Domestic battery - we've been scammed, looking for advice.

edleeds

Has anyone had the following experience or similar? Any advice? We've pretty much given up hope, but maybe just maybe someone can point us in the right direction.

10+ years ago, we had solar panels installed on our property. They've been great, really worthwhile, zero complaints there.

However, in 2019, a company called Free Green Energy Solutions (freegreenenergysolutions.co.uk) contacted us. They suggested we buy a big domestic battery, to work in conjunction with our solar panels. We'd already been thinking about this, and they made grand promises about the scheme. Just as we'd benefitted from the FIT payments on the solar panels, they said it'd be the same on the battery.

Specifically, the key 'fact' that persuaded us to buy into the product was the assurance that they gave us, about (quote) 'guaranteed annual benefit'. This was quoted at £800+ per year, over 20-25 years, if the savings* earnt via the battery didn't reach that level each year.

Free Green Energy did the installation, then handed us over to Social Energy (social.energy). The finances have panned out as follows...

We used to pay about £500 per year on electric. Since having the battery installed, we're now paying about £300 per year (reduced because the system reduces our demand on the grid). Plus we earn a further £4-8 (let's average it out at £6) per month on grid payments (when we put surplus energy into the grid - this is on the top of the energy the solar panels put into the grid). Let's call it £75 income per year.

So we're getting £275 per year income/savings per year. Well under the £800 level. But where is the 'guaranteed annual benefit'? Nowhere. Free Green Energy refuse to get back to us. Social Energy tell us it's nothing to do with them. We've not found a law firm willing to take it on. We didn't pay on Visa Credit, so can't claim via them. We spoke with EPVS (epvs.co.uk), but our installation was never registered with them, so they can't get involved (that's a key failing - can we nail Free Green Energy on that?). We spoke with HIES (hiesscheme.org.uk), but fractionally after the two year warranty period (delays due to COVID), so they couldn't help.

Maybe it's too late. We've essentially found it really hard to stay motivated, and this has slid over years. Maybe we're screwed. But if someone can rescue us with some advice or support, that'd be amazing.

Many thanks. Ed in Leeds

QrizB

Welcome to the forum.

What does your contract say? Who is it with? Is there an explicit clause that says you'll save £800 a year, and does it say what happens if you don't?

Out of interest, what battery did you buy and how much did you pay for it?

Swipe

How much was your battery?

Keep_pedalling

I don’t see how you could possibly save £800 pa if you were only spending £500 pa in the first place. Any savings you make is also going to be effected by the dramatic increase in electricity prices that have occurred since you had them installed. Had you not had the batteries installed you would be paying substantially more than £500 pa now.

Having said that any savings quoted by a salesman need# to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

[Deleted User]

Just as we'd benefitted from the FIT payments on the solar panels, they said it'd be the same on the battery.

Had the battery been installed inbetween the solar inverter and the generation meter then increased exports as recorded by the generation meter would have resulted in your array being removed from the FIT Scheme.

You can increase your payments by agreeing to forego deemed exports under the FIT Scheme in favour of actual payments for exported energy under the SEG Scheme. I am currently on Octopus’ Flux tariff and I am paid up to 32p/kWh for exports: this includes electricity exported to the Grid from any battery. (With the caveat that most suppliers reserve the right to exclude payments for brown electricity from a battery.)

If this is a contractual issue then you would be well advised to get advice from a solicitor rather than looking for support on a forum. 

QrizB

Keep_pedalling said:

I don’t see how you could possibly save £800 pa if you were only spending £500 pa in the first place.

Social Energy customers often had a control box installed that allowed Social Energy to charge and discharge the battery remotely. This then enabled them to contract with National Grid to provide grid services, and these payments could be significant.

Social Energy batteries used to crop up quite frequently on the "Green and Ethical" forum for these reasons.