Free solar power system. Is it a scam?

Cardew

Numpty_Nora wrote: »

Hi
My in-laws (in their 80s) have been signed up to solar PV panels on a 25 year contract. They got the panels free and the company gets the benefits. When they die (which is likely to be before the 25 years are up!) do we, as their heirs, have to honour the contract? Otherwise I can see we'll never be able to sell the property if mortgages are going to be denied on homes with solar PV panels.

Welcome to the forum.

Yes, whoever buys the house will have to honour the contract.

There may however be a chance to buy the panels from the 'Rent a Roof'(RAR) company.

Also the position on getting a mortgage on houses with a RAR system is far from clear.

Similarly the affect of these systems on the resale value of the property is far from clear.

John_Pierpoint

Cardew wrote: »

Welcome to the forum.

Yes, whoever buys the house will have to honour the contract.

There may however be a chance to buy the panels from the 'Rent a Roof'(RAR) company.

Also the position on getting a mortgage on houses with a RAR system is far from clear.

Similarly the affect of these systems on the resale value of the property is far from clear.

There have been land owners who agreed to have the first generation of mobile phone masts on their land - thinking that this was money for old rope; only to discover that their contract did not specify what became of the now rusting inappropriate tower - Even if they had a contract but without some sort of insurance guarantee, they might find it owned by "Towers R Us" in liquidation. (Made up name, my little joke).

http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search

slacky555

Stay away from HOMESUN

Thought I would update a few people on here after trying to buy out my contract from homesun of the solar panels I had fitted.

Since the end of Jan 12 i am still in the process of completing the process in my opinion.

I do now own the panels but that took a good month or so. But the major thing for me is the removal of right of my roof from the land registery!

I have called homesun several times no one knows what anyone is doing! I am told I will get call back but never do. When I do speak with the correct department I am given promises which ate never kept. So today I am still waiting on the latest call back from them. And according to the gentleman I spoke with nothing has still been done.

So to anyone with HOMESUN solar panels that ha or wishes to buy out of the contract just be sure they do remove the right over your roof from the land registry.

And to anyone looking at free solar again with this in mind just think if anything was to go wrong with your install how helpful or NOT they may be.

And if anyone from Homesun reads this then please sort yourselves out!

You will know who I am as from what you have said you have only had 2 people so far buy the system from you.

John_Pierpoint

I wonder how long it takes to get your rights back from the Land Registry?
Could it be 12 years like squatters rights (adverse possession) or 20 years like a private right of way or "for ever" like some stupid restrictive covenants?
Personally I would like to see a system where the owner of the restriction has to pay a (modest) fee and re-register every half a dozen years.
Personally I had some delays and messing about because HMRC had put a restriction (legal charge) on our family home for the best part of 40 years, in case the solicitor handling my father's probate ran off before paying the death tax.

Could you post the wording of the restriction and explain where it appears on your certification at the Land Registry, for the benefit of the rest of us?

dont4getus

ASHADEGREENER LIKE TO ADVERTISE THAT THEY 'KEEP EVERYTHING INHOUSE', HMMMMMMMMM, LET ME TELL YOU THAT THEY DONT!!!!!!!!!!!

i AM INVOLVED IN DOOR-TO-DOOR 'SALES' FOR THEM THROUGH AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR FOR THIS PURPOSE.

THEY LIKE TO ADVERTISE 'MEET THE TEAM' ON THEIR WEBSITE,.....WHERE ARE WE???!!!!

WE ARE PURELY A COMMISSION BASED GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO DO THE DONKEY WORK TO FIND THE RIGHT PROPERTY FOR THEM TO INSTALL ON!!

WE ARE UNDER PAID, UNDERVALUED AND POOR!!!

taffy55

I received a postcard through the mail & today received a "door Salesman" from "a shade Greener" he was very polite gentleman who answered some of my questions as we all know that there is "nothing for free in this world".
I have agreed to a visit from the company to assess on 30th April 2012.

I was just wondering if anyone had any "up to date" visits from this company ?
and
Can anyone point me in the right direction to "any negatives" with this company in this forum.

EricMears

taffy55 wrote: »

I received a postcard through the mail & today received a "door Salesman" from "a shade Greener" he was very polite gentleman who answered some of my questions as we all know that there is "nothing for free in this world".
I have agreed to a visit from the company to assess on 30th April 2012.

I was just wondering if anyone had any "up to date" visits from this company ?
and
Can anyone point me in the right direction to "any negatives" with this company in this forum.

Well you could of course look at the post immediately preceding yours. That poster didn't seem to think highly of them !

I however know nothing of the company or indeed any other 'rent a roof' organisation.

I would urge you to think carefully about any 'free solar panels' contract. The only benefit you get is the use of some free elctricity which it's very hard to make worth more than a couple of hundred pounds a year. There are also various worries about having somebody else with rights registered against your property.

If you possibly can, buying solar panels is a far better prospect. Of course you'd still get the free electricity but you'd also get some generous support payments from the government backed scheme all regional electricity companies offer.

Even if you have to borrow the money to fund the purchase, the rates of return you can expect far exceeds the cost of servicing the loan.

Beags

We've recently signed up to the A Shade Greener concept after a neighbour took up there offer last year. The neighbour has been very happy and on the back of that we too decided to take advantage. I will admit at the start they came across a bit odd, not replying to emails etc, but at the time they were using a third party to administer enquiries who simply could not cope. It's now all done in house and you can see the difference. The response to emails is a lot quicker and more professional. I find the rant above from a so called ex employee odd, seeing as he also admits working for a contractor. Most door knocking jobs pay peanuts, so no surprise here.

Regarding the contract and issues mentioned throughout these pages regarding devaluation of house prices etc etc, how can something that gives you free electric make your house price go down? In fact all new builds now seem to be having solar panels fitted so it will soon become the norm to expect to see them. I've just read the contract and it does say, if you can't sell the house as a result of the solar panels, then they remove them, for free. For us, the offer makes sense. I work from home most of the week and with the day to day running of the house, we stand to make some good savings.


I must add, there is no catch, everything is paid for. They will even, over the course of the 25 years, for free, remove the panels twice should the roof need any repairs etc. Can't say fairer than that.

Cardew

Beags wrote: »

Regarding the contract and issues mentioned throughout these pages regarding devaluation of house prices etc etc, how can something that gives you free electric make your house price go down? In fact all new builds now seem to be having solar panels fitted so it will soon become the norm to expect to see them. I've just read the contract and it does say, if you can't sell the house as a result of the solar panels, then they remove them, for free. For us, the offer makes sense. I work from home most of the week and with the day to day running of the house, we stand to make some good savings.

Welcome to the forum.

You should read some more posts on here about the effect on house prices of 'Rent a Roof'(R-A-R) panels. Reasons:

1. There have been reports of mortgage lenders refusing a mortgage on R-A-R properties and organisations advising caution before signing away rights on your house for 25 years.

2. Prevents owners buying their own system.

3. Will prevent some roof extensions.

4. Some people think they look ugly.

5. The imbalance of income to the company against meagre savings for the owner on their property.

That said, from reports on MSE, ASG are one of the best companies in this field. Although I don't know how you prove that the R-A-R panels have prevented sale of ypur property.

grahamc2003

Beags wrote: »

I've just read the contract and it does say, if you can't sell the house as a result of the solar panels, then they remove them, for free. QUOTE]


That's quite astonishing! Could you type out the clause which states this?

How can their business model possibly work with a clause such as that? Their profits are based on 25 years worth of fits in exchange for the cost of the system - how can they invest say £12k in a system for a return of £1.5k pa for 25 years, yet remove it after 2 or 3 years thus ending their fit payments?

Do you think if I wanted to buy your house but didn't want the panels, (i.e. I wouldn't buy it if the contract was in place) then the panel owners would simply remove them? I think somewhere, someone has got the wrong end of the stick.

There have been quite a few reports in the press of the problems these rentaroof agreements cause - in fact, the warnings some of us made when they first came out have been proven correct, much to the incredulity of those who said their could be no problems. I'd say, if you own your own property and there isn't a clear buyout clause for a reasonable cost, RAR is madness now the downsides are fact instead of speculation.