Over the years we have been repeatedly told that if we install solar panels to generate electricity the surplus electricity above what is required to run our home will be fed back to the electricity grid and we will be paid for it

That is only partly correct .

If you look at your solar electricity bill you will see that it really has three or four major components. Rates quoted below are from my last and current bill

1. Electricity usage which may show Off Peak, Shoulder and Peak or maybe one charging rate with amount of kilowatt hours used (kwh) and rate charged. My average from combining the three rates is 28.45836 cents kwh

2. Supply charge i.e. in my case 151.25 cents per day

3. Solar feed in credit 0. 05 cents per kwh

4. Rebates from (NSW Gov - age pension) or discounts from the supplier (nil - the previous quarter was 25 per cent)

Our solar system on average generates 5,411 kwh per year for which we now receive five cents per kwh and we use on average 2,022 kwh which we must buy in the full amount from the supplier at average 28.45836 cents per kwh.

It is correct we receive credit for all the solar power generated (at 5 cents a kwh but we must pay for all the power used including what we generated at average 28-45836 cents a kwh).

There is no such thing as "surplus over the amount used" and the recent claim by suppliers that they are going to have to pay 30 cents kwh for wholesale supply is unlikely to mean they will pay more to the people whom have bought and installed solar electricity.

At the present rates it will take over 25 years to recover the initial outlay and if you get a blackout neither your solar nor your home phone work (unless you spend another $15,000 on batteries)

Other solar users probably have higher usage as we have LPG for cooking and wood heater and are rarely up after 8pm.