‘Free’ Solar Panels - The Fallout

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

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6175592/free-solar-panels-the-fall-out#latest

ElephantBoy57

Not much interest. I have free solar panels, which were installed by Better Homes Yorkshire. I get free electricity and the installer got the FIT. I haven't sold my house, so no problems.

I don't know how much money I save due to the free electricity, I have eight panels, I guess it will be between £100-£200 per year.

DiggerUK

I am not a fan of financial advisors. But whenever they comment on the selling techniques employed by the Solar Panel Racketeers, it is usually along the lines that they would be barred from providing financial services, products and advice.

The money saving value of solar panels is -0< The added problem is at house sale time. They add no value to the house, and can be an incumbent to a sale..._

tattyasha

You’re definitely right. Since my last post I’ve found out a LOT more and I’m fairly certain the whole thing wouldn’t stand up in court. If I can pull it all together I suspect, legally, they may have to remove the panels and void the lease although I’m not 100%. If my hunch is right though, pretty much anyone who signed up to the solar lease with HomeSun could legitimately take action against them.
For starters the sales literature implies they increase the value of houses yes their small print states the opposite. The rest of the sales literature is equally misleading and contradictory. 

The contract is significantly more beneficial to the company so possible Unfair Terms. 

They assert to mortgage lender in the CML letter (use a template) that they make customer aware of the potential impact to house value and should seek legal advice but can’t support process was followed... 
So many issues in addition, they’re just a couple off the top of my head. But definitely consumer law, Misrepresentation, Advertising Standards... to name a few. 

DiggerUK

Thanks for the honest response. It amazes me that such anti money saving exercises are given free reign on MSE. 

The costs to those of us who don't swallow the guff is one thing, the costs to those like yourself who have become a victim of this racket are coming to light more often now.

This report does not include the costs to victims of the Green Racketeers..._
Most common solar panel problems 

Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/06/most-common-solar-panel-problems-and-how-to-solve-them/ - Which?

tattyasha

I would just like to say I’m not one of the numpties that swallows the guff lol, I have to sort out picking up the pieces because my grandparents who were in their mid-80s did

DiggerUK

I suspect that if the inverter 'mysteriously' stopped working, or some other 'mysterious' problem happened then they would be round in a flash to repair.
Only problem is it would deprive you of the 'free' electricity.......something for 'free'!....... I've heard that elsewhere..._

tattyasha

Oh yes all that wonderful ‘free’ electricity haha. Such a bargain. Sign up, for free, no cost to you whatsoever (unless you seek legal advice which we supposedly tell you to do but then it wouldn’t be free so we’ll just pretend we did that bit), then try and sell your house within the 25 years we’ve tied you down for and you’ll have to pay for a Deed of Variation which is even more restrictive than the first contract and nobody in their right mind would agree to so the only way to be free is to pay £25k to have them removed. Love a freebie!