Free solar panels - the fall out

tattyasha

Hi all!

I'm interested in seeing how many people have fallen foul to the free solar panels/rent-a-roof schemes of a few years ago. At the time they seemed great but I wonder how many people are now suffering as a result?

Seems to me that, in reality, people were tempted by this promise of cheaper electric at no cost to them yet, in reality, the savings were nominal and the companies installing them simply used people to make a fortune in FIT payments. 

As a result, some companies ran off with the money and disappeared, others, like HomeSun, flogged their portfolio to Aviva for £100m and the homeowners with the panels are now stuck with dodgy 25 year leases. They can't or struggle to sell the house, have to pay a fortune to buy out the lease, can't renovate or extend their properties and many other things. People were talked into setting up a new freehold on the airspace above their roof and creating a 25 year lease, fundamentally changing the ownership of their property and the air around it, with no legal advice. 

Many consumers are now pursuing claims for mis-sold solar panels because the savings they were enticed by never materialised, however, they bought the panels. What about those vulnerable, naive individuals who signed up to leases thinking they were onto a win and now are stuck?

Keen to know your experiences!

JJ_Egan

In what respect/ why / are you thinking of doing something ??

tattyasha

If enough people have been stung then yes, would certainly look to try and do something and raise awareness however, this has all stemmed from a personal situation that’s come to light over the past few days that I’m now in the midst of trying to resolve. 

My grandparents were in their mid 80s when it seems they were wowed by this freebie ‘government’ scheme. Was none of my business at the time being a grandchild but unfortunate circumstances have led to me becoming the beneficiary of their property. 

It seems trying to do any renovations or selling the property could pose significant issues and it’s already adding to mounting solicitor costs having to deal with 3 registered titles instead of 1. 

What will be will be for me as an individual but what concerns me is how many pensioners were sweet-talked into 25 year leases on their doorstep, for no real personal benefit, resulting in the legacy they leave being a potential minefield. Doesn’t seem right to me that people in their 80s were encouraged to make major legal amendments to the titles of their properties, lasting 25 years, purely for the financial gain to solar companies.
Not just pensioners affected though as I note some can’t get mortgages or sell etc but there is very little information out there. 

Need to sort my own situation, of course, but if anything I find can help others or we can act collectively to try and ensure people aren’t suffering financially then all the better for it!

ElephantBoy57

tattyasha said:

My grandparents were in their mid 80s when it seems they were wowed by this freebie ‘government’ scheme. Was none of my business at the time being a grandchild but unfortunate circumstances have led to me becoming the beneficiary of their property. 

Was it a Government scheme? I would not call it that, it was private companies giving homeowners some free electricity whilst the company providing the service retained the FIT.

Perhaps the system of rentaroof scheme only made a profit whilst the government set a high FIT rate?

tattyasha

It wasn’t a government scheme, you’re quite right, that’s why I put it in inverted commas. It was sold to people as a government scheme because they were making FIT payments. The scheme is still making these companies money and will do for 25 years, hence the duration of the leases. The people who have had the panels installed though don’t get much of a benefit, maybe save £100 a year on electricity but spend far more trying to overcome the hurdles when they want to sell the home or make changes

Hasbeen

tattyasha said:

It wasn’t a government scheme, you’re quite right, that’s why I put it in inverted commas. It was sold to people as a government scheme because they were making FIT payments. The scheme is still making these companies money and will do for 25 years, hence the duration of the leases. The people who have had the panels installed though don’t get much of a benefit, maybe save £100 a year on electricity but spend far more trying to overcome the hurdles when they want to sell the home or make changes

Perhaps this is the wrong forum you have posted in. For Green advice see below.

The Solar panel experts etc post here: Green & Ethical MoneySaving

JJ_Egan

  OP New post there now

Pugnomoly

Interested in this post as we signed up with HomeSun back in 2012...BIG mistake, HUGE! Caught in the free electricity trap, should of listened to the old quote “you don’t get anything for nothing”. 

You now have to have a special deed drawn up by your solicitor at the cost of £600 to be sent to land registry and attached to your deeds for the remainder of the 25 year lease agreement, in our case 15 more years, stating that part of the roof is leased out with solar panels.

Mortgage companies won’t loan to you without this deed...the small amount of money you get off your electric bill has been swallowed up by all these charges. Apparently the company owning the panels have added in a new clause 3.3 which there when we signed back in 2012, this clause makes it even more difficult when selling your property.

Anyone know what this 3.3 clause is, Aviva or Anesco whoever it is who owns them, added this clause long after we signed up.

Its a rip off mine field...

tim_p

Surely you’ve got a copy of the document you signed *without* the additional clause?

smjxm09

Slightly off topic but we know many people with pigeon problems due to having panels fitted.  The houses had to have scaffolding erected so wire mesh could be installed at the owners expense.