These Companies That "Lease" Your Roof For PV Cells?
These Companies That "Lease" Your Roof For PV Cells?
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Discussion

TheDetailDoctor

Original Poster:

8,997 posts

233 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
British gas have started a scheme where they lease your roof from you, fit PV cells & pay you for any electricity you don't use.

The cells are fitted for free, there are no fees, you just sign up for a 25 agreement, and hope if you want to sell the house that the prospevtive purchaser wants them.

Anybody any experience with this type of arragement, good or bad?

SJobson

13,611 posts

287 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
If you have a mortgage, I bet it's contrary to the T&Cs.

TheDetailDoctor

Original Poster:

8,997 posts

233 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
SJobson said:
If you have a mortgage, I bet it's contrary to the T&Cs.
British Gas claim they sort everything out with the mortgage provider.

Defcon5

6,459 posts

214 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
TheDetailDoctor said:
SJobson said:
If you have a mortgage, I bet it's contrary to the T&Cs.
British Gas claim they sort everything out with the mortgage provider.
I cant see that its free on BGs website?

TheDetailDoctor

Original Poster:

8,997 posts

233 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Defcon5 said:
TheDetailDoctor said:
SJobson said:
If you have a mortgage, I bet it's contrary to the T&Cs.
British Gas claim they sort everything out with the mortgage provider.
I cant see that its free on BGs website?
http://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-efficiency/renewable-energy/solar-offers.html?WT.seg_3=i100277

Herbs

5,001 posts

252 months

Friday 24th September 2010
quotequote all
Hi, see the other solar topic in this forum for further info.

Any questions PM me

Andy

Cogcog

11,838 posts

258 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
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I wonder what a subsequent buyer does if they don't want your 25 year deal?

Defcon5

6,459 posts

214 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
Cogcog said:
I wonder what a subsequent buyer does if they don't want your 25 year deal?
But it gives then cheaper electric, and will cost them nothing to maintain - why wouldnt you want it?

CDP

8,019 posts

277 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
What happens in the event of damage? For example if you need to fix the roof they're attached and the panel's in the way. Do you have to get the BG installers in and would you receive a bill if it's not their fault?

ShadownINja

79,328 posts

305 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
Aren't the government paying for the installation in some way?

Defcon5 said:
Cogcog said:
I wonder what a subsequent buyer does if they don't want your 25 year deal?
But it gives then cheaper electric, and will cost them nothing to maintain - why wouldnt you want it?
I guess because they look ugly on most houses as they weren't originally designed to be there by the architect (if that is important).


CDP

8,019 posts

277 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
I've been wondering about doing it to my garage. It's got a much bigger roof than my house anyway smile


Dan_1981

17,965 posts

222 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
We applied to a scheme being run in South Yorkshire - ashadegreener.co.uk

There website is quite specific that you must have a pitched south facing roof etc etc.

We do and after reading the T&C's we applied.

They do not pay you for electricity you don't use - all you get is cheaper electricty that you do use - anythign you don't use the scheme sells back to the grid - one of the way it makes money.

The other is the massive grants being offered via the gment to owners of multiple PV cells - the companies offering the schemes all are registered as the owners of them.

With regard to any damage etc the company promised that they woudl pay for any damage to roof etc.

So we stuck an application in - they didn't even bother coming out to look at the house - just check it on google earth - they told us our roof was too small for them to install enough panals on to make it worth their while.

Sister in law also applied - her house on google maps is pre extension so she put all of this on her application so they sent an inspector out to check out the size of her roof - nope stil too small.

So you need a big bloody roof to get anywhere!

ShadownINja

79,328 posts

305 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
Dan_1981 said:
The other is the massive grants being offered via the gment to owners of multiple PV cells - the companies offering the schemes all are registered as the owners of them.
That was it. Ta. It feels like the corporate version of a benefits "scam", really.

CDP

8,019 posts

277 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
ShadownINja said:
Dan_1981 said:
The other is the massive grants being offered via the gment to owners of multiple PV cells - the companies offering the schemes all are registered as the owners of them.
That was it. Ta. It feels like the corporate version of a benefits "scam", really.
You mean like the time they wanted all the schools on the web? In that case it was register a charity to own the website(!?!) then set up a company of the same name to implement it. Needless to say the company who did the implementation would make a complete hash but the charity would never demand satisfaction. I think this scam was eventually stopped but it was quite damaging. Needless to say lots of reputable companies couldn't compete as they wanted to do a proper job...

Green technologies are currently fashionable for corporate benefits scams. I'm sure a lot of these schemes would be a really good place for the government to look for savings. Apparently crime syndicates are now jumping on this lucrative bandwagon too.

Actually reducing the number of government initiatives would be an excellent way of saving money.


ShadownINja

79,328 posts

305 months

Saturday 25th September 2010
quotequote all
CDP said:
ShadownINja said:
Dan_1981 said:
The other is the massive grants being offered via the gment to owners of multiple PV cells - the companies offering the schemes all are registered as the owners of them.
That was it. Ta. It feels like the corporate version of a benefits "scam", really.
You mean like the time they wanted all the schools on the web? In that case it was register a charity to own the website(!?!) then set up a company of the same name to implement it. Needless to say the company who did the implementation would make a complete hash but the charity would never demand satisfaction. I think this scam was eventually stopped but it was quite damaging. Needless to say lots of reputable companies couldn't compete as they wanted to do a proper job...

Green technologies are currently fashionable for corporate benefits scams. I'm sure a lot of these schemes would be a really good place for the government to look for savings. Apparently crime syndicates are now jumping on this lucrative bandwagon too.

Actually reducing the number of government initiatives would be an excellent way of saving money.
You know they're right when they say ignorance is bliss. *seethes a bit*

That charity/website thing rings a bell. One of my web designer contacts mentioned he was doing something like that and getting lots of "free" money from the government.

Edited by ShadownINja on Saturday 25th September 17:41

TheDetailDoctor

Original Poster:

8,997 posts

233 months

Thursday 7th October 2010
quotequote all
Well, we have had a google earth survey carried out & we passed.

The installer is popping round now to have a more detailed look, but it's looking OK.