Free solar panels coming to an end
Why would a solar panel company install on your home for free? Rent-a-roof is designed to make money from your home. Feed-in tariffs are intended to reward early adopters.
This type of practice will soon be outlawed under new proposals. Basically, they were taking advantage of homeowners who can’t afford to buy solar panels.
Companies making such offers sparked a flurry of enthusiasm, but most participants are unaware of the pitfalls.
Vows to stop such practices have been made by industry regulators. Personally, I’ve always advised people to install themselves – if they can. I want people to receive the feed-in tariff reward for themselves and profit themselves.
Don’t let others take your reward – claim it for yourself.
Once you’ve signed a contract with a free solar panel company, your roof space will contractually belong to others for the next 20 years. If during this time you decide to sell your home, it’ll mean other peoples solar panels will deter buyers.
People take-up these ‘free solar panel offers’ for the promise of free electricity.
This situation allows the lion’s share of the power to be exported to the National Grid, and profit from the export generation tariff. There are rumors that candidates are chosen based on the amount of time they away from the house.
Not all ‘free solar panel companies’ work this way, but it reflects poorly on the whole industry. We welcome this change in governmental policy that returns the feed-in tariff incentive back to homeowners.
Invest yourself, and prevent investment companies from taking your reward profits! We encourage the installing of solar panels for every homeowner.
The advantages are:
- 10-15% return-on-investment.
- Increase in property value.
- Saving on your power for 30-40 years.
- Charge electric vehicle for free.
Free energy in this crazy world can be very tempting.
Hi Andrew
The article was written at a time period (20 Sep 2011) when ‘free solar panels’ were a new phenomenon. So putting the article into this time period makes absolute sense.
The feed-in tariff scheme was originally mean’t as an incentive for homeowners investing. One of the unintended consequences that was not envisioned was the emergence of rent-a-roof companies springing up.
Unfortunately, this put incredible strain on the fit’s scheme and the incentive rate was forced to be reduced many times to today’s current levels.
I am unashemedly, on the side of the homeowner beneffiting from the incentive scheme as it was originally intended, rather than commercial companies.
I am proud to tell people to install the technology themselvves if they can afford it. If you really want to make solar panels affordable, then you increase adoption rates to bring down the cost to all. Something I concede that free solar has done since I originally wrote the article 😉
This article is fictional. No doubt to benefit the writers commercial interests and not the genuine interests of his readers.
Free Solar Panel installs equate to nearly one third of all weekly UK installs. More often than not, its people who CANNOT afford to pay for the panels that have them installed for free, helping those people save money. Yes, the company paying for the panels make money on the FiT, but if the government really wanted to do anything about fuel poverty then they should install panels for free in all areas of depravation.
Stuart, you should correct this articles errors, or hang your head in shame.
Paul
I am really glad your mother got a good deal and found a good company, but as previously stated not all companies are equally ethical and many of these companies are funded by investment companies which expect a quick return on investment.
Yes, some will stay around for the long term, but many wanting a quick profit won’t. I have promoted the solar industry for six years way before solar panels became fashionable, but I have always done it from side of the home owner and not the companies who’s only priority is the bottom line.
thats not right , its the 31p they want if you look at the figures 75% of free deals have been taken up by the retired population , those that benifit most , the company my mum used say 85 % are at home retired , why are you trying to put people off , bar humbug , you clearly got your facts from the back of a milk carton. The majority of working people generally dont take the free offer ( according to mums company ) as it is not benificial , although some have saved on gas using the immersion heater instead of gas, and time switches. Also i have found 23 companies still doing frees in the new year as a 7% return is still a good return , lastly would you invest £5,000 ( typical cost to install free system ) to help someone and wait 7 years now to see a return , noone minds companies making money , by your reasoning noone should buy anything if a company makes money , what about your mortgage , is that a good deal ? how much do the mortgage companies make ? get a grip mate , and everyone else go for it !!!!!
No they dont , you wouldnt be able to name one because its the 30p they want , you clearley dont know much about the industry stuart , and there still 3 companies i know of still doing the frees , because 7% return is still a very good return , so nothing has stopped , you should try to get your facts straight before trying to create a guise , pretending to help people , not all homeowners can afford to buy , a 7% return over 25 years is good profit , but its also a good deal for the customers , no one minds a company making 25,000 over 25 years if you can get access to free elec , i think you think the general poublic is stupid , everyone knows the companies make money , by your reasoning , no one should buy or have anything that makes a company money , would you invest £5,000 pounds to help someone and wait 5 years before you make a profit ? no you wouldnt, go for it everyone stuart hasnt got a clue in my opinion , ive seen this work for my mum , bar humbug to you stewy .
Some solar companies (not all) do vet the homes they install to to giving priority over those that are not at home during the daytime hours.
£1,000 over 25 years may not sound allot but when you are installing these systems in their thousands or tens of thousands, those pounds quickly mount up to more profit for the installer and as these types of companies are in it for profit and not for the goodness of their hearts.
Forthcoming changes to the feed in tariffs have now put a stop to this type of practice.
Stuart you are talking rubbish ! it matters not what you use, as the companies who fit free panels get paid on every unit you generate, whether you use it or not ! so it does not matter how much of the free electricity you use ! the feed in ,is only paid at 1.5p per unit not used , a very small proportion of the current 30p (ish) for the rest of it .
As the electricity boards have not fitted the smart meters necessary , they assume that you only use half ( maximum) so this extra 1.5p makes up less than a £1000 over the entire 25 years. My mother who is elderly and at home all day , had her direct debit cut from 27 a month to 9 a month , so be careful what you advise , working familys out till dark , can use time switches, also if you have a emersion heater you can put it on a timer all day and save money on gas , trust me i have seen it for myself with my mother , i say go for it !!!!!
Thanks Stuart that makes it clearer for the non technical of us.
Regards Ian.
Hi Mr Leggett
To answer your question, ‘daylight’ is caused by ‘sunlight’ which is made up of light waves and solar particles hitting the earth. Solar panels work by using the particles hitting the panels and in photovoltaic’s case produces electrons which are gathered and routed, then used.
Solar heating panels work differently as the particles are trapped, accumulated and this accumulation build up into heat.
Thank you for your contributions.
Quotes from trusted installers who use Kingspan equipment can be found on our website at: https://www.powermyhome.uk/pv-solar-panels-quotes.htm
Hope this helps
I have bookede a survey from Arun who are local to me and are recommended by my local Council. Arun do work on housing association and Council property. I intend to get the answer I need, Is it daylight or sunlight which gives the electricity. They have replied verbally that daylight is the source. I need to see proof.
If you are in Suffolk there are two good established companies who are known over many years as being reliable and although I donot wish to knock new companies with the best intentions it is a costly mistake when you make it as I have already found through choosing the wrong solar water and heating suppplier and manufacturer, namely Britannic Energy and Rotex both now non existent. (and they were approved by the Energy Saving Trust)
Regards Ian.
I had a survey from homesun awaiting result. But would prefer
somehow (safer?) a survey from my supplier Scottish and southern. The question is many many homes willl not have configuration of roof to qualify. So if your roof is ok what’s wrong – you are chosen!!
And what about those in the arctic north. Nobody is going to walk the streets with a compass in hand looking for potential south facing roofs.
I had an offer from EON to install for £99. I filled in questionnaire online an used Google map to identify the bungalow and it was approved online. I was told a survey would be booked within 14 days. 7 days later we had a phone call frrom EON saying we were not eligible as we were 9 degrees off course. Having had 3 companies to survey already who stated we were ideally situated, and had solar panels for water already which gives us the hot water we need from April to October I find this hard to accept. I have asked them for a more detailed explanation but they have not replied. I thought the PV ran on daylight and not necessarily suunlight, and we get as much daylight as anyone else in the South East. So perhaps free offers are not free unless they suit the installer.
Regards Ian.
Thanks Stuart, have advised my mother against it, not because I don’t like solar panels, but because they want a £100 off of her and I don’t like the idear of them owning the roof space for the next 25 years.
Mary
Hi
Think you miss understand the point of the article which is to give two points of view regarding this subject matter.
Usually people would only hear one point of view and that is from a hungry commission driven sales person, who only has one objective. To get you to sign up.
We believe that people need a second point of view from which they can make their own judgement.
As for the fits, just like ‘solar farms’ which would have bankrupt the scheme by only letting rich investors claim the lions share of the feed in tariff scheme budget.
The government is protecting the scheme which means it gets distributed to the many and not just a few already fat cats.
Hello Stuart,
i am surprised by this! of course it is better for anyone to pay for the solar panels themselves! anyone who says otherwise is to be avoided of course, but the free solar install offers available are an absolute godsend. if the financial organisations are willing to pay for this why shouldnt they make a profit? and by doing this they are potentially bringing thousands out of fuel poverty and enabling them to benefit from lots of free energy. no one who has been ‘sold’ the free roof correctly would allow this if they are out of the house all day. this will benefit thousands of elderly and families with young children who are in during the day. i think it is exceptionally foolish of you to give this opinion – you could cause a family in need to avoid this when it could mean the difference between affording thier bills and not over the coming years. i particularly dislike the ‘rumour’ aspect. If you are going to comment i really don’t think rumour should come into it. Why don’t you name and shame these companies if they exist? And as for the FIT’s being there to reward the householder – it is there to reward investment and in this current climate many people cannot afford £10k – any investment at the moment should be welcomed. The FIT’s was aimed at stimulating the industry and ensuring that we have more installation companys to bring down the price of solar for the future – maybe this is something that you don’t want?