Solar power but no payback?

A Holbeach couple are fuming about receiving no payment after selling solar energy back to the National Grid since the start of the year.

Seven months after paying out around £14,000 to have a 16-panel solar array fitted to their home, Pam and Ricky Fry have yet to receive a penny from company Utilities Warehouse.

The couple have been so frustrated by efforts to resolve the issue that they have now contacted the energy regulator Ofgem to try and uncover how many people are owed money by companies benefiting from the ‘free’ electricity.

“We installed the panels because it’s a better way to produce electricity. We signed-up with Utilities Warehouse and should be paid for energy we put back into the grid,” said Mrs Fry.

“But the company has not paid us a penny and keeps coming up with reasons, from a meter problem to the issue being ‘industry wide’,” she added.

In her letter to Ofgem, Mrs Fry outlined the problems and submitted a Freedom of Information request to try and see how many people are affected by similar problems and are waiting to get paid.

“I want to know where all this solar-generated energy has ended up and how much you are stealing from pensioners like me who have done the right thing for the environment?” she said.

“Most of the energy generated from my 16 panels has been taken back to the grid,” she said.

Utilities Warehouse said: “We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with setting up customer amounts for payments on the Smart Export Guarantee scheme. This issue will be resolved ahead of the next scheduled quarterly payment in October.

“We’d like to apologise to the customer for any inconvenience and they can be assured that all payments will be backdated from the date their application was completed.”