe that the man has the nerve to talk the way he does. How dare he decide to wade in and tell me what it costs to install a PV system.

I utterly loathe the man.
 
Strangely he has some fans HPM July/August 2012

'We have reformed the Feed in Tariff System to enable it to offer much cheaper microgeneration technology to far more people'
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!

oh, you have to hand it to him, the guy's a born commedian!

HPM put him on the spot, stuck your head up his jacksy more like
 
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Apologies for my earlier language. Reading more about this moron with a hangover probably caused this. It's evident that the rest of you can express your intense dislike for this idiot in a much more amusing way without resorting to rudeness!

The guy is clearly mad, and, like many people, probably thinks that our involvement in an installation begins the moment we turn up to begin work and finishes when we leave site for the last time. No idea about everything that goes on in between.

The constant three monthly changes to FiTs is bad enough for customer confidence/perception of the solar industry without the minister in charge suggesting we all overcharge for insallation. Its ridiculous, and for somebody who claims to be intent on promoting solar, the constant disparity between the size of the hurdles for this technology to get over as against those that are in the way of every other FiT eligable technology just reeks of discrimination and intent on killing the domestic situation off alltogether.

I thought the guy came from a business analyst type background. Probably explains why he is trying to make his mark on an easy target about which he knows nothing.

I'd try to see things from his point of view, but their isn't enough room up his bum for two...

Happy weekend, one more job to do till the deadline, then what....
 
Barclays commits an illegal act and those in charge resign (not without some Government pressure).

DECC commits an illegal act and those responsible are still in charge (ok, Huhne resigned but for completely different reasons).
 
Utter Cr4p !

I would love to open dialog with Greg to educate him about the Solar PV industry, I'm going to send an open invitation for him to come spend a week in my office. The facts are that we do not have much of a solar business any more, a hobby is best described the amount of time I spend researching and maintaining paper work with the odd installation. I can not justfy spending any more money advertising Solar PV. Luckly enough solar only forms part of our contruction and Electrical business and we have enough work to make a living. I will keep up-to-date with REAL and MCS as I do believe there is a future in solar PV, its a shame the people at the top really dont know what they are doing, including the idiots at REAL and MCS. These chaps should be the ones the "task force" need to investigate, they accredited all the companies in the first place.

I come from a professional background and like many people on this forum take there guidance as the law and always exceed best practice. When it comes to pricing we havent increased our margins, we apply a standard margin of material and labour at standard rates. In fact we lowered our margins because material costs were so high. We price for scaffolding and overheads to ensure a safe and compliant installation.

I hope all the cowboys will get kicked out of MCS but I wont hold my breath.... In the mean time its going to be a rough ride, where we will end up I dont know ....but thats business !
 

Reply to Greg Barker..... in the Solar PV Forum | Solar Panels Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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