Solar Panels

[tooj]

I have had a salesman at my door offering free solar panels.
His leaflet says his firm will supply, install and maintain them under a government scheme. I will not be asked to pay a single penny or provide any payment details.
This sounds to good to be true. As a pensioner I'm loathe to invite one of their consultants/surveyors into my house in case I am persuaded to sign something which will cost me in the future. Has anyone else have this experience and do they have any advice?
I was going to ask the council's Trading Standards but apparently because of budget cuts they no longer have a consumers advice line.

[paul1763]

they are normally totally free with you getting free electricity and them having the feed in tariff-- or the government backed scheme,you have to have an income of £15,000per year

[VHG]

NEVER deal with anyone who knocks on your door.

If you want any sort of product or service you phone up for it and arrange for them to come to your house.

This person is obviously only going to give you the good side and not the bad, don't risk it.

For example what if you want to sell the house in the future, what then?

[VHG]

Found this on the internet

Why do companies offer free solar panels?

Installation costs (including the cost of the panels themselves) range from £6,000 to over £10,000. If a company offers to install these pricey panels for free, you’d be forgiven for thinking ‘yes please’.

But these companies aren’t doing this out of the kindness of their hearts: although you’ll save some money with the electricity you use, it is the company that actually owns the panels, so it gets to keep all the income created by the FIT scheme, not you.

http://www.moneywise.co.uk/home-mortgage/improvements/six-things-to-consider-buying-solar-panels

[Tuvok]

You don't want to give away the FIT tarrif.

We're looking at £90 ish for the past 2.5 months - but bear in mind the tarrifs have lowered since we installed.

[tooj]

Thanks. It's all getting a bit too complicated for me. Sorry for the delay in replying I keep getting 'The answer bank is not responding' on my screen' and its driving me up the wall.

[woodchopper]

They basically rent your roof. They install panels on you roof for twenty years and collect the ROC payments and export tarrif. All you get is the free electric as long as the sun is shining. For us the free electric during the summer time was worth about £10/£15 per month. After the twenty years the panels become yours and the ROC payments cease. If your house has a mortgage they need permission from the mortgage company to do so.

[Peter Pedant]

There are some good comments in the associated threads under this particular thread

and it is the old old story of something that is too good to be true .... probably is. Depending on the agreement THEY still own the panels and therefore take the profit ....

Doing it yourself and finding out if is a good deal

minus: cost of installation and maintenance for twenty years say
plus - the 'free' electricity that you use and dont pay for and the electricity you sell to the net if any

Clearly after a year - you will be down 10k and income £500 -or whatever
and at five years you will be down ten k and maintenance and income will be five times £500 ( or whatever )

and there will be one year where yippee you have pay back and start making an overall profit

This is usually twenty years and is in fact the life of the solar panel

ergo....

technical answer I know - well you did ask ....