Free solar power system. Is it a scam?

JasonUK_2

Hey Xray

I am guessing from the feedback at the foot of the newspaper page it may well be the Tunbridge Wells or Hertfordshire areas they cover.

Jason

XRayDave

Cheers Jason,

If you Google "Isis Solar" and the word "saving" it takes you to the company's website (top link).

Seems that I was right and it is based around Oxford, see: http://www.isis-solar.com/

Anyway, the info is out there for folks to research for themselves.

XRD

Doc_N

The article's on 'You and Yours' (BBC Radio 4) now - you'll be able to listen again soon via the website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/you-and-yours/)

John_Pierpoint

Cut out the middle man - just send me your 8.50 now and I'll agree not to install the things:rotfl:

Poosmate

Hi all.

I've followed this thread for months and was sorry to hear what happened to Sarah and the Davies thing totally threw me as I missed the postings because I was on holiday - it's very confusing when posts get deleted!

Anyway, I'd love to have solar panels although I'd prefer to pay for them and gain the benefit of the FiTs. A friend of mine had his fitted a year or so ago and got a grant (he paid about £3.5k) and I was thinking that I could afford up to £4k. However, I've been looking into it now and it appears there are no grants available, which would mean an installation cost of around £7k-£8k and that puts it out of my reach. :-(

So, I hope someone can advise me regarding the grants system. Does anyone know how the grants system works? Like, do the Government or your local Council put money aside each year and when it's gone it's gone, in which case I need to apply for it in April (the start of the new financial year)? Or have grants been stopped altogether forever with these cuts in spending? Or have they been axed for poor people who work for a living and struggle to keep their own rooves over their heads without claiming any benefits?

Do any of ou knowledgeable people know?

Thanks

Poo

JasonUK_2

Hi Poos

My understanding is that the government are going to be looking into grants once again in the next 12 to 18 months so I would hold tight.

Jason

noncom_2

FITs replaced Grants. I know of no suggestion (other than the previous post) that the Government will re-introduce Grants whilst allowing people to benefit from FITs as well. And frankly, in the current climate, it seems unlikely that the Govt will introduce Grants for anything (don't forget, they don't pay for the FITs, the energy companies do).

What might be more likely to happen is some kind of Pay As You Save scheme, which would be a loan of the money needed to installe the technology, with the interest rate and period set such that the repayments would be less than the income from FITs.

noncom_2

It is worth looking into whether your local council still offers Grants (separate from the Govts ones which have stopped) - some do. The amount is likely to be rather lower than 4k though.

Poosmate

Thanks for your replies both.

Yes I am coming to the conclusion that FiTs is replacing the grants. I've heard of the "Pay As You Save" scheme too. I'll do some more investigation on that too.

I was looking on the Tesco site and it looks like a system for my size house would be about £7999. Eek!

http://www.tescohomeefficiency.com/solar-electricity-price-examples/

I really want to get it done, preferrably before the FiTs rate goes down as any drop in pence per kHw sold is £'s over a month making the system take much longer to pay for itself.

It's pretty scary financing it by remortgaging because the interest rates will go up so whereas I'd be able to afford the increased payments now, will I in the future?

I need to do lots of sums and think some more.

Thanks again all.

Poo

ETA:

I found this article on the PAYS (Pay As You Save) scheme:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/02/pay-as-you-save-loans-decc-answers

Aw, it says the PAYS scheme should be available by 2012, isn't that after the FiTs price goes down? Boo, hiss!

noncom_2

Welcome Lawrence.

I suggest first of all you read back in this thread about 4 or 5 pages....

A lady called Sarah Dyson from the company A Shade Greener (offering a similar sounding scheme to yours in Yorkshire) had been posting on here for many months, answering questions honestly and helpfully without giving a sales pitch.

Recently someone on the forum complained that she had broken the rules, and her ability to post in her capacity as a company representative was removed.

Despite the fact that many of us here appreciated Sarah's participation, it seems that there were some who wanted to stop her, and succeeded in doing so.

To post as a company rep on MSE forums, I believe you need explicit permission from the forum owners, and there may be a protocol to follow about how and what you can say. I wouldn't like you to fall foul of the same people who derailed Sarah's attempts to defend her company in the face of some rather vicious criticism.

Andy