A recent Reddit post sent out a warning to future homebuyers about the dangers of inherited solar contracts and non-responsive providers.
According to the post in the r/solar forum, the family purchased their home four years ago with an existing solar contract they couldn't escape. Their realtor told them terminating the agreement wasn't possible, locking them into a relationship with a company they never chose.
The system then failed to generate electricity, yet the auto-billing continued each month. The family only discovered the malfunction after receiving high utility bills showing substantial grid usage.
"Fair warning[:] if you buy a house with panels on it[,] be ready for a nightmare. If we would have known what we know now we would have walked away," the original poster noted.
The family's unfortunate experience highlights why choosing the right solar partner makes all the difference. While it's true that going solar can save you big bucks on utility bills, these benefits can be best realized by working with reputable installers and companies you can trust.
TCD's solar partners like EnergySage can help you and yours save up to ten grand by going solar, making it easy to access clean energy without the risks of predatory contracts.
Solar energy can help your household protect against rising energy prices — but it always pays to make sure you're going with a trusted brand.
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What's the most you'd pay per month to put solar panels on your roof if there was no down payment?
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As for the original poster's conundrum, fellow Redditors were quick to share their thoughts.
"I've been a real estate broker for 34 years and I would NEVER direct a potential buyer to assume an existing solar contract. As others have mentioned, make sure that the seller pays it off before you close or at the closing," shared one commenter.
"I've been in solar for years, and unfortunately this happens a lot with inherited leases or PPAs. Auto-billing during downtime, poor customer service, and bad installs aren't how solar should work but they're common with bad contracts and subcontractors," offered someone else.
"Employee turnover at some solar companies [is] also very high. Between signing my contract with [an unnamed] company, and receiving PTO, there was a completely new crew of electricians and office staff," another Redditor said.
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