Reported by the BBC on Monday 9 September, thousands of homeowners have complained to the financial watchdog regarding the use of domestic solar panel installations, which they have claimed will not bring sufficient financial returns. The Financial Ombudsman Service has received over 2,000 complaints from customers disappointed with the cost of the installation in respect of the returns which they believed they would receive and have stated that Barclays Partner Finance (part of Barclays group) had misled them in providing the required loans to support the operations of PV Solar UK and MyPlanet, both of which have now ceased operations. Barclays has put aside more than £38mn to deal with the upcoming claims. Solar Trade Association (STA) Chief Executive Chris Hewitt has since called for more robust regulatory controls to provide further clarity to customers: “This news highlights how vital it is that standards are enforced and consumers protected […]and urge Barclays to ensure that the matter of compensation for affected customers is dealt with swiftly.”
