Farmers in Pembrokeshire who produce their own electricity have just two weeks left to apply for funding to cover the cost of complying with new regulations.

Under new mandatory rules relating to the Distribution Code – the technical requirements relating to the connection to electricity distribution systems – owners of power generation systems need to update features relating to inverters, converters and G59 relays.

This equipment helps to protect the system and the network from potential faults.

These upgrades, which are intended to make electricity generation more reliable and strengthen the electricity network, cost thousands of pounds, anywhere from £1,500 to £4,000, but there is a grant available until May 10 which in most cases will cover the entire cost of this work.

The funding is part of the Accelerated Loss of Mains Change Programme (ALoMCP), a scheme operated by National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) and the GB Distribution Network Operators (DNOs).

If farmers don’t apply for the funding before May 10 they will still need to have the upgrades done by September 1, but pay for it themselves.

The grant covers systems installed before February 2018 or, in some cases, July 2018, with capacity of between 11kW and 50MW and is connected via the G59 engineering requirement of the Distribution Code.

There are two levels of funding.

The first applies to the inverter that connects the generator to the distribution network, with £1,500 available for the upgrade on the settings on the first relay and £500 for each additional setting upgrade needed.

The second grant is for outdated relays that need to be replaced – £4,000 for each replacement.

In most cases the grant will cover all the work, although this will depend on the contractor so farmers are advised to check this.

Although different DNOs have different processes, with the deadline to apply less than two weeks away it is advisable to get your application in first.

Many farmers who have already done the work and received the grant have hired a contractor to deal with the entire process, from applying for the grant to getting the work done.

The application process can be found at futureproofyourpower.co.uk

If farmers don’t upgrade equipment there is likely to be enforcement action by Ofgem to stop the electricity generation process.

Compliance is being monitored because generator owners must submit compliance declarations and evidence to support this by midnight on August 31 through the ENA portal.

If a generator is already compliant, farmers must declare this with supporting evidence, again through the ENA portal and by midnight on August 31.