When Neil Rayner put solar panels on his roof, he did so under two assumptions: it would help clean up the planet and that his electricity bills would become noticeably cheaper.
He was wrong on the second count.
Mr Rayner's electricity costs are increasing – the result of being forced to pay a much higher rate for power drawn from the national grid than people without household solar systems….
Environment Victoria campaigns director Mark Wakeham said people with solar panels were being treated poorly. He called on the government to intervene.
''People with solar are being forced on to higher tariffs during peak hours despite the fact they are doing more than other customers to alleviate peak electricity demand,'' he said.
''It is a problem that needs to be fixed quickly so we are not penalising those who are doing most to clean up our energy supply and reduce peak demand.''