Solar panel fit payments

MWT

I suspect you fall into this category:

"Consumers could pay for the cost of installing solar panels either with a loan like the Green Deal or by transferring ownership of their FIT to the installer. HELMS might have got customers to do both, which might have been unnecessary."

Sounds like they stuck you for the price with the loan and had you transfer the FIT payments elsewhere...

Getting that back is not going to be easy as you'll have to prove you were conned, or buy back the FIT rights from their current owner, which may not be financially viable.

northy1927

I have 16 panels either side of the roof after going through the ombudsman I only had to pay £900 to own the panels that are worth £8000

MWT

northy1927 said:

I have 16 panels either side of the roof after going through the ombudsman I only had to pay £900 to own the panels that are worth £8000

That's good and bad, good that you own them now but bad in that for an installation of that size it is more likely that they could have legitimately had you assign the FIT payments to help cover the costs...

tim_p

northy1927 said:

I have 16 panels either side of the roof after going through the ombudsman I only had to pay £900 to own the panels that are worth £8000

They might have cost £8000 at installation but not sure what you’ve actually got for your £900.  Without the FIT it’s going to take you a few years to get that 900 back by making use of the power generated.  The FIT, if you could get it may well pay that £900 off in just over a year.

[Deleted User]

I think that the 6.96% interest rate on what appears to be a 25 year loan might have been one of the reasons why the FIT payments were assigned.

https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/why-did-the-green-deal-fail/

MWT

... and the fact that the calculated maximum amount you could finance included the interest as well so it was all too easy to end up with a large shortfall between the installation costs and the green finance, hence the need to assign the FIT payments to help cover it...

northy1927

Thanks for all your help I have sent emails to gdfc and ombudsman to see where I stand and how to get the mcs certificate 👍

[Deleted User]

northy1927 said:

Thanks for all your help I have sent emails to gdfc and ombudsman to see where I stand and how to get the mcs certificate 👍

If the FITs have been properly and legally assigned, then you have no legal right to the MCS Certificate. Even if you had it in your possession, then you cannot claim FITs or SEG payments if FITs are already being paid to A N Other: there has to be a legal transfer. Have you looked through all the documentation that you received when you took out your Green Deal loan? 

The whole sorry saga was discussed in Parliament but there appears not to have been any resolution regarding assigned FIT payments.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-10-23/debates/94480CA1-844C-45B2-BEF6-B6F2725E0A7B/HELMSAndTheGreenDeal

This article is also relevant:

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-6595453/Victims-solar-sharks-talked-giving-right-make-money-solar-panels.html

The Ofgem comment at the bottom of the link indicates where you probably stand.

Edit:

OP if you are really bored then have a read of this as it is relevant to the situation that you now find yourself in:

https://www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/5f0fe3942c94e065efde0013

Tallerdave

On a positive note, if you really do own the panels, could you rip them down and install new ones?

MWT

Tallerdave said:

On a positive note, if you really do own the panels, could you rip them down and install new ones?

You’d have to check the agreement under which the FIT payments were assigned for any obligations to maintain the current installation for a period of time...