Western Australia’s Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping says rooftop solar power has a bright future in the state, but prospective PV purchasers need to do their research before signing on the dotted line.
“Even though there’s a lot to love about this renewable, some consumers have come to Consumer Protection with complaints about poor quality parts, companies going broke and pushy sales tactics,” states Ms. Chopping.
The number of complaints Consumer Protection has seen recently wasn’t mentioned, but back in December 2019 the agency noted more than 200 Western Australians reported issues in the year prior after the installation of a solar power system. Hopefully the numbers have dropped since.
Solar Buyer Tips From The Commissioner
Ms. Chopping said before signing a contract for purchase of a solar system installation, consumers should:
- get several quotes from different suppliers
- ensure the prospective supplier is Clean Energy Council (CEC) accredited. Just a note on this, the Commissioner’s article links to the CEC members page, but being a member doesn’t mean much. Learn more about CEC members, accredited installers and approved solar retailers – it’s important to understand the difference.
- if a solar salesperson is making claims that will play a role in a purchase decision, ensure those are in writing on the contract.
- ensure you understand the terms and the conditions of the contract. T&C’s can be rather lengthy and dry reading, but it’s important to read them and if you don’t understand something, seek clarification.
- ensure your home insurance will cover the system – it may need to be extended.
- if your premises is part of a strata scheme, check you have approval to install solar panels.
- read online reviews and feedback about the solar retailer.
SolarQuotes has some of the above covered through the resources on this web site. For example, you can read solar installer reviews – and as the SQ name suggests, get quotes from carefully pre-vetted and accredited installers. Among other handy tools are the SQ Solar 101 guide and a solar and battery calculator.
Beware Dodgy Sales Tactics And Know Your Warranty Rights
The Commissioner also notes:
“Solar power providers are not allowed to use forceful or high pressured sales tactics to get you to buy something, nor can they provide you with false or misleading information. They must also ensure their products and services meet the consumer guarantees.”
Consumer Protection has previously pointed out the supplier is generally the party responsible for resolving any issues that may occur with a system post-installation, and a supplier demanding the customer contacts the manufacturer or installer for repair or replacement isn’t on.
On the topic of false or misleading information, there was a recent example of this where a successful prosecution was made by Consumer Protection. In October this year, a solar installation company was hit with a $6,000 fine for publishing fake testimonials on its website.
Consumer Protection can provide Western Australians with advice on warranties, terms and conditions, installation work quality issues or any overselling of benefits that may occur – further information can be found on the agency’s solar fact sheet. Complaints about a solar power system that can’t be resolved with the retailer or manufacturer can be lodged here.
About Michael Bloch
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I think perhaps my previous post regarding this article, could be summed up by simply saying that the WA state government department for “consumer protection” is unfit for purpose.