If you feel you were mis-sold solar panels for your home you could claim compensation.
Back in 2019, it was reported that the Financial Ombudsman Service had around 2000 complaints from unhappy customers who felt they had been mis-sold their solar panels, with more coming in every week.
In fact, most of these complaints were centred around solar panel installations funded by 3 loan providers, including those backed by the financial giant Barclays.
Close to one million homes in the UK have had solar panels fitted and, thankfully, the majority of those homeowners feel they represent good value as well as being eco-friendly.
Thousands of pounds are being refunded to those who were mis-sold solar panels and, in many cases, it is the financial institutions that underwrote the loans who are having to settle claims for mis-selling.
So, if you funded your solar panels via a loan, credit agreement or by credit card, you may still be able to make a claim even if the original installers have gone out of business.
In this guide we’ll explain how to tell if you were mis-sold, what information you need to claim, what compensation you could receive and where to get free, no obligation advice to start your claim.
Are You Eligible To File A Mis-sold Solar Panels Claim?
There are several factors that determine if you are entitled to file a claim for compensation and they are given as follows:
- During sales discussions, you were given incorrect information about the amount of money you could earn or save and/or the performance of the solar panels.
- You paid a deposit or purchased solar panels via a financial agreement or credit card.
- You purchased your solar panels less than six years ago.
- The solar panels were wrongly installed or are faulty.
- You have noticed a deficit between the finance repayments and the purported savings (feed-in-tariff and energy bill reduction) but the company never advised you about this.
- You feel you were pressurised to purchase solar panels.
What Could Compensation Look Like?
If you believe you were pressurised or misled into buying solar panels, one of the two following compensation routes may be applicable:
1) Rescission:
This is usually the major solution in cases of this kind. In rescission, the contract between you and the solar panel supplier is ended immediately and all the money you’ve spent is paid back to you. Note that rescission is only possible if the company readily admits their liability.
2) Claim For Damages:
Here, the contract is not stopped. Instead, you file a compensation to claim the unfulfilled benefits that you were promised by the solar panel supplier.
Knowing what to claim as compensation will depend on the uniqueness of your case. Here are some outcomes to guide you:
- Reviewing the financial agreement, for instance, freezing or reducing the interest
- Compensation for the money paid for the solar panels
- Recovery of interest on money paid for the solar panels
- Uninstalling the solar panel system at no cost to you
- Writing off future payments under a financial agreement drafted by the company
Important Information That Is Useful When Making a Solar Panels Claim
When you’ve made up your mind to file for compensation, you will have to submit some important information that will be used as evidence, and they could include the following:
- A copy of the solar panel company’s website
- Copies of receipts for initial deposit for the solar panels
- Copies of receipts for future solar panel payments or copies of your bank statements
- Copies of all sales material given to you by the solar panel company including scribbled sums and brochures
- Copies of all quotations and agreements given to you by the company
- Copies of all your electricity bills for the 12 months before you installed the solar panels
- Copies of all your electricity bills for the 12 months after you installed the solar panels
- Copies of any financial agreement you signed to buy the solar panels
- A summary of the benefits the company promised you will gain from the solar panel, written in your own words
If you don’t have any of the receipts listed above; as long as you purchased the solar panels within the past six years, your financial provider is expected to keep records of such transactions. In that case, you can give your solicitor permission to obtain the required copies using a Data Subject Action Request (DSAR).
Mis Sold Solar Panels FAQ:
1) Can You Claim For Mis Sold Solar Panels?
Yes. Many homeowners have found that their solar panels are not providing them with the financial benefits promised by the companies who sold them.
In fact, some customers are facing mounting debts to pay for the initial loan, whilst also not receiving the cheaper bills or energy subsidies they were promised. If this sounds familiar, Claims Compass may be able to help you.
2) My Solar Panels Are Not Producing Enough Power What Can I Do?
Homeowners across the country are facing mounting energy bills, and those who were led to believe installing solar panels would bring them financial benefits are starting to question whether they are fit for purpose or not.
The solar panels may be faulty, incorrectly installed, or simply mis-sold on properties that do not get enough hours of sunlight to generate the power needed to make them financially viable. If you are experiencing lower than promised returns, get in touch, we may be able to help you recover your losses.
3) My Solar Panels Are Not Reducing Our Bill / My Solar Panels Not Saving Money What Are My Options?
Sadly, this is a problem affecting many homeowners around the UK, where they are simply not receiving the financial benefits they were led to believe they would, when they originally signed up for the solar panels.
Did you know that several high street banks who associated themselves with solar panel companies, and underwrote the loans, have set aside millions of pounds in a fund ready to compensate mis-sold solar panel customers? If you believe this happened to you, get in touch and find out if you have a valid claim.
4) My Solar Panels Aren’t Working
If your solar panels are not reducing your electricity bills or providing you with the financial subsidies that you were originally promised by the company who sold them to you, you may be eligible for compensation.
The solar panel industry is yet another of those currently embroiled in a mis-selling scandal. Some companies are reported to have over-inflated the financial benefits, employed pressure selling tactics, or installed them in inappropriate locations, all of which may give rise to a valid claim. Let us guide you through the process.
5) The Company That Sold The Solar Panel To Me Has Gone Out Of Business – Can I Still Make A Claim?
Yes, you can still file a claim. The Consumer Credit Act Section 75 offers legal protection to customers who have bought products worth more than one hundred pounds with either a credit card or a financial agreement. In other words, since the law holds the financial provider or credit card company responsible for any grievance you have about the defunct company, your claim will be filed against them.
6) How Much Should I Expect As Compensation?
Every mis-sold solar panel claim is dependent on a variety of factors which makes them all unique. Thus, it is impossible to come up with a general compensation figure from the outset, however an indication is likely to be given once a successful claim progresses.
Mis-Sold Solar Panels Compensation: Next Steps And Getting Free Advice
Making a claim is your right if you were mis-sold solar panels and if you’d like to get your claim started use the form below to arrange a free, no-obligation call from a claims advisor today.
