The investment in photovoltaic panels to generate electricity scam revealed

Are 'upselling scams' causing a surge in solar panel fraud?

However, homeowners making the most of the Government’s solar panel drive have increasingly fallen victim to conmen. Citizens Advice has warned of a surge in solar panel fraud, particularly “upselling scams” in which cold-callers convince customers to upgrade technology they already have to meet fabricated legal “standards”.

Are solar panels a scam?

But as solar panels have flown off the shelves, the industry has developed a dark underbelly in which scammers and cowboy installers take eco-friendly households for a ride . The Financial Ombudsman Service received more complaints mentioning solar panels in 2022 than in the previous eight years combined, Telegraph analysis reveals.

Do solar panels attract VAT?

From April 2022, energy-efficient equipment such as solar panels, insulation and heat pumps have attracted zero VAT, instead of 5pc, and will continue to do so until 2027. However, homeowners making the most of the Government’s solar panel drive have increasingly fallen victim to conmen.

Are You at risk of a misleading solar panel scheme?

Thousands of households are at risk of falling victim to misleading solar panel schemes which are up by 50 per cent over the last year, data from Action Fraud reveals.

Are solar panels being targeted by fraudsters using feed-in tariffs?

Households that have already installed solar panels are also being targeted by fraudsters using publicly available information from feed-in tariffs, warned Dr Tim Jones, of Cornwall-based charity Community Energy Plus.

Did solar panels go out of business?

Some 10 per cent of the homeowners surveyed said a cold caller told them the company that installed their solar panels had gone out of business, when this wasn’t true. If unsure, customers should try contacting their solar panel installer to verify this claim. Check its website and try the contact information it left at installation.