DEAN DUNHAM
IN RECENT years solar panels have been popping up on household roofs all over the country. Some people buy into solar panels in the belief that they are helping to reduce their carbon footprint, but most are motivated by the belief that they will save money on their energy bills and even increase the value of their house. However, as these readers have found, these are all misconceptions.
‘I’M NOT SAVING MONEY’
READER Simon Billingham paid £18,995 to have solar panels installed on the roof of his house. After nine months he carried out an analysis of his bills to see how much he was saving and was shocked at the outcome.
He calculated it would take in excess of 90 years to get his money back let alone to start actually saving money.
My view is that this should have clearly been explained to him and, on the basis that it wasn’t, the solar panels were mis-sold to Simon.
‘MY HOUSE IS UNSALEABLE’
ROGER HARPOLE purchased solar panels for his house in 2017 after a salesman knocked at his door.
During the sales pitch the salesman explained that if Roger entered into what he called an ‘assignment and lease agreement’ that the installation would be free.
After hearing that it wouldn’t cost him any money, Roger swiftly agreed and within 30 minutes he had signed the agreement. The installation was completed within a few months of the contract being signed and so far as Roger was concerned it was a great deal.
In February this year Roger put his house up for sale. He very quickly received an offer. However, when Roger’s solicitors disclosed the assignment and lease agreement the buyer pulled out, as their mortgage company refused to provide a mortgage on a house where the roof had been leased out to a third party (the solar company).
This caused Roger’s solicitor to look closely at the agreement. He discovered that i) the solar panel company had leased the roof of the house for 70 years, meaning it had partial control over the house. ii) Roger had signed over the rights to all savings generated from the panels for 70 years and iii) Roger had agreed to pay a maintenance charge, every three years, in the sum of £2,500. This was for the solar panel company to clean and maintain the panels.
Following this it was concluded that the house was either unsaleable or Roger would need to slash the price.
I’ve advised Roger that it is highly likely that he can get out of this contract as he clearly entered into it following misrepresentations from the solar panel company. He also clearly did not know about all of these provisions in the contract, which is a breach of the Consumer Rights Act.
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