free solar contract

griffen76

hi
we have had free solar fitted from a local company called southern energy solutions. we had a phone call the other day saying they are changeing their name so we need to sign a new contract. the new contract came throgh the post from a company called freetricity, stateing due to numerous applications we have had to allocate your application to our new funder to enable our legal team to complete your paperwork. please complete the new resedential lease in the name of our new funder - freetricity solar llp - the terms and conditions remain the same as before just under a new name.

does this sound normal,sounds like were beeing refered to a completely different company ?

also it states if succesful, we have to pay £495 upon installation to cover fitting etc costs, altough its already been fitted by the previous company.


also i think i'll have to get a solicitor to look at the lease/contract as i dont want any problems if we sell the house within 25yrs, is this what most people do ? as there is some stuff in the contract that doesn't make a whole lot of sence ie solicitor jargon.

any help and advice on this matter would be gratefully appreciated.

Martyn1981

Hiya, not particularly helpful in answering your question, but ...... just thinking out loud ...... what happens if you don't sign?

Presumably the original install wouldn't take place until you signed, but what can they now do? If they take the kit away, it can't be used for FITs, since it has to be new. Plus any new install would get today's tariff.

So perhaps, they need to clearly waive the £495 fee (just in case it's not an error) and possibly offer to cover all and any legal fees you incur in reviewing the new paperwork. A signing fee would be quite a nice gesture too.

Yes you could lose £100 or so in free leccy, but presumably they have a lot more to lose, perhaps 24 years (or so) of FITs payments!

Just a thought.

Mart.

PS How's it gone up to now? If it's all running well, then rocking the boat as I suggested, could be entirely counter-productive. M.

griffen76

Spoke to freetricity and they say southern energy solutions are one of their installers, although they said ring back Mon to speak to someone who can answer all the other various Q's I have. BTW none of our neighbours have had to sign a new contact. We've only had it all installed apx 2 Wks ago, they had to get it all connected by Aug 3rd i think. To qualify for a higher tariff, so not sure what benefits are at moment £. Also I'm not prepared to pay £495 when I've been told. Its completely free. Otherwise may as well use that money towards buying a system myself.

EricMears

You clearly weren't expecting to pay £495 under your previous contract and you certainly shouldn't even think of paying it now. Not sure how much you expect to save each year but I'd have thought that such a payment would wipe out any gains for at least the first couple of years or maybe even longer.

I'd be inclined to tell them you're quite happy with the existing contract and that you want nothing to do with any company purporting to replace the one you chose to deal with.

furndire

I agree with EricMears - I certainly would not sign a contract & then pay for the privilege - tell them where to stick it. They are effectivly claiming your "free" electricity back from you.

The greedy barstewards - they will get ample money from the 25 years of FiT payments they will receive.

Having the cheek to ask for £495 beggars belief

zeupater

Hi

The alternative is that if they want to introduce a new contract then look to renegotiate on your own terms .... you could look to ask them to pay £495 as a gesture of goodwill to cover your own administration time and get them to agree to cover the costs of your legal advice on any new contract too .... either way I'd not pay any cost which wasn't in the original contract - they've always got the option to come along and remove the panels if they don't like what you've asked, then you could quite simply charge them for 25 years of lost electricity savings from the existing contract terms ....

I'd be pretty sure that you hold the moral, legal and financial high ground, whilst they've simply screwed-up somewhere in their own funding administration and are attempting to dig themselves out of a hole ...

HTH
Z

griffen76

Thanks for all advice and comments, I'm hopeing to get a clearer indication of what the crack is tomorrow when I speak to both company's. Keep you posted

penrhyn

Mmnn, at least !!!!!! Turpin wore a mask.