To all MCS PV Installers

jhnsmmn · Jun 15, 2011

Gotta say though that as electricity prices continue to rise Rent a Roof becomes more and more appealing for the client/consumer would you not agree?
I think the only point to ensure you get right is the contract for them to look after your roof for 25 years.
Don't get me wrong I'm an installer and agree that clearly if you can afford it you're crazy not to invest and take the FiT, but if not and they take over maintenance of your roof along with a saving on crippling elec bills then why not??

Markc · Jun 15, 2011

I was going to say IF but no I will say WHEN the green deal comes in to action (And lets all hope it does what is said on the tin!) then may be the "free" or "rent-a-roof" schemes may fall by the way side.

Who in their right mind would go for a Free system if you could have a system fitted with a low cost or possibly even zero % interest loan, to the property rather than the individual, and have it paid for with the FITs etc and then reap the benefit of the revenue after that?

I agree the advertising of Free systems and the installation of free systems is a good thing and I thank them for spending good money on very flashy advertising and full page spreads as it make my advertising budget goo that little bit further. Nothing better to convince someone of the benefits and returns by explaining how a free system actually works!

SRE · Jun 15, 2011

added to that - 2 houses for sale in the same street one with rent a roof and one with Feed in Tariff. Which one would you buy? Rent a roof has the potential to devalue your house as more and more people understand the benefits of the FiT. As Mark says once the Green deal is introduced it'll become a no brainer.

Ramjam · Jun 15, 2011

With any roof for rent scheme you sub-let your roof....

Mortgage companies don't allow sub-letting of any part of any property. If they need to reposess they don't want to be negotiating with your solar provider and they want to be able to sell the property quickly at auction.

Lets say the householder puts them on, everything fine......ten years down the line the £12k system which generates £1200 per year for the scheme provider is subject to a house sale.

The solicitor of the buyer finds out about the sub-let and informs the buyer and the buyers mortgage supplier - mortgage supplier says no! or buyer says no!

Two ways out....sale collapses - Not in the householders interests! or buyer demands that householder buys system out and sell house unencombered!

The householder then wants to get out of a contract that is written to be inescapable....scheme provider demands the entire profit projected over 25 years £30k less 10 years (£12k) leaving householder to sacrifice £18k of his equity, suddenly that free daytime electricity looks very expensive.

These scheme providers are going to clean up, not in the regular FIT payments, but in the contract break clauses. These schemes will see the whole industry tarred with a dirty brush.

Sir if you have been recruited to do this job then I suggest you take what experience you've gained and use it to install paid-for systems for people who can afford them so that you can sleep at night. When these people find out how shafted they are it will be a terrible day for their families when they can no-longer afford to move because of the settlement.

The job of financing systems for people without capital will come about but it's not here yet, the FIT is not yet securitised as a debt instrument but it will be in the future. When the bank can receive your FIT payment directly either as a matter of course or in the event of your default they will finance renewable energy systems with billions of pounds.

These roof-for rent schemes stink and they prey upon stupid people without much money, which of course is long proven to be the best way to become a billionaire!