The NSW Government has announced that it will be making changes to the scheme, where the rebate per kilowatt hour will be reduced from 60 cents to 40 cents.

Mr O’Brien said they originally invested in solar panels as a buffer against rising electricity prices, because solar power is a clean green source of energy, but also because the scheme was a NSW Government guaranteed scheme.

Mr and Mrs O’Brien invested in nine panels on the roof of their house, which is a 1.5 kilowatt system.

The idea is the energy generated by their panels goes back into the grid, and the couple then receives the rebate from their electricity bill.

Mr O’Brien said at the time when they installed their system, the government gave triple the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for the first 1.5 kilowatt system, which helped towards paying for installation costs, which would usually cost around $11-12,000.

Mr O’Brien said if people installed more than the first 1.5 kilowatt system, they only received the normal amount of RECs, so many people out laid a lot of money to install these big solar energy systems, believing they would be guaranteed the 60 cent rebate.

“People who put on more than 1.5 kilowatt systems are going to hurt,” he said.

Mr O’Brien roughly estimates that the reduction of the rebate amount to 40 cents per kilowatt will mean electricity will cost their household around $100 more per quarter.

What upsets them most is the fact the scheme was guaranteed.

Mr O’Brien said that this back-flip has ruined the credibility of the NSW Government, but also the credibility of any Australian government guarantee or promise.

“They are setting a very dangerous precedent.”

“It makes Australia a laughing stock around the world. Australian Government Guaranteed, its not worth the paper it’s written on,” he said.