Solar Panel Guide Discussion

KevinG

hansi wrote: »

Just had a leaflet through the door fromm Ecovison offering me free everything. Solar panels, installation, maintenance and electricity! Must be a catch somewhere. If it's too good to be true, it usually is. I've emailed for a quote and see what they have to say. Anyone else had dealings with them?

Er ... zero?

hansi

OK;) Maybe "quote" was the wrong word. I have emailed them to ask if my house is suitable for solar panels.

John_Pierpoint

So you tell the meter reader that the meter is going backwards - that really confuses his tablet computer thing.

I have trouble with my meter reporting economy 7 as reading one and expensive 17 as reading two. On the meter reader's tablet it is the other way round.

You could not make it up.

malch

hansi wrote: »

Just had a leaflet through the door fromm Ecovison offering me free everything. Solar panels, installation, maintenance and electricity! Must be a catch somewhere. If it's too good to be true, it usually is. I've emailed for a quote and see what they have to say. Anyone else had dealings with them?

the catch! they get to own your roof for 25 years. oh! and they get your FITs £20/£30/£35000 bargin

furndire

Hansi have a look through http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels?utm_source=forum&utm_medium=clicks&utm_campaign=resourcebar Its now been revised down quite a lot as to how much you can actually save on your bills by allowing companies to "rent" your roof. You do not get the FiT payments - which is where the money is to be made.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels?utm_source=forum&utm_medium=clicks&utm_campaign=resourcebar#free refers particularly to "free" panels.

thenudeone

hansi wrote: »

If it's too good to be true, it usually is.

There are plenty of discussions about the pros (some) and cons (more) of rent-a-roof offers but because governments have distorted the electricity micro-generation market by providing substantial incentives through the FIT then then it is quite possible for companies involved to make an offer that appears "too good to be true" to the end consumer, whilst still making commercial sense to them.

thenudeone

Cardew wrote: »

Also some smaller companies are exempt from administering FIT payments. You could be getting electricity from them(Company A) and your FITs from Company B.

It is a fair bet that Company B would not alert Company A.

I have been told by my FIT-supplier in waiting (Good Energy) that I don't even need to inform my current supplier about the solar panels. (Obviously the DNO has been informed)/

aliballi

My 85 yr old mother in laws home is owned by my mum in law & my husband, a couple of days ago she was approached by a salesman for a company called FreeSolar4u talked to him from front window & said she would have to talk to son about free solar panels. Within less than hour salesman phoning her wanting appointment & then phoned me to confirm appointment (as she said she wanted her son to be present, but I would deal with it). I said thanks but no thanks & told Salesman to cancel appointment. Salesman became very defensive & asked why, I explained that I was going to look into Solar Panels, but would only be interested in a more established company & a company that offered buy back, tried to persuade me otherwise but I stood my ground, then implied it was what my mum hin law wanted & then said it was my mother in laws house & not mine, at which point I pointed out ownership was equally with my husband. Within seconds of end of conversation, salesman was phoning my mum in law trying to make appointment without us & saying I was talking a load of rubbish, but luckily mum in law said she had to stand by her sons decision. The elderly really are very vulnerable, with sales tactics like these & my mum in law thinking what a nice young man this was.

I decided to research free solar panels properly & found myself on the previous thread from which I have read over 1000 replies & have decided that for less than a probable £2 per week saving the risk just isn't worth it.

Plus as a wild camper who is in possession of a couple of portable solar panels & a leisure battery, my family could probably save as much by topping up mobile phones, laptops etc as we do when wild camping.

zeupater

aliballi wrote: »

My 85 yr old mother in laws home is owned by my mum in law & my husband, a couple of days ago she was approached by a salesman for a company called FreeSolar4u talked to him from front window & said she would have to talk to son about free solar panels. Within less than hour salesman phoning her wanting appointment & then phoned me to confirm appointment (as she said she wanted her son to be present, but I would deal with it). I said thanks but no thanks & told Salesman to cancel appointment. Salesman became very defensive & asked why, I explained that I was going to look into Solar Panels, but would only be interested in a more established company & a company that offered buy back, tried to persuade me otherwise but I stood my ground, then implied it was what my mum hin law wanted & then said it was my mother in laws house & not mine, at which point I pointed out ownership was equally with my husband. Within seconds of end of conversation, salesman was phoning my mum in law trying to make appointment without us & saying I was talking a load of rubbish, but luckily mum in law said she had to stand by her sons decision. The elderly really are very vulnerable, with sales tactics like these & my mum in law thinking what a nice young man this was.

I decided to research free solar panels properly & found myself on the previous thread from which I have read over 1000 replies & have decided that for less than a probable £2 per week saving the risk just isn't worth it.

Plus as a wild camper who is in possession of a couple of portable solar panels & a leisure battery, my family could probably save as much by topping up mobile phones, laptops etc as we do when wild camping.

Hi

Typical old fashoned high pressure 'double glazing' type selling ..... I've looked at their website & can't find any MCS or REA information, so they probably sub-contract installations ....

Anyway, if you want to take it further you could have a look at this ... http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Consumerrights/Situationsthatcanchangeyourconsumerrights/DG_194562 .... or contact your local trading standards.

What you have described above is a situation which is totally disgusting and something should definately be done, either internally by the company themselves, or by the relevant authorities, or both ...

HTH
Z

aliballi

hello Z, Exactly, I think you make some very good points & I will contact TS. On the flyer she was given, it also says cut your electricity bills up to 50%. On the website it does also claim the fitters are MCS accredited, but no MCS credentials with MCS search!