Solar panel firm leaves Londoners in the dark about installations

theguardian.com:

A leaflet from Lewisham council was the incentive Wendy Lewis needed to take the green plunge. It offered residents the chance to buy solar panels more affordably through a collective scheme, Solar Together.

Installers, they were promised, were rigorously vetted by Solar Together, removing the need to shop around for quotes. Across London, councils have been offering householders the same opportunity, backed by London mayor Sadiq Khan. Local authorities in other regions have also signed up.

Lewis applied for panels and battery storage in March last year and was offered a contract with Green Energy Together (GET), claiming to be one of the country’s largest installers.

She paid the £2,000 deposit in November, but four months and three failed installation dates later, she is yet to receive her panels or her requested refund. So, reportedly, are scores of other customers who were matched to GET.

Complainants report repeated missed appointments and incommunicado customer services. Those who do eventually get their panels may find themselves unable to earn an income from selling the electricity they generate.

Last month, GET was suspended from the green energy certification scheme, MCS, which upholds service standards, pending an investigation. Without an MCS certificate, householders are unlikely to qualify for the smart energy guarantee tariff (SEG) which is paid by suppliers for each unit of excess electricity.

GET, which still displays the MCS logo, is also having its membership reviewed by the deposit protection scheme, HIES, which insures payments, and provides an alternative dispute resolution.

Lewis has been told by HIES that her deposit was not registered with the scheme and is therefore unprotected if GET fails to