FREE Solar Panels from Stroma. Is this a scam?

ironlady2022

Hi

Not sure if this is the correct place to post. We have just had a leaflet through our letter box advertising free solar panels by a company called Stroma. Here is their address

http://stroma-solar.co.uk/pv-4-free

Basically we are able to save on energy bills per year and they get the excess electric generated. I've seen this somewhere before whereby you buy the solar panels and they pay for the excess electric generated. But the yield is about 7 years. So this is the other way round really.

Someone on the estate has just had them installed this weekend and will be asking them first. But it seems too good to be true?

Has anyone had a similar experience? I can see both sdes benefiting especially them as they will literally sell the excess electric on.

chris1973

This article is a good read

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1705307/Are-solar-panels-worth-the-cost.html

HalloweenJack

rent a roof


you are renting your roof , for 25 years , whilst saving you , on average £5 a mont electric bill (for an average use 3 bed house) up to £120 a year for a busy and/or larger house (£10 a month)

have a read:

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/

they do change the estimates when more data comes in.

so first the pony info from stroma-solar of `savings of £400 a year` is BS.

and the FiT is worth about £1200 a year - and thats what stroma get.

IF , you own your own home - the best `value` is to get a system (bought and paid for) by yourself - think of the FiT payments of an annuity , so you invest £11k in the system and that returns £1200 a year ad infinatum (less recuring cost per 10 years of replacing the invertor)


please have a read on the green forum - lots and lots of good info there

CharlieBilly

The downside to buying yourself maybe what if you sell would it had approximate value to your house given what you spent

Say for argument you have it installed at 11k and two years down the line you get £2400 in FiT the house next door to semi is worth £170k identical to yours, would you house be worth around 178k-180k? I know I haven't even factored in interest you would gain on have 11k in 2 years, I know it would make sense normally but selling it may not

Cardew

Lots and lots of advice on this subject in th e Green' forum on MSE.

The average saving is £70 a year for the customer. For that meagre reward you sign away, legally, the use of your roof for 25 years. This agreement is binding on the next owner if you sell, if they don't accept - no sale!

nicipickering

Calculations are provided using the national calculation methodology, (SAP), incidentally research that is being conducted is suggesting that the systems are outperforming the predictions of expected savings.

Stroma Solar's PV4FREE offers homeowners the opportunity to reduce their rising energy bills with a completely free of charge system, there are no hidden costs or agenda's.

If you wish to buy at any stage to take advantage of the FIT, then you will also discover very straightforward routes to doing this!.

Its nice to have the option on the table!

Cardew

nicipickering wrote: »

Calculations are provided using the national calculation methodology, (SAP), incidentally research that is being conducted is suggesting that the systems are outperforming the predictions of expected savings.

Stroma Solar's PV4FREE offers homeowners the opportunity to reduce their rising energy bills with a completely free of charge system, there are no hidden costs or agenda's.

If you wish to buy at any stage to take advantage of the FIT, then you will also discover very straightforward routes to doing this!.

Its nice to have the option on the table!

I assume you are a Stroma employee?

To claim on 'your' website that 'typical annual savings are £400' is a disgrace.

According to the EST typical annual savings are £70. and many will save less.

grizzly1911

From what I have heard Stroma are a professional organisation, who no doubt want to make a profit at the end of the day. I am sure any scheme they offer will meet all the rigour/best practice guidelines.

Whether that option is a good deal for you is another matter.

If you can buy outright and plan to be there 20 years maybe.

At the moment I personally don't like them and remain to be convinced.

If it was mandatory on new builds and they had tile replacements then I will start looking again. It would certainly put me off buying when you look at some of the installations.

It also annoys me that we are subsidising these schemes through inflated domestic bills when really a more strategic route should be adopted but that is going off topic.:mad:

HalloweenJack

Cardew wrote: »

I assume you are a Stroma employee?

To claim on 'your' website that 'typical annual savings are £400' is a disgrace.

According to the EST typical annual savings are £70. and many will save less.

actually the EST have increased the amount of savings estimated to £90>£180

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Solar-PV-electricity-panels/Free-solar-PV-offers#Howmuch

of course it depends on how big the property is , and how much its occupied during the sun light hours

Cardew

HalloweenJack wrote: »

actually the EST have increased the amount of savings estimated to £90>£180

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Solar-PV-electricity-panels/Free-solar-PV-offers#Howmuch

of course it depends on how big the property is , and how much its occupied during the sun light hours

Just seen this revision - thanks.

They quote a typical system as being 2.9kWp and a typical output being around 2,400kWh per year.

They also state that you might use 25% to as high as 50% of that output. They also base this on one study.

This would appear to mean using 600kWh to 1,200kWh. So they seem to be using a figure of 15p per kWh.

You should only use Tier 2 electricity prices when calculating savings and I suggest that 10p to 11p a kWh is more representative.

ironlady2022

Thanks for the advice guys but think 25yrs is just too long