Solar Panel Installation Companies
Watchdog received complaints from customers of solar panel installation companies, First4Solar and Daylight Energy, who said they’d paid deposits but had lengthy waits and then struggled to get their deposits back.
One First4Solar customer told us he waited over a year for solar panels to be installed, despite being initially told that the whole process would take 8 to 12 weeks. He eventually decided to cancel but two months after he asked for his deposit to be returned, he had still not received his money back.
One customer of Daylight Energy told us that four months after paying a deposit for solar panels, she chased the company unsuccessfully for an installation date. She then asked to cancel and for her deposit to be refunded, but received no reply.
Watchdog also heard expert comment that the industry has experienced unprecedented demand and that there is a shortage of staff which is causing issues. However, companies should still treat customers fairly and be honest and transparent about how long the process will take. They went on to say that if people decide that solar panels may be suitable for them, they should do research before choosing a company, including using word of mouth for recommendations, checking companies are accredited with the relevant bodies, delaying paying the deposit until they receive an installation date and also pay any deposits on a credit card so they have Section 75 protection.
Keely Kirkaldy, head of customer services of First4Solar, told Watchdog:
“I would like to apologise to Mr Leonard for the poor service he received. I am sorry it fell far below the standards our customers should expect from us.
“We had many problems with supply chains in 2022, due to issues outside our control, such as the war in Ukraine, the ongoing impact of Covid and the energy crisis. This did lead to longer lead times. And we accept that we did over-promise to Mr Leonard – and we did under-deliver.
“We have returned Mr Leonard’s deposit and given him compensation. And I am sorry that we were unable to fulfil his order.
“We are reviewing the way we communicate with customers about their orders, so that we can learn from this experience and improve customer service going forward.
“We have installed more than 8,000 solar PV systems since 2015 but 2022 was a difficult year because of the supply chain problems, which are now much improved, and we are catching up on the backlog of work that created.
“In relation to the 15 to 20 weeks lead time for installation that your presenter was quoted, we do believe that is a realistic timescale. We are currently not asking for deposits.”
Daylight Energy told Watchdog:
“Unfortunately, after nearly 10 years of Trading, Daylight Energy Ltd have entered into Liquidation. We will be releasing information to customers and creditors in the coming days, and we are working with an IP firm along with our accreditation bodies.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to explain why we have come to this position.
“Firstly, like all businesses we were heavily affected by the covid 19 lockdown. As a customer facing business, we had to cease trading for that period which had a big impact on our turnover for that and the following years. This also had more long-term effects namely staffing, we lost several critical personnel and we have struggled to reappoint these positions since. Manufacturing also stopped meaning a massive backlog of materials and the supply chain broke down meaning we had long delays on a lot of stock namely inverters, batteries, and mounting kit. This delayed installation periods beyond our control.
“Furthermore, the industry has had massive growth in the last 18 months due to the cost of living and this has impacted businesses also. The DNO (district network operator) who we must make an application to prior to installation is currently running 10-12 week behind so ap. In that time the price of material had increased by as much as 35%, labour had increased by 15-20%, scaffolding had increased, fuel prices had gone up and so on, all of which took a big toll on the company’s turnover. Recruitment has also continued to be a serious struggle, electricians, roofers where few and far between and asking unreasonable money which put us behind with our installations. Manufacture were removing UK based telephone numbers due to the demand which made it difficult for us to obtain resolutions when required on site. Failure rate on materials went from an average of 8% to 30% which resulted an increase in service visits, further delaying new installations.
“As a result of the above, at the beginning of the year Daylight Energy hired 3 new electricians and 2 roofing teams along with investing in 2 new vans to better service our customer base. However poor substandard workmanship and unreliability resulted in Daylight Energy letting these staff go early on. We’d reached out to colleagues and universities to take on apprentices, we were working with recruitment companies, but it was an impossible task.
“Finally, and most importantly to me is my health, I have been in hospital twice in the last 3 months with stage 3 hypertension. My blood pressure is so high I could suffer from a stroke or a heart attack before I even reach the age of 40. As a single full time, father nothing is worth that risk.
“I have given my life to Daylight Energy, sacrificed time with my family working 12–15-hour days 7 days a week and never stopped doing what’s best for my staff and our customers.
“We sincerely apologise to all those that have been inconvenienced.”
