I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 23 together.
The programme for Government commits to the provision of a feed-in tariff for microgenerators producing electricity for their own homes, farms and businesses and selling surplus electricity to the grid. The programme also states that the tariff will not be significantly above the single energy market price for electricity. In line with the programme for Government commitment, my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland are finalising a cost-benefit analysis of a feed-in tariff programme for microgeneration. I expect their assessment to be submitted to me shortly. Any microgeneration programme must be fully cost-effective, taking into account the overall cost implications for all electricity consumers. As part of their analysis, the authority and my Department are assessing the varying potential kilowatt levels of microgeneration installations in terms of the levels of support they would require. The kilowatt size of installations and related costs and benefits will be factored into the overall assessment of a cost-efficient programme.
ESB Electric Ireland is the only electricity supplier in the market that offers microgeneration tariffs to domestic customers who generate up to 11 kW. ESB Networks agreed in 2009 to provide the necessary import export metering free of charge to the first 4,000 domestic microgeneration customers. ESB Networks provides a support payment of ten cent per kilowatt hour for those eligible customers for the first 3,000 kW hours exported back to the grid annually for a period of five years. The take-up of 364 customers has been disappointingly low despite a potential overall tariff rate of 19 cent per kilowatt hour being available. This tariff is significantly above the single electricity market wholesale electricity price, which currently averages 7 cent per kilowatt hour.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is in an 18 month micro-generation pilot scheme which entails close monitoring of the performance of the 42 installations taking part. Those participating in the pilot have been able to avail of the tariffs offered. The findings from the pilot scheme are providing useful data which will inform the overall assessment of the optimum way forward to encourage the micro-generation sector.