Solar Panel Scams UK: How to Spot and Avoid Them

Solar panels are a significant purchase — typically £5,000–£15,000 for a home system — and that price tag makes homeowners a target. A 2024 Which? survey of 2,039 solar PV owners found that more than one in three had received cold calls about their panels in the previous five years. In the same period, a single fraudulent company collected £3.1 million from victims before the Insolvency Service intervened. Scams range from low-level mis-selling by doorstep callers to organised criminal networks that have resulted in sentences of up to 30 years.

This guide covers the most common schemes, the red flags that give fraudsters away, and the legal protections that apply — including a safe buying checklist you can use before paying any deposit.

The most common solar panel scams

Fake government grant calls

The scheme. Callers claim you are owed a refund on a previous solar installation, or that a new government grant is about to expire and you must act today. No such refunds exist for existing solar installations. The GOV.UK Insolvency Service shut down Trident West Industries Ltd and Star Solar Ltd in November 2025 after those companies collected £3.1 million from victims using exactly this script — the average victim was 76 years old and only £7,010 was ever returned.

Cold calls claiming your panels need attention

The scheme. Among solar owners cold-called in the Which? survey, the most common pitch was a fake offer of a “free government health check” — cited by 27% of those contacted. Other frequent claims: your inverter needs replacing urgently (8%), your original installer has gone bust (6%), or your panels are running at reduced efficiency and need servicing. Nearly 70% of those cold-called reported no actual fault with their system.

The reality. Annual inspections are not required by law. Inverters typically last 10–15 years. Neither the government, MCS, nor Ofgem will ever cold-call you about your installation. Any caller claiming otherwise is attempting to generate a service call or sell you unnecessary equipment.

Deposit fraud and rogue installers

The scheme. A company takes a deposit — sometimes several thousand pounds — and then disappears or carries out no work. In February 2025, North Yorkshire Council secured a 2-year-8-month prison sentence against a sole director who took deposits totalling almost £25,000 from six homeowners and completed nothing. A National Trading Standards operation in Kent in December 2025 resulted in further convictions after rogue traders targeted elderly residents (one of whom was 90 and living with dementia), overcharging for equipment and work that was either unnecessary or never completed.

Phantom MCS certification claims

The scheme. Callers or letter-senders impersonate MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), claiming your warranty has expired or that your system needs urgent recertification. MCS has issued warnings that it does not contact consumers directly. Any communication purporting to be from MCS about your installation is a scam.

To verify your installer, go to mcscertified.com/find-an-installer. MCS certification matters: it is a legal prerequisite for claiming Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments and previously the Feed-in Tariff. Our MCS certificate guide explains what to check before you buy.

Second-stage scams targeting previous victims

The scheme. Companies specifically target homeowners who were previously mis-sold solar panels, offering fake compensation claim services. Trading Standards convicted the directors of Verity Claims Ltd after they charged 679 consumers £495 each — a total of £336,105 — for claims that were never pursued. Each director received a three-year prison sentence.

Rent-a-roof complications

The scheme. While free panel / rent-a-roof schemes closed to new entrants when the Feed-in Tariff ended in 2019, existing 20–25 year contracts continue to create problems. Homeowners in these arrangements receive no SEG income and may find it difficult to sell their property. Fraudsters also target existing rent-a-roof customers, offering to buy out their FIT rights for well below market value — in one documented case, a homeowner was offered £4,987 for rights worth an estimated £14,250 over the remaining contract term.

Red flags to watch for

The following are warning signs across all scheme types:

• Any unsolicited contact about your panels — cold call, doorstep visit, or text. Legitimate maintenance appointments originate with you, not the installer.
• “Government refunds” or “grant expiry” pressure — no refund programme exists for previous solar installations.
• “Annual inspections are legally required” — they are not.
• Claims your inverter must be replaced — always get an independent assessment from a different MCS-certified installer before acting.
• Pressure to sign on the day — the RECC Consumer Code prohibits high-pressure selling; the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2025 now makes certain pressure tactics unlawful with penalties up to 10% of worldwide turnover.
• No site survey before quoting — a binding quote cannot legitimately be given without a technical survey of your roof and electrical setup.
• Requests for more than 25% upfront — the RECC Code caps advance deposits at 25% of the estimated total.
• Requests for bank transfer or cash — pay by credit card where possible; see the Section 75 protection below.

Your legal protections

14-day cooling-off right

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, any solar sale agreed at your home (an “off-premises contract”) gives you a minimum 14-day cancellation right, running from the date the last goods are delivered — not the date you signed. If the trader fails to provide the required pre-contract information in writing, that window extends to 12 months and 14 days. Any linked finance agreement cancels automatically if you cancel the main contract.

Consumer Rights Act 2015

Solar panels and installation must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and carried out with reasonable care and skill. If they are not:

• Within 30 days of delivery: you can reject the goods and claim a full refund.
• Within 6 months of delivery: any fault is presumed to have existed at the time of supply — the burden of proof falls on the trader, not you.
• Up to 6 years (5 in Scotland): you can bring a civil claim under the Limitation Act 1980, even if manufacturer guarantees have expired.

Section 75 — pay by credit card

If any part of a solar purchase costing more than £100 is paid by credit card, the card provider is jointly liable with the installer under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Solar panels typically cost £5,000–£15,000 — well within the £100–£30,000 threshold. Even a £1 deposit on a credit card triggers Section 75 protection for the whole purchase. Pay the installer directly; the protection does not apply to payments via third-party brokers or finance companies.

MCS Consumer Code and RECC / GHDR

If your installer is MCS-certified, they are required to be a member of a consumer code — either RECC (Renewable Energy Consumer Code) or HIES (Home Insulation & Energy Systems). Both codes cap deposits, require insurance-backed guarantees, and prohibit high-pressure selling. From 20 January 2026, consumer complaints about RECC-member installers are handled by the Green Homes Dispute Resolution service (GHDR) rather than RECC directly. See our guide on how to choose a solar installer for the full vetting process.

Safe buying checklist

Before signing any contract or paying any deposit:

• Verify the installer's current MCS certification at mcscertified.com/find-an-installer (helpdesk: 0333 103 8130).
• Confirm RECC or HIES consumer code membership at recc.org.uk or hiesscheme.org.uk.
• Search the company on Companies House (find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk) to confirm it is active.
• Obtain at least three written quotes, each based on an in-person site survey.
• Confirm the price includes 0% VAT — domestic solar PV is zero-rated; any installer charging VAT is non-compliant.
• Check the deposit is insured and does not exceed 25% of the total estimated cost.
• Pay at least part of the deposit by credit card (Section 75 protection).
• Take the contract home, read it overnight, and do not pay during the visit.
• Ask for the 14-day cancellation right in writing before work begins.

If you are comparing finance options — such as 0% installer finance or green loans — our interest-free solar panels guide explains what to check before signing a finance agreement.

How to report a solar panel scam

If you have been targeted or lost money:

• Action Fraud (fraud and cybercrime): actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.
• Trading Standards (rogue traders): report via Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 or citizensadvice.org.uk.
• ICO (illegal cold calls): ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint. Forward nuisance texts to 7726.
• TPS (calls to your registered number): tpsonline.org.uk.
• GHDR (dispute with a RECC-member installer): ghdr.org.uk / 0204 616 0015.
• HIES (dispute with a HIES-member installer): hiesscheme.org.uk / 0344 324 5242.
• Energy Ombudsman (FIT/SEG disputes): energyombudsman.org / 0330 440 1624.

In Scotland, report fraud to Police Scotland on 101 alongside an Action Fraud report. Reporting matters: the National Trading Standards Operation Clementine prosecutions in Kent began with victim reports to Trading Standards.