DSPUK Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 I have just had a man knock on my door and give me the good news that my roof faces south - this entitles me to a free Solar Panel array and free electric - - they fit and maintain it for 25 yrs and I don't have to pay a penny. Can anyone bring me down to earth with a bump or a soft landing - The company is Homesun based in Wembley - now that started alarm bells ringing as it's south of Luton - will there be a catch in this or is it a genuine offer -- I know they will get the Gov payout on FiTs and I will be long gone before the 25yrs is up and it becomes mine -- If I have it fitted will it devalue the house ?? I have till 19th August before their surveyor get's here. Is there such a thing as something for nothing.-- there never used to be. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 http://www.freeindex.co.uk/profile(homesun-ltd)_357782.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 up here a friend of mine was quoted £8k for the panels.... was told he would get a cheque for about £650 per year from selling his electricity guaranteed, index linked for 25 years.... that seems a more realistic sales pitch, dont know if he would qualify for any grants to buy the panels? shaun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 If you don't have to pay anything then the only issue is they are on your roof and what they save is of less relevance. I'd want to see some actual examples and talk to people with them before parting with serious dosh for them. Whats of biggest concern is they are only viable due to government subsidy and no matter how guaranteed that is it always makes you wonder if they can keep subsidising pretty useless ways of generating power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artschool Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 there ain't nothing in this world for free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_R Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 There is, or maybe was, another firm called Isis doing a similar deal. They install the whole kit for free and keep all the FIT money from the government. Benefit to the homeowner is the lower electricity costs. I do not know anyone who has done this, I am curious as I have a south facing roof, and I really doubt I will be in this house for long enough to make a profit if I was to pay for such a thing. I suppose it might add to value and get some money back that way on the sale, but that is not at all certain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpk Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 (edited) They will always own the panels and take all funds from the feed in tariff that all companies have to offer as part of a government sceme. Last time I checked it was 43p for every unit you use (encouraging green practices) then a further 3p for every unit returned to the grid. You can imagine how much they make and them offering you free electric is just another way of spinning it. Unfortunately yet another salesman tactic :( Edited July 26, 2011 by mpk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 there ain't nothing in this world for free Agreed.He'll probably end up with solar panels from a 1960's Russian satellite... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artschool Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 here is my personal view. does anyone remember timeshare? get a holiday home for very little no issues etc. well now people are paying to get rid of the time share as the service costs skyrocket and they are locked into lifetime contracts. will the same thing be said about these solar panels on your roof? who pays for leaks? who do they belong to? what if your son kicks a football and breaks one? will the government stop the FIT when everyone jumps on the band wagon? will councils introduce solar panel tax to get the FIT money back? what if you have to sell the property? who knows. if the idea is so great just go to the bank get a loan and have them installed. then all the free money is yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 What happens when a member of the local traveller community steals them for scrap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berties Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 you only get free electric while you are making it ie during the daylight sun up hours and then only at the rate you produce it so turn of a electric oven then you will use electric from the grid, you will have to use washing machines etc as you generate electric,we have a system at another property and fit is paying back at about 8% pa of the investment and we have yet to see how much electric savings will be,as we are getting weekly readings just out of curiosity,there are still a lot of unanswered questions with the free fits but we are happy with our bought system,try and get the panels without the silver borders they look better!!or as good as they can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 8% is pretty good as an investment return. I guess the key is whether they degrade over time and are as effective in 15 years time when they will be paid for. Of course I suppose unlike most investments you do need them to pay for themselves as you don't get your investment back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twitchynik Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berties Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 8% is pretty good as an investment return. I guess the key is whether they degrade over time and are as effective in 15 years time when they will be paid for. Of course I suppose unlike most investments you do need them to pay for themselves as you don't get your investment back only time will tell,better than keeping it in the bank,plus an element of free electric,we bought a higher grade of cells,but with the degrade of the cells,and replacement of the inverter after 15 years,long term who knows ,its my bit of green energy!!,and i am sure its the way forward with fossil fuels on the rise,have been viewing heat exchangers going in locally but that takes up space in the garden and house ,if i was doing a new build i would budget to instal more devices as I believe people will pay a little extra for a green house, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neozyruz Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels +1 i was just about to post that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 I have a solar panel to charge my blackberry/iPod. Just about manages that even with all the sun here in India. Won't charge the iPad though. Wouldn't run a house on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 only time will tell,better than keeping it in the bank, actually up to year 15 or so it actually is better in the bank as you still have your money rather than some solar panels that have to pay for themselves and then pay / save you £10-15k before you have your investment back in the bank. If you sell your house in the meantime it would be unlikely to be worth more due to the addition and presumably the feed in tarrif etc would be paid to the next owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 I think artschools on the ball here - sorry about the pun. How much do you pay them when you have to sell the house or do you reduce the price of your house so that you can meet the contract requirements to keep them in a serviceable condition for 25 years? These panels dont last that long so who pays to replace ? Panels need regular cleaning to maintain efficiency - which they will want naturally - do you have to clean them - how often? My big problem with this is how will it affect your house price ? What obligations go with the agreement? Cleaning replacement/ I would certainly not buy a house where my roof may be compromised or I am required to clean panels for someone else or someone may turn up and say - "we are repairing or replacing the panels". Look very carefully at the agreement or get your solicitor to do it. Its been said before - nothing is for nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marine1980 Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 Mate id be really carefull. Ive been thinking about having it done for a while but on a recent job by pure chance i got speaking to a guy who fits them. Generaly the catch is that if the company is doing it mega cheap you normaly in return give your roof to the company that fit them and for the next 25 years, so it wont actually belong to you. If you come to sell the house in that time you will find it very hard as you cant actually offer the new buyer %100 of your house as the third party own the roof. Make sure you read all the small print. Royal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8landy Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 (edited) Biggest con ever! It is everyone that is paying for them in high bills and taxes. The FIT are starting already to be cut back. It was in the news a couple of days ago about a company that laid these things out in a field, hundreds of them, hoping to get loads of cash, but the government has capped the Kw to about 50Kw or about the size of the average roof. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/8309406/Review-to-stop-solar-farms-sucking-up-all-the-subsidies.html And as for them been green, look at all the energy they needed in making them. Coal is still the only green way forward. Edited July 26, 2011 by V8landy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 When you sign the contract,you are in effect selling them the rights to your roof for 25 years,so if you go to sell your house,you will have to let potential owners know that the roof on the house would not be theirs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksdad Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 Well who is responsible for the roof then? What if all the panels cause extra wear on the surrounding structure and needs a new roof to fix it, or the roof just needs re-slating etc? Roof don't last forever, neither do solar panels...plus what about the unreleased as yet radiation panels that can absorb energy in total darkness? I think technology is moving so fast that making a 25 year investment in ANYTHING is a very bad idea! :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remmy1100 Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 i too am getting solar panels for nothing my home is rented from my local council who are getting grants to fit them from goverment to reduce councils carbon foot print or something anyways as my home is south facing i and quite a lot ov other local homes are receiving them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderdude Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 I looked into this, it seems that there can be issues when you come to sell the house. It is something to do with the ownership rights of the panels and should the new house owners not want them. There are two types of panel as well, one stores the other does not. The electricity is free during the day when sun is shining, but should it be overcast or night, you still pay. The storage ones obviously store for night amd those dark days. But usually the free ones are not the storage type. You do get a cheque quarterly for the electricity that goes into the grid, but I'm pretty certain that it is not as much as they say. All this info is online and definitely worth researching. We decided against it after reading up and asking questions of the company. We weren't comfortable with the answers we got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garjo Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 See link - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertyadvice/8660048/Beware-of-rogue-traders.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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