Free solar panel discussion

Psycloud

We are looking into this. Unfortunately Ethical Solar are unable to give us a quote as we are out of their range. Have sent an inquiry to Tesco but looking for recommendations for other suppliers. We are looking at buying outright rather than "free solar".

We are in Bedfordshire area and would like to hear from anyone who has had work completed by companies that work in the area.

Thanks

David

Gizmosmum_2

Psycloud wrote: »

We are looking into this. Unfortunately Ethical Solar are unable to give us a quote as we are out of their range. Have sent an inquiry to Tesco but looking for recommendations for other suppliers. We are looking at buying outright rather than "free solar".

We are in Bedfordshire area and would like to hear from anyone who has had work completed by companies that work in the area.

Thanks

David

Have you looked at the You Gen site? They work on customer recommendations and you can select a national company or a local company. Personally I like to support local if I can but some people prefer national.

Gizmosmum_2

M4ximillion wrote: »

Im having a survey on 15thOctober and notheing was mentioned about me signing a contract or anything (anyway its a lease i got a copy of it beffore i even applied), from what i gathered from the info i got back (i sent them a list of questions that the energy saving trust suggested i asked) thats not signed until they accept your roof and theyve got the structural engineers report back. Correct me if im wrong barneygrumble

ISIS are asking for signed contracts before they survey that's why there's a query about contracts - good to hear that ASG aren't doing the same.

easy

I'm considering looking at this. We have the right roof, face the right way, and it would be a great advantage to us, as I work at home and use electricity during the day.

I wouldn't consider fitting panels ourselves, simply because this isn't our "forever home", and I would be looking to move in 5 years or so, so I don't feel we would get the investment back.

I am wondering whether signing up for the scheme would have a positive or negative effect on the value of the house? It could certainly be positive from the point of view of a family buying the house, having reduced power costs. But of course, many folk may not want to buy a property that is subject to a lease of the roofspace for 20 years.
Any thoughts?

Larnsky

@M4ximillion - Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who likes the look of them, I agree that on some older houses they could look out of place, but I have a new build (10 years old) so I think they look great on that style of house.

@easy - You sound as if you're in a similar position to me, I don't necessarily consider my house to be my forever home and so that is one of the reasons I didn't want to invest in the panels myself. Additionally I have done the figures and although you will make more money doing it yourself there is a long payoff on it and the figures are varialbe on inflation and interest. As I've been accepted on a free option already the electricity saving is taken out of the calculation and so the payoff is in theory longer.

In respect to the value of the house, it may not add anything to it, but as I said in my original post if there were two house next to each other and one had solar panels and the other didn't, I'd go for the one with the panels every time, even if it is a small reduction in electricity. I don't intend to do anything with my roof so it might as well be used for some good.

Cardew

M4ximillion wrote: »

But there are only a few regular voices on here Larnsky and they've got downers on these free solar panels companies -

Isn't that the whole point of internet forums, for people to give their opinions on both sides of the argument.

Personally I have two main objections to 'free' solar schemes.

Firstly the subsidies(FIT) are paid for by all electricity customers in a levy on our bills. The vast majority of those customers cannot have solar because they don't own a property, live in flats, or the roof of a house is not suitable etc.

Now the subsidies are fixed to encourage private house owners with installations of less than 4kWp - commercial schemes get far less. So we have firms who have discovered a loophole in the regulations who are fitting thousands of systems on individual roofs and collecting the subsidies meant for individuals for a commercial enterprise.

So let us be very clear all electricity customers(with or without solar) are paying all these firm's profits - the figures are astounding -£billions

Secondly these firms are signing up people for 25 years to rent their roof on legally binding leases(that have to be honoured by the new owner)- the firms collect(for the ASG system) about £1,300 and the house owner gets 'free' electricity worth between £50 and £100.

So yes I think it is a very poor scheme for house owners - but it seems anything 'free' is irrestible! If they gave 'Nectar' points they would triple their applications!!

So count me in as a 'downer'!

Larnsky

The fact that the FiT is generated from a levy on electricity account holders is surely not a point, I thought I read that it equated to £6.50 per household per year, if it didn't come from an electricity levy then it would come from the government i.e. from the taxes so either way someone has to pay for it. It's little different to me feeling put out that my taxes are paying for benefits that I will probably never claim, or part of my council tax funds a leisure centre which I will never visit or any number of things. It is just the society we live in.

I could consider myself a lucky one in that I do have a suitable property, but even if I didn't I wouldn't be against paying a levy if it meant an investment in a different renewable energy network across the country as is the case and lets face it if the FiT wasn't there then there wouldn't be any interest, and we'd merrily go on generating and consuming the cheapest possible form of electricity (fossil fuels) with no plan for the future.

I appreciate where you're coming from in the comment that companies are profiting from the FiT, but on the flip side, they're making the initial infrastructure investment, and in doing so generating who knows how many jobs etc.

escapeman67

geoff2 wrote: »

Re point 1, a scan through this thread does show a few people who have taken up the scheme. I was considering Homesun but then I learnt that they are only doing homes in the Hull area, so no good to me down in Sussex. Similarly, A Shade Greener are only doing homes in the north.
Re point 2, that's nonsense about the roof rental as far as I'm aware.

Can't answer your point 3.

As far as I'm aware Homesun install everywhere south of Hull - I'd guess Sussex would be a perfect location for them!Nice and sunny right?!

sallysave

Best to get it installed today if you can - i reckon today is the last bit of sun we'll see this year

Gizmosmum_2

Larnsky wrote: »

The fact that the FiT is generated from a levy on electricity account holders is surely not a point, I thought I read that it equated to £6.50 per household per year, if it didn't come from an electricity levy then it would come from the government i.e. from the taxes so either way someone has to pay for it. It's little different to me feeling put out that my taxes are paying for benefits that I will probably never claim, or part of my council tax funds a leisure centre which I will never visit or any number of things. It is just the society we live in.

I could consider myself a lucky one in that I do have a suitable property, but even if I didn't I wouldn't be against paying a levy if it meant an investment in a different renewable energy network across the country as is the case and lets face it if the FiT wasn't there then there wouldn't be any interest, and we'd merrily go on generating and consuming the cheapest possible form of electricity (fossil fuels) with no plan for the future.

I appreciate where you're coming from in the comment that companies are profiting from the FiT, but on the flip side, they're making the initial infrastructure investment, and in doing so generating who knows how many jobs etc.

I agree with your sentiments entirely, not sure how someone so ill they can't work can manage to plaster a whole house, go to Dubai, followed swiftly by a visit to Tenerife. I must be doing something wrong.

However, the bad news is that the cost per bill is currently in the region of £40, to rise to an estimated £85 by 2012/3 and who know's where after that. If the RHI kicks in next year and everyone can access at least something that will provide renewable energy the we'll all be winnners.