What Sort of Council would Associate with Solarplicity/CES?

It beggars’ belief that a council (Stoke-on-Trent City council in this case), elected by the people, for the people, would associate with such a corrupt company as Solarplicity/CES (or whatever their company name is). Intimidation, misselling 25-year contracts to the vulnerable, haphazard billing, falsifying contracts, overcharging, incompetence, atrocious customer services, bullying-you name it.? But what is most mystifying; is how the alliance is still trading/signing up new customers/helping to send existing customers over the edge.

After receiving 3,324 complaints?in 2019, and thousands more since, Ofgem deemed it appropriate to give Solarplicity a little slap on the wrist in allowing duped and lied to customers the ‘get out of the dodgy contract’ option.

The distress caused by this cheap gangster-like company cannot be quantified. And as for cheating/harassing those vulnerable and those in their 80s – what can one say?

Stress kills.

Now called CES and fronted by ‘CEO’ David Elbourne (see main image), this company have installed solar panels on more than 5,000 council properties since being launched in 2018. ?And what an appalling racket.? Besides, the council knew/know full well with regard to the distress and upset caused by this company to council tenants, and still collude with CES to sign up new customers. What reputable council would do so? Can we therefore draw the equivalence that the council are a sort of mafia/gangster organisation too?

When I met with Claire Hoeksma (Stoke-on-Trent City Council Housing) and the representative (Edmund) from Rooftop Solar PV System (Solarplicity/CES) on the 9th?September 2023 regarding a new tenancy, I felt intimidated and forced to sign up for solar energy as the solar panels were already affixed to the roof. I am all for environmentally friendly technology but pointed out to ‘Edmund’ (who was representing Solar Energy) that I really don’t want the stress of dealing with another bill as multiple bureaucracies cause and exacerbate mental health difficulties. ?In response, ‘Edmund’ mitigated some absurd council bureaucratic speak regarding how we: ‘shop at several shops’ for services (or words to that effect). Edmund then said that the tenancy agreement would go on hold unless I signed up for the Domestic Rooftop Solar PV System, indicating that the tenancy would be in jeopardy if I did not sign up – it was a sort of blackmail.? Claire Hoeksma stood there and said nothing and was complicit in the intimidation. I therefore felt bullied into signing up for the solar energy and only did so because of the vague threat coupled with the extreme duress due to my current address vicinity being rampant with ASB/drug dealing and I was desperate to move.

After making a complaint to the City Council with regard to Solarplicity and the poor state of accommodation offered, the City Council responded by saying that my complaint had been upheld and they were taking me out of the solar panel scheme. I then signed several forms immediately, to detach myself from this disreputable company.

At this juncture, I embarked on a little research myself and became aware of the general anger and consternation amongst customers regarding the Solarplicity/CES scheme and believe that because my complaint had been upheld and because of the dubious nature of the company in question, I should not be liable for any bills for solar energy consumption that I had been forced into.

Nevertheless, it was about to get worse.

An operative allocated to a repair job at my new home noted an Asbestos Panel jutting out of the roof.? The panel was wearing away due to inclement weather and possibly dispersing the Asbestos. This was then reported to Unitas (council repair service) with a request for a report from Health and Safety.? However, all Unitas did was covertly take the Asbestos panel away with no further statement/action regarding any possible dangers to tenant/s.

Turning back to Solarplicity/CES, it appeared that their appalling unprofessional customer disregard knew no bounds. My main energy supplier, Octopus Energy, called out on the 21st of November, 2023 to install a Smart Meter which would bode well as it believed energy becomes less expensive with a Smart Meter – we are going through a cost-of-living crisis.? With a Smart Meter, energy bills are not only supposedly less expensive, one does not have to take multiple readings oneself, which, in turn, reduces anxiety levels for customers.

However, when the Octopus operative came to fit the new Smart Meter, he stated that Solar Energy (Solarplicity, CES or whatever they are called) had installed two meters instead of one and therefore there was no room to install the Smart Meter.? The Octopus operative also stated that CES/Solarplicity are not following regulations to connect the meters properly and my meters were still turned on to allow solar power. In fact, an operative from Solarplicity had previously visited on the 20th of November, 2023 to ‘reconnect me to the grid’ and hopefully cancel all connection with this dud, scam company – or so I thought.

A week later I received documents from Solarplicity/CES in a ‘Tracked’ envelope complete with complex/dense information regarding coming out of the scheme (I thought I already had having engaged with several forms). ?This document detailed exit fees of up to ￡849.03 for those signing up to this ecological rubbish after September 30th 2023.

The document was not professionally drafted and there is wording missing (see image below).