Terms and conditions
These terms are the basis of our contract with you when you order solar panels, battery storage, an EV charger or related work from The Solar House (England & Wales) Ltd. They have been prepared to meet all our obligations under the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) and the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).
They set out what we will do for you and what we ask of you. If anything is unclear, or you would like these terms or any other information from us in large print, please contact us.
Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.
1. Your proposal and quotation
1.1 Before you order, we will give you a proposal package. This includes a quotation, an estimate of your system’s performance, manufacturer information and information about your consumer rights. The quotation lists all the goods and services we will supply and the total price, including VAT.
1.2 To confirm your order, you sign the contract, either on paper or by e-signing your proposal online. The contract is made on the day you do this.
1.3 We will give you a timetable for supplying the goods and carrying out the installation.
1.4 System performance estimates are calculated in line with MCS requirements.
1.5 We will make sure you know where the main parts of your system will be fitted in and around your property.
1.6 Our proposal assumes we can install your system as described without interruption. If something outside our control interrupts the installation, we will talk to you about what the delay means.
1.7 If there are extra costs you may need to pay yourself, such as planning fees or a structural engineer’s report, we will tell you and help where we can.
1.8 If you ask us to leave out something that would normally be part of the installation, we will record this on the quotation.
2. Planning permission and Building Control
2.1 Most home solar and battery installations don’t need planning permission, but some do, for example on listed buildings or in conservation areas. The rules can vary from area to area.
2.2 We will check whether planning permission is likely to be needed and help you apply. If it is needed, work won’t start until it has been granted.
2.3 We notify Building Control about your installation through our competent person scheme (NICEIC), so you don’t need to apply for Building Control approval yourself.
3. Your right to cancel
3.1 Every customer has the right to cancel within 14 days without giving any reason, wherever you sign the contract: in one of our showrooms, at home or online.
3.2 The 14 days start on the day the contract is made. If your contract includes goods that are delivered to you as part of the installation, you can also cancel at any time up to 14 days after the day the goods (or the last of them) are delivered. Whichever date is later is the end of your cancellation period. You can always cancel without penalty before any of the goods are delivered.
3.3 To cancel in time, you only need to send us your message before your cancellation period ends. Section 4 explains how.
3.4 You can also cancel the contract, and receive a full refund, if:
- there is an unreasonable delay in carrying out the installation that you did not cause, even if the delay is outside our direct control
- the final design, or the main energy generating equipment, is different from what is set out in the quotation
- the total price goes up between you signing the contract and the payment schedule starting, because of increases in product prices
3.5 If we seriously break our obligations under this contract, you may cancel it, ask us to repair or replace goods, or claim compensation.
3.6 If you cancel after your cancellation period has ended, for a reason not covered above, you may have to pay our reasonable costs for any losses we have incurred. We will keep these to a minimum, and we may keep all or part of any deposit or advance payment towards them.
4. How to cancel
4.1 Tell us clearly that you want to cancel. You can:
- email [email protected]
- write to The Solar House (England & Wales) Ltd, 11 Penlline Road, Cardiff, CF14 2AA
4.2 You can use the cancellation form we gave you, or the wording below, but you don’t have to. Any clear statement is fine.
To The Solar House (England & Wales) Ltd, 11 Penlline Road, Cardiff, CF14 2AA, [email protected]:
I/We give notice that I/we cancel my/our contract for the supply of the following goods and services: [describe your order].
Ordered on: [date]. Goods received on (if delivered): [date].
Name(s): [your name]. Address: [your address].
Signature (only if sent on paper). Date: [date].
5. Refunds when you cancel
5.1 If you cancel within your cancellation period, we will refund all payments you have made to us, including your deposit and any delivery costs, within 14 days of the day you tell us you are cancelling.
5.2 We will refund you using the same payment method you used, unless you agree otherwise. You won’t pay any fees for the refund.
5.3 If goods have already been delivered, we will collect them at our expense. We may reduce your refund only if the value of the goods has gone down because they were handled more than was needed to check what they are and how they work.
5.4 If you asked for work to start during your cancellation period, section 6 explains what you may need to pay.
6. Work starting during the cancellation period
6.1 We won’t start work during your cancellation period unless you ask us to in writing.
6.2 If you do ask us to start early and then cancel within your cancellation period, you will still be able to cancel, but you may need to pay a reasonable amount for the work carried out up to the time you told us you were cancelling.
7. Our right to cancel
7.1 If you seriously break your obligations to us, we will tell you in writing. If you have not put things right within 14 days of our notice, we may cancel the contract.
7.2 If we suffer losses because you have broken this contract, we may claim reasonable compensation. We will try to keep any losses to a minimum.
8. Timetable for the works
8.1 Your proposal package includes a timetable for the works. By signing the contract, you confirm you are happy with it.
8.2 Sometimes the timetable needs to change, for example because of poor weather or because goods or services are not available. We will tell you about any delay as soon as we know about it and agree a new timetable with you.
8.3 If there is a severe delay in delivering goods, we may offer you different MCS certified products of the same specification, value and quality. You can accept them, wait for the products you ordered, or cancel the contract without penalty.
8.4 If a delay is caused by us or our suppliers and a reasonable person would see it as severe, you can cancel the contract without penalty.
8.5 If a delay is caused by you, we will try to fit around it at no cost to you. If it causes us extra costs, such as keeping scaffolding up for longer, we will ask you to cover them.
9. The installation
9.1 We will carry out all services with reasonable care and skill, in line with the MCS Installation Standard (MIS) for your technology and the documents it refers to.
9.2 The goods we supply will be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.
9.3 The work will be carried out by people trained for each task they do.
9.4 If we find something during the installation that we could not reasonably have foreseen, such as electrical or building work that needs to be put right, we will explain the options and costs before going ahead.
9.5 We have insurance to cover any loss or damage caused by us or anyone working on our behalf.
9.6 We ask you to let us use your toilet, washing facilities, water and electricity free of charge, to give us safe and easy access to the work areas and, if needed, your Wi-Fi password.
9.7 If you (or someone you employ) are doing any preparation work, please make sure it is finished by the agreed start date. If it isn’t and this causes a delay, you may have to pay costs we incur as a result.
9.8 Where needed, we will notify or apply to your local electricity network operator (DNO) on your behalf.
9.9 You will receive warranties for the installation and for the installed goods. We will give you their terms in writing and explain them to you.
10. Deposits and advance payments
10.1 If we ask for a deposit, it will never be more than 25% of the total contract price in your quotation.
10.2 If we ask for advance payments as well as a deposit, the total of all deposits and advance payments will not be more than 60% of the total contract price. We won’t ask for an advance payment more than 3 weeks before the agreed delivery or installation date.
10.3 Your deposit and any advance payments can only be used for work under this contract.
10.4 As RECC requires, your deposit, advance payments and our workmanship warranty are protected by an insurance-backed guarantee, at no extra cost to you. The insurer’s name and contact details are in your quotation. You can claim on this policy if we go into receivership, bankruptcy or administration.
10.5 When you confirm your order, we will register your name, address and the contract value with the insurance-backed guarantee provider, who will send the policy documents directly to you. If you would rather we didn’t, please let us know.
10.6 If you cancel within your cancellation period, we will return your deposit within 14 days of the day you tell us.
10.7 If we take a deposit before a full technical survey of your property and then can’t go ahead because of something we find during the survey, we will return all deposits and advance payments.
10.8 When we buy goods for your installation, the legal ownership of those goods (or the share you have paid for) passes to you. We will either deliver them to you or store them for you, clearly marked as yours, separate from other goods and insured until delivery. You can inspect them, or collect them from us, if you wish.
10.9 Your proposal package sets out when we will invoice you and how much each payment will be. The final payment is due on completion of the installation. We don’t offer finance and we don’t carry out credit checks.
11. Goods belonging to us
11.1 If goods are delivered to your property before we install them, please keep them where they won’t be damaged, ideally in their original packaging. If you are worried about their safety, or think they are causing a hazard, please contact us.
11.2 You are not responsible for inspecting, storing or handling goods delivered to or stored at your property, although we may ask you to check them for visible damage and confirm they are correct.
11.3 If the contract ends for any reason, we will arrange with you to collect our goods and refund any of your money used to buy them, less any reasonable costs we have incurred. If you don’t make reasonable arrangements for us to collect them, we may take legal action to recover the goods or their value.
12. Changes to the planned work
12.1 If you want to change the planned work after signing the contract, please contact us straight away. We will include your changes wherever we can, and explain why if we can’t.
12.2 If we agree to your changes, we will ask you to confirm them in writing within 14 days.
12.3 Changes to the design may change the price. Any increase or reduction will be agreed with you in writing as a variation to the contract. You can also cancel the contract if the design or main energy generating equipment changes from your quotation, as set out in section 3.
12.4 If we come across unexpected work, we will discuss it with you. If it is work we are qualified to do, we will give you a quotation for it, based on the rates for our installers set out in your proposal package. If it isn’t, we will help you find a suitably qualified contractor. If the unexpected work delays the installation, we may make a reasonable charge for the delay.
13. Payment and late payment
13.1 Please make each payment by the date it is due. If a payment is not made, we may stop work. We will tell you in writing before we do.
13.2 If you don’t pay an invoice by its due date, we may charge interest at 3% a year above the Bank of England base rate until it is paid.
13.3 If you believe there is a defect, you may hold back a fair amount of the outstanding balance that reflects the defect, but not more. Please tell us before the payment is due how much you are holding back and why.
13.4 If we have stopped work because a payment due to us has not been made, you may have to pay any additional costs this causes us. Depending on the circumstances, we may ask for the goods to be returned, and we may take legal action to recover the goods or any money owed.
14. Complaints
14.1 If you are unhappy with any part of our service, please tell us. We will give you the name and contact details of the person dealing with your complaint, when you can expect a written acknowledgement, and how long we expect our investigation to take.
14.2 If we can’t meet these timescales, we will tell you as soon as possible, explain why and give you a new date.
14.3 Our complaints policy explains the full process.
15. Insurance
15.1 We recommend you tell your home insurer about your installation, in case it affects your buildings insurance.
15.2 We hold insurance to cover any damage to third parties caused by our work. Details of our insurance are available on request.
16. Resolving disputes
16.1 If we can’t resolve a dispute between us, you can refer it to Green Homes Dispute Resolution (GHDR). As members of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC), our customers can use GHDR, which has handled new complaints about RECC members since 20 January 2026. It is free and independent, and covers solar panels, battery storage and EV chargepoints. We will take part if you ask.
16.2 You can contact GHDR at www.ghdr.org.uk, by phone on 0204 616 0015 or by email at [email protected]. They will explain how they handle your dispute.
16.3 Using GHDR doesn’t affect your legal rights. You are still free to take other action, such as going to the small claims court.
16.4 Disputes about the MCS installation standards can be referred to our MCS certification body, NICEIC (run by Certsure LLP), at www.niceic.com or on 0333 015 6625.
16.5 We recommend reading the Renewable Energy Consumer Code, which is available at www.recc.org.uk.
17. Your personal information
17.1 We use the personal information you give us in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, to:
- supply the goods and services to you
- take and record your payments
- register your installation with the relevant bodies, including your insurance-backed guarantee provider, MCS and our competent person scheme
- deal with any concerns or complaints, including working with RECC or Green Homes Dispute Resolution where needed
17.2 If you have agreed to hear about our offers, products and services, you can change your mind at any time by contacting us. Our privacy policy explains how we handle your information and your rights.
18. Commissioning and handover
18.1 We will commission your system in line with MCS requirements and the related technical standards, to make sure it is safe, installed as documented and to the manufacturers’ requirements, and working as designed.
18.2 We will explain how to use and look after your system and give you a handover pack with information about the installed equipment and its expected performance. A detailed operating manual will follow within 7 days. Within 7 days of completion, we will also hand over all the documents required by the relevant standard.
18.3 We will notify Building Control through our competent person scheme (NICEIC), and you will receive a certificate confirming this.
18.4 We will register your installation with MCS and give you proof of registration. Please keep this with your handover pack.
19. Your statutory rights
19.1 Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. For more information, contact Citizens Advice.
Our details
The Solar House (England & Wales) Ltd. Registered in England and Wales, company number 11293967.
Registered office: 11 Penlline Road, Cardiff, CF14 2AA.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 029 2271 0022 (Cardiff), 01242 502010 (Cheltenham) or 01225 234333 (Melksham)
MCS certified installer (MCS certification number NIC200098). Member of RECC (member number 79388). NICEIC approved contractor.
Last updated: 13 October 2026