A Shade Greener – Mis‑sold Solar Lease, No Maintenance for 13 Years, Ofgem Issues

Naz22

Hi all,
I’m looking for advice and to share my experience in case it helps others.

Two properties in my family had solar panels installed by A Shade Greener around 13 years ago. We have recently discovered several serious issues:

1. The solar lease appears to have been mis‑sold

• The homeowner was told they were signing an “authorisation form” for installation.
• No one explained it was actually a 25‑year lease.
• No mention was made that the lease was with different companies (F7 LLP / F8 LLP), not the installer.
• No cooling‑off period was honoured.
• No translation or explanation was provided, despite limited English.
• The witness to the deed was a company representative, not independent.
• No copy of the lease was given at the time of signing.
• When we later requested it, the company refused unless we paid £180, even though consumers have a right to receive contract documents.

2. No maintenance for 13 years

Despite the company claiming they are responsible for maintenance:

• No inspections
• No cleaning
• No checks on wiring or panels
• No preventative work

When issues were reported, the company demanded £650 to repair them.

3. Severe pigeon infestation caused by the installation

The panels created gaps ideal for nesting. This has caused:

• Roof and gutter damage
• Heavy fouling
• Noise and health concerns

4. Ofgem ruling not being followed

Ofgem recently required the company to:

• Improve consumer protection
• Support landlords with bird/vermin guards
• Remove unfair terms
• Engage properly with ADR

However, the company’s recent email to us contradicts these commitments and tries to shift all responsibility onto the homeowner.

5. RECC has now reopened the complaint

RECC accepted a late ADR referral due to medical circumstances and is now pursuing the matter directly with the company.

Has anyone else experienced similar issues with A Shade Greener or their associated LLPs?
Any advice on next steps or similar cases would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Naz22

We also discovered that the homeowner (an 84‑year‑old pensioner with limited English) was not told at the time of signing that a lease was being created on the property. He believed he was simply signing an “authorisation form” to allow solar panels to be installed.

He was never told:

• That it was a 25‑year lease
• That the lease was with different LLP entities (F7 LLP / F8 LLP), not the installer
• That the agreement transferred rights over the roof space
• That he would be bound to long‑term obligations

He only discovered the existence of the lease years later, when issues began to arise.

When he asked for a copy of the lease, the company:

• Refused to provide it, and
• Demanded £180 for a copy

This is despite consumer law requiring that contract documents be provided upon request.

Combined with the fact that:

• No cooling‑off period was honoured
• No translation or explanation was provided
• The witness was a company employee, not independent
• No maintenance has been carried out for 13 years
• The company demanded £650 to repair issues they claim to be responsible for

…it raises very serious concerns about mis‑selling, unfair terms, and potential exploitation of a vulnerable elderly consumer.

Posting this in case others have had similar experiences or can offer advice.

Alderbank

You might find that after 13 years your claim for breach of contract has become time barred.

Which country was this?

Woodstok2000

Can you provide some more details around the issues you've raised - for example, you say:

• No cooling‑off period was honoured

Did you request cancellation within 14 days of signing the contract and the company refused? Was this done in writing?

• No translation or explanation was provided

Was one requested, and the company refused to provide it?

• The witness was a company employee, not independent

Where is the requirement for an independent witness documented? Is this a legal requirement?

• No maintenance has been carried out for 13 years

What maintenance was contracted to be performed?

• The company demanded £650 to repair issues they claim to be responsible for

Being responsible for repairs and doing them for free are not the same thing - what does the contract say about repair costs?

QrizB

A Shade Greener were one of the many solar PV "rent a roof" companies that proliferated during the earlier, more lucrative period of FIT tariffs.

Despite all the fine-sounding words that your LLM has added to your posts, the householder will definitely have been told that it was a 25-year lease and will have signed an agreement to that end.

ASG didn't "sell" the householder anything - on ythe contrary, the householder leased their roof to ASG - and so there's no case to claim for mis-selling.

Solar panels so not generally required maintenance, checks or cleaning. On the event of a malfunction (for example inverter failure) ASG will become aware when they check the generation meter readings and at that time might choose to repair the system.

Honestly, I don't know what you're looking to gain here but I don't see how you can possibly claim anything from ASG.

There are many other ASG threads on this board that you might like to review.

Ectophile

I believe that if they fail to tell you about your 14 day right to cancel, it's extended to a year and 14 days. But if the panels were installed 13 years ago, you have totally missed that one.

QrizB

For general information, here is Ofgem's report on its investigation and a linked report details what ASG have agreed to do.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/shade-greener-consumer-protection-investigation

QrizB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82036222#Comment_82036222

I'm not sure there ever was a 14-day right to cancel here, unless the original lease was agreed remotely (over the phone etc).

Here's the CAB guidance:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/changed-your-mind/cancelling-a-service-youve-arranged/

You also get this cooling-off period if you were approached by the business somewhere away from the business’s premises and the service costs £42 or more.

I don't think the householder was asked to pay anything? On the contrary, ASG were "paying" the householder with free solar electricity.

Unless anyone knows otherwise?

Alderbank

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82037090#Comment_82037090

I agree, I'm not sure either whether there was a 14 day cooling off period back then. The CAB guidance is OK but it relates to contracts set up fairly recently.

13 years ago predates both CCR2013 and CRA 2015 (the CCR actually came into force in June 2014)

Naz22

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82035574#Comment_82035574

England uk

Naz22

the time bar is now 15 years in the lease issue i had checked with a solicitor