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We began to investigate Clear Energy UK Ltd. in January this year, after customers reported concerns about what had happened to tens of thousands of pounds worth of deposits taken for solar panel that they didn鈥檛 receive.

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But once that story was broadcast we discovered there were more questions for the company to answer.

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Last summer, business appeared to be brisk with customers across Wales and England signing up for solar panel systems costing anything from a few thousand pounds to tens of thousands of pounds.

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In June 2013 Clear Group, the umbrella company, organised an open day at Clear Energy鈥檚 HQ in Swansea to recruit staff for a 30-strong call centre. They said in their advertisement they said they had achieved significant regional growth.

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But in reality, Clear Energy was already in trouble. Instead of recruiting staff, within weeks 10 had been sacked because - they were told - the company was going into liquidation. And the company already had a long list of customers who鈥檇 paid money for solar panels that hadn鈥檛 appeared.

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Rhys and Olwen Jones told us they鈥檇 paid almost 拢15,000 for panels to improve their family farm in Tregaron. They took out a loan to pay for the system last July. But six months on they had no panels and the company were no longer returning their calls.

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When we asked them what had happened to Rhys and Olwen鈥檚 panels, back in February, Clear Energy did tell us they鈥檇 had cash flow problems. They said they鈥檇 stopped selling systems last August to sort out it all out.

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But Gwyn Davies who farms above Abertillery, paid Clear Energy in September, weeks after the company knew it was in trouble. He says he wouldn鈥檛 have handed over the money, if he鈥檇 known.

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鈥漌e went in good faith and we shook hands on the deal. Well it was totally wrong. What can you say it was totally wrong,鈥� he said.

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Now we鈥檝e spoken to many more customers and we鈥檝e discovered that for some of them, even when the company installed solar panels, things were far from Clear with Clear Energy.

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Peter Weekes鈥� paid Clear Energy 拢30,000 for a 20kwh system. He hoped to cut energy bills on his family farm at Boncath in Pembrokeshire, and earn some extra income by supplying power to the national grid.

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The government pays a feed-in tariff for electricity generated by solar power systems, and Peter wasn鈥檛 the only farmer to think it was a good investment.

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Huw Cotton also paid Clear Energy 拢43,000 for a system on his farm near Fishguard. He was looking forward to reaping the benefits, but although both men paid in full, neither got what they were expecting.

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In March last year, Huw gave Clear Energy a cheque for 拢15,000 for Western Power so that his solar system could be connected to the national grid.听 But Clear Energy held on to the money for five months.

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鈥淵ou could see the long hot sunny days and the potential income going out of the window,鈥� he said.

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When Huw saw our investigation he checked what panels had been installed. Clear Energy had sold him a German system. His invoice said he was being supplied with Antaris panels, but when he checked Clear Energy had installed Chinese ones. They work, but they were not what he paid for.

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Clear Energy didn鈥檛 connect Peter鈥檚 system to the grid either and by the time he had sorted the problem the rate he could get for the power had dropped.

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Peter said: 鈥淲e lost at least six months of generation for our own use.鈥�

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Olwen Jones also paid Clear Energy in good faith when they sent her solar panel serial numbers that appeared to be for a system supplied by German manufacturers, Antaris. But when we checked Antaris said these panel numbers weren鈥檛 theirs.

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We wanted to know who was in charge. The company鈥檚 registered director was John Davies, but it was his son Mark, who sent out the dismissal letters.

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Mark Davies took over as director when his bankruptcy was discharged in February this year.

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When our presenter Rachel Treadaway-Williams confronted him, he told us no money had been taken from customers without the intention to install solar power systems. He said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have to answer to you. If there is anything wrong with what our business has done or is doing other than what you are doing to it, ok. Then that will come out in the proper, under the proper authority with proper people and proper investigation.鈥�

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He also told us that Clear Energy had got itself into this position. 鈥渂ecause customers didn鈥檛 pay it on time.鈥� He rejected the allegation that he had been running the company.

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Since we confronted him, Mr Davies has been back to us. He says he's concerned that we have been given inaccurate information.

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He also says that the losses suffered by his customers are dwarfed by those incurred by his family.

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Swansea Trading Standards have told us that they are now investigating Clear Energy.

For most people going on holiday is the highlight of the year, a time to kick back, relax and spend quality time with family or friends.

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And that鈥檚 just what Ray and Sandra Hartill from Ogmore-by-Sea had in mind when they decided to book a holiday to see their son in Australia.

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The couple both in their 70鈥檚 regularly make the big trip down under but this time they wanted to take their 13 year old grandson Jake with them.

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Back in February they went to their local branch of Thomas Cook in Bridgend, paid 拢2,611 for the three tickets with Emirates and returned home looking forward to their July trip.

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But before long Sandra noticed something on the paperwork that threw a spanner in their holiday plans.

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Jake鈥檚 flight ticket had an error in the spelling of his surname. There was an extra 鈥楿鈥� in 鈥極sborne鈥�.

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When they spoke to Thomas Cook they checked with Emirates and told the couple it would cost a staggering 拢476 to get it put right. They were also told if they didn鈥檛 pay they could turn up on the day of departure and see if Jake could get through check-in.

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But it wasn鈥檛 a risk they were willing to take.

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Emirates and Thomas Cook eventually did agree to drop the fee. Thomas Cook have apologised to the couple saying they did everything they could to get it changed without the extra cost and were just passing on information from the airline at the time.

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Money Advisor Gerald McCarthy says he can save absolutely anyone cash, so we put him to the test in the Great X-Ray Budget Challenge. If you鈥檙e struggling to make ends meet you can check out some of Gerald鈥檚 top saving tips below.

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The One Month Challenge

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Gerald guarantees that if you do this for a month, you will save money.

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Keep a diary of everything you spend, from a bottle of water when you鈥檙e out and about to your daily newspaper.

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Carry a small notebook with you and collect receipts in a box at home. If you鈥檙e married or a have a partner, they have to do it too.

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At the end of the month add up all you鈥檝e spent and Gerald says you will start to highlight areas where you can save money.

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He explains: 鈥淔or all of us, and I mean all of us, money leaks out of a budget and we don鈥檛 really know where it goes. The spending diary is not to change your lifestyle but to highlight certain areas where you can improve and put a little more into your budget. If you do it I can guarantee one thing 鈥� you will save money.鈥�

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More of Gerald鈥檚 Top Tips

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鈥⑻鼴uy a cheap chalk board and put it up in your kitchen so you can plan out your menu for the following week before you go food shopping, so you only buy what you actually need.

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鈥⑻齋hop around when your cable/satellite TV, phone line and broadband deal is up for renewal. Tell your current provider you鈥檙e thinking of leaving. They might offer you a better deal.

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鈥⑻齍se petrol price comparison websites to find the cheapest deal in your area 鈥� a few pence savings a litre can really add up over a year.

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鈥⑻齀f you go out socialising take cash, not a card, so you can limit your spending.

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鈥⑻齀f you鈥檝e got children try searching the internet to find the best price on branded sports clothing and kit.

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鈥⑻齋hop around for your car insurance, house insurance, and gas and electricity providers.

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鈥⑻齌hermostats on radiators can be a great investment so you only heat the rooms you need and help keep your bills down.

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