Problem with "GreenDeal" solar panel intall and agreement

[GaryP32]

Hi Everyone,

Back in 2015 we we "sold" the idea of having solar panels installed under a Gov backed Green Deal scheme, that we would pay for over a number of years, and a 3rd party would keep up the running and maintenance of the panels if they keep the feed in payments.

All went well, as far as I thought, and we've had no contact with the company since they were installed, Electricity bills have been reduced and the hole thing was just put to the back of our minds.

So, out of the blue I receive a letter from an unknown (at the time) company asking for us to sign an agreement so they are able to transfer the feed in payments to another company.

This is where it all starts to unravel and become a real worry now for us.

[des8]

so what happened then?

[GaryP32]

oh, ok.

I have never heard of, Solar O&M, saying that we need to sign some paperwork so they can transfer the FIT payments to as yet un named company, and if we do this right away we will be sent a £100 voucher. Immediately I thought there was something fishy, then within the paperwork to sign is what is alleged to be a copy of my original paperwork. This is a similar form to my original with same date I signed but to a different company that, and the signatures, including mine, don't match the original. The sender of the letter included a mobile number (that never is answered) and an email, so I have contacted him about this.
He went on and on about the voucher, the need for the signature is so Solar O&M can transfer the FIT to an as yet un named utility company. I questioned him about the paperwork and he agreed the forms "look to have different signatures" even though they are both dated the same.

So digging round further and getting ourselves more worried, I find that the original company Sun Spirit went into liquidation, however they have forged the transfer form to another company called Ecossol PV ltd and dated it the same date that we signed up with Sun Spirit! Now I find that in September of the same year this Ecossol have then transferred the panels over to Solar O&M, without any contact with myself or paperwork to prove this. I also find that they have the same registered address and same director.

To top his all off, I cant find any evidence of any "green deal" taken out, it was explained at the time "you will pay slightly more per kwh, but the saving will easily outweigh the costs" yes, I know we sound naïve, looking back a bit stupid too.

I have went through to CAB who have logged it all and passed to trading standards, but they didn't sound hopeful or offer any advice really. I have spoken to Ofgem, who just passed me onto Consumer Direct, who again have logged it. So we really are stuck and worried that we are about to be hit with a massive install bill or similar.

Any advice is welcome, and apologies it is quite long winded.

[GaryP32]

So, I have checked land registry, no loans attached to our property.

I have found out the original green deal application loan didn't get processed at all, it got as far as agreed, then it was cancelled and nothing was paid out.

The company that we sign paperwork for the deal also went into liquidation years ago.

[GaryP32]

Appreciate any pointers on this. Thanks.

[des8]

Very confusing!!
sun spirit were the original company who installed the panels and the went into liquidation?
They were meant to be paid by a loan which was never actually provided
Did you ever actually pay anyone?
a different company would see to maintenance in return for FiT?
Is any one maintaining the panels?
liquidators not been in touch?

[GaryP32]

Very confusing!!
Yes, very. We have not suspected there were any issues, until this letter.

sun spirit were the original company who installed the panels and the went into liquidation?
Yes, they did the install, we signed the agreement and "loan" agreement through them. We have had no contact at all from them since then. They had the FIT payments as far as we knew, however paperwork appears to show they have transferred the FIT payment to a company called Ecossol, and have forged my signature, and the date on that paperwork is the same date that I signed with Sun Spirit, so it "appears" that Sun Spirit never had the FIT payments at all?

They were meant to be paid by a loan which was never actually provided
My understanding of how it works is, We take out the "Green Deal loan" which against the property, and is paid back by a slight increase in the kwh we pay to energy supplier. They installed the panels, and provide maintenance etc as long as they keep the FIT payments. We had the option to "buy" the FIT payments for a fee of around 3k.

Did you ever actually pay anyone?
Before all this kicked off I would say yes, as above, we were told it would be covered by a "slight increase in kwh paid to energy supplier" however after digging round and finding out the dodgy dealings, it appears the "loan" was never paid out, so the actual panels have not had a penny paid off as yet.

a different company would see to maintenance in return for FiT?
Yeh, Although we signed up and agreed that Sun Spirit would keep the FIT, the payments were transferred to Ecossol on the same day (with forged signatures) and they in turn Transferred them over to Solar O&M later in the year, but I have no signatures or original paperwork to explain this transaction. I do know they share same registered address, and same director, according to companies house. Werther this is an issue or not I have no idea.

Is any one maintaining the panels?
According to Mr Gilbert, who is representing Solar O&M, who is trying to get me to sign this latest paperwork, whoever "holds" the FIT is responsible for the maintenance and warranty on the panels. I asked him why then has no one came out to service/inspect them since, and he advises it is because they provide "re active" support, in that if the panels are working, they don't attend

liquidators not been in touch?
I am no expert on this, far from it, but from what I have seen is that Sun Spirit passed on the FIT before they went into liquidation, so in theory I had no contract with them.
Green Deal Express, who we signed the Green Deal agreement with, never actually processed the loan. They recorded the application, and that it was "cancelled". They went into liquidation also, and a company called GDFC "green deal finance company" took over their assets. I rang them, they confirmed they have a record of my application and it's listed as "cancelled" nothing paid out or owed on it.

Thank you again for any help or advice.

The more I dig into this the more worrying it is becoming.

[des8]

So you signed an agreement to install solar panels.
The installer acted as broker to obtain finance .....were they registered as credit brokers?

The installer goes ahead before the finance is in place.
As they were linked (installation dependent on finance) IMO there would be problems for anyone who tried to claim the installation costs from you now.
So I cannot see the liquidators of Sun Spirit trying to recover installation costs from you, especially if you haven't been notified that the liquidators are hunting down assets.
Obviously there is no loan to be repaid.


I would be wary about signing over the FIT payments for 2 reasons
1) they aren't yours to sign over as you signed them to Sun Spirit. You don't own them and so cannot sign them over
2) never sign anything you think may be dodgy (just ask yourself why would they be offering a £100 sweetener to persuade you to sign over something you don't own)?


It looks like you have free solar panels, but no maintenance agreement
I wouldn't upset that arrangement

[GaryP32]

The whole "£100 voucher if you sign and return within 7 days" (offer) is what made me wary straight away, it sounded even more suspicious after I spoke to them and the voucher was mentioned a few times, more so than the actual panels.

Ofgem advise
"Where an installation is owned by a rent-a-roof company, we would expect there to be a signed ‘agreement’ between the relevant parties, i.e. the homeowner and the rent-a-roof company, such as a lease agreement, with the homeowner agreeing to rent their roof to the company for the purposes of installing solar PV panels. However, we are aware that in some instances solar PV installations are sold between companies, especially when companies go out of business. This change in ownership may not be communicated to the homeowner."

So I'm doing a SAR to Ofgem now to see what more I can find out.

Thanks again for the replies.

Cheers