Thousands saddled with huge repayments after being conned into purchasing underperforming solar panels

Customers say they feel “ripped off” after being promised returns that have never materialised.

Thousands of UK residents have been left out of pocket through faulty and underperforming solar panels in what is now a growing mis-selling scandal.

In an increasingly environmentally friendly world, solar panels are often seen as a useful way to reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by generating their own electricity. In reality, many have been left stranded with up to £15,000 of debt and inadequate solar panels.

The solar panels are sold using high-pressure sales techniques on the promise that they will generate a surplus of electricity for the customer. This electricity will then be put back into the national grid, meaning the customer will benefit financially from the Feed In Tariff (FIT).

Employees of the solar panel companies would promise customers that they would receive enough money from the FIT payments to cover the cost of the finance taken out to cover the initial cost of the solar panels.  If, for example, the finance repayments were £100, the FIT payments would be £120, earning customers an extra £20 a month. These FIT payments have often never materialised.

Sarah from Bolton said that he was told his solar panels would “pay for themselves” only to find that the returns were actually less than half of what was promised.

I was very disappointed with the solar panels. After being promised returns to cover my finance bill I found this to be incorrect and have been lumped with a large monthly bill myself.

SolarClaims.co.uk have already helped thousands of people who have felt trapped in finance agreements that can last anywhere between 15 to 25 years. If it is proven that the panels were mis-sold, customers can receive compensation from the lender who financed the solar panels. Barclays Bank have already put aside £38m to deal with potential mis-selling claims.

Solar legal specialist at SolarClaims.co.uk, Barbara McHugh, has seen an increase in vulnerable individuals being targeted. She stated:

Many of our clients have been pushed into a finance agreement without all of the available information or, in some cases, with out of date figures.

Pushy salesmen are leaving thousands in the UK with huge monthly repayments and solar panels that aren’t performing to their promised standard.

Customers are protected if they have purchased the solar panels using a finance agreement, even if the solar panel firm has ceased trading. Compensation can reimburse any initial investment, any remaining balance of the finance agreement, and also cover the cost to remove the solar panels.

For more information contact support@solarpanels.co.uk