CES Solar Panels

[Mark]

Council tenant stuck with solar panels on roof for 25 years wants them gone:
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/st ... ls-6596354

A very interesting case study regarding solar panels on Social Housing.
Most of the information is in the comments section, rather than the article...

[adam2]

Very little sympathy with the tenant. Very anti social to turn the system off, more PV is a good thing.

[Mark]

That's what I thought too Adam, until I read comments like these:

The first issue is CES IS CHARGING FOR SOLAR ELECTRICITY. Normally you acquire solar panels (bought or rented) and you gain free electric. They have tapped in to an area of the market not YET regulated by the governing bodies. The DC voltage collected from the sun is converted to AC via a generation meter..(what you plug in to)..most of the CES customers dont have a converter (or connected meter or a meter in situ) yet they have been charged AND threatened with bailiffs if they do not pay FOR ELECTRICITY THEY HAVE NOT PRODUCED OR USED. Most CES customers are asked to set up direct debits ....for future solar bills (see previous sentence...) CES are also locking customers in to a 25 year contract that has nothing to do with their council tenancy and THREATENING the customers with that as in -turn off the panels you CAN loose your tenancy. Most have on average 8 solar panels on their roof and have bills for over £100. for a month period..with panels not connected or not on....

I see all the people saying this woman needs educating wrong. Unless you yourself have had issue's with these companies then do not judge people have had a really hard time over the years with these companies from fraud to blackmail and a complete breach of health and safety. So if you don't know or ain't been through what these people have stop keyboard bashing and do 1

A lot of comments saying she is ungrateful for getting "free" solar panels. They're free because she doesn't own them, Solarplicity does (yes, "Community Energy Scheme" is just better branding), and they can charge whatever they feel like for the duration of the mandatory 25 year contract. There's a million other stories on this site about council tenants being forced into getting these through possibly unlawful means and then being charged more than they were before, without the ability to switch back to a mainstream supplier.

slight correction. Solarplicity was the utility company ....closed. The community energy SCHEME is a solar company...still active...different companies. BOTH companies ...and all the other (Racoo1, racoo2, Solarplicity rac,Sustain energy, GET)....ALL OWNED by the same family, the elbournes. but everything else ...spot on x

you sound like you have inside info...its almost like Im chatting with an elbourne..... The contract with the council has nothing to do with the contract with the tenants. the fact remains CES are not dealing with solar in a traditional manner and have tapped in to an area not YET regulated by the governing powers. So the if the company is advertising incorrect material, then any issues need to be focussed on them first.

What the key board worriers do not understand is CES do not operate in normal solar panel fashion and that is giving free electricity. THEY ARE SELLING YOU THE ELECTRIC. Most peoples panels were never connected so ate not generating in the first place yet they are being charged estimated bills and the contract they were forced or conned in to signing is being used against them as a threat to their tenancy. The list of issues go on and that's why they are being taken to court NOT because of greedy or ungrateful tenants. You have older vulnerable people being scared out their minds and pockets paying 300,500£ for electricity they never used or would normally cost 50£. CES are also making you set up a direct debit to pay BEFORE you get energy you don't have.

[adam2]

I would be interested to know actual figures from the tenant in question.

1) Total electricity consumption in KWH per month or per year, actual meter readings not estimates.
2) Total amount spent on electricity (excluding the standing charge) during the same time, again actual bills not estimates.

3) Calculated from the above, the average price actually paid per unit, and how this compares with a similar customer in the same area on a standard capped domestic tariff. Is it more, or less, or the same ?

4) How much is the standing charge, per day, and how does this compare with that paid by other similar customers who do not have the PV modules fitted.

I would not expect the tenant to derive any benefit from the PV modules as they did not pay for them. But they should not be paying any more per unit than an otherwise similar customer without the PV modules. That is why actual figures are needed, and not subjective impressions.