Solar panels

System

Elaineb89 wrote: »

We are in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire
It's a 4kw
South facing.
Estimated over £103 a month
We paid £7995.

Rough calculation based on the back of an envelope.

Est. Generation 3600kWhs per year

FIT rate: £0.1438 per KWh

Export rate: £0.02 per KWh x 50%

Energy saved = 50% of 3600 or 1800 KWhs (£0.13 per kWh)

OR

£517 + £36 + £234 = £787 per annum or £66 per month

You really should have been given this information before any contracts were signed. What have you actually got from your installer?

Elaineb89

Today in the post we got a customer satisfaction form with the figures similar to what you stated other than that just info about applying feed in and info about the solar panels.

Elaineb89

It's linked to a Barclays loan and on a number of occasions I asked if the feed in would cover the loan repayments and was told that if we used all the feed in money to pay the loan then it would be cleared after 5 years rather than paying the just the monthly repayment of £103. Also because the first 2 loan repayments have to be paid before the feed in comes in we get a £250 high street voucher.

System

Have a read of the following:

http://www.recc.org.uk/pdf/consumer-code.pdf?t=201412131939

Para 5.4 states what you should have been given in the quotation.

Elaineb89

I will need to have a look through the paperwork but don't remember seeing a quote, my oh had been dealing with most of it. Looking back it was too good to be true should have looked into it further.

System

Elaineb89 wrote: »

I will need to have a look through the paperwork but don't remember seeing a quote, my oh had been dealing with most of it. Looking back it was too good to be true should have looked into it further.

Elaine - sit down with your OH and read paras 5.3 and 5.4 of the Code. Only you can decide whether you have a claim against the installer. If the Barclays Loan is as per other sites, you will cover the cost of the installation over 20 years but you will be paying something extra each month towards paying off what I believe is a 10 year loan. FIT payments do increase by RPI each year.

Elaineb89

We have read through that and are sure we have a claim, where do we start?

System

The Complaints Procedure is at paras 9.1 and 9.2. I think that I am right in saying that recent ENGLISH law change protects your right to go to law even if you follow the procedures above. You will need to check where you stand under SCOTTISH law.

I should add that I am not in anyway involved in PV solar, finance or the law. If you have any concerns about what to do then get proper legal/consumer advice.

Elaineb89

I was going to try citizens advice on Monday not sure where else to try for advice. Thanks for your help.

Martyn1981

Elaineb89 wrote: »

We are in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire
It's a 4kw
South facing.
Estimated over £103 a month
We paid £7995.

Hiya Elaine, thanks for the info.

Quick check of PVGIS and I got the same as Hengus ~3,600kWh pa (assuming little to no shading).

So income of 3,600*14.38p = £517.68
export (deemed at 50%) 1,800*4.77p = £85.86
leccy savings approx £120 (though many installers may suggest 50% of generation, but that would be very, very hard)

so approx total income in year 1 of £724 (£518 + £86 + £120).

That would be very good news if you'd paid cash between £6k and £7k*. But not so good at £8k with loan interest.

[*Lots of folk this year (on the Green & Ethical board) have been getting installs for less than £6k, but given your location, that may not be a fair comparison.]

I think Hengus is spot on and you now need to do some reading and thinking about this. That £103pm is a very specific figure, if you can argue that that is what you were told you'd get (from year 1) then it does sound like mis-selling.

@ Hengus. I'm sure I've read similar stories this year on MSE, and all/often mentioning Barclays loans (possibly just a coincidence). Would there be any comeback on Barclays if they are 'in-bed' with deals that seem to involve mis-selling ...... even if they are not, in any way, party to the actual act of mis-selling?

Mart.