H F

Please elaborate - what is a Letter Before Action? EDIT: I see. Wait for for the installers to issue a Letter Before Action. Why would they need to provide anything at that stage that they are reluctant to do now?

No, we don't have any breakdowns or specifics other than those shown in the image at the outset of this thread.

A fair enough assumption - but then I want my Victron inverter delivered to me. While I agreed to the fee and deliverables, we still haven't received the Victron inverter if we are being charged for it, so they're still at fault in either instance.

Essentially, all I want to know is whether we are being charged for the Victron inverter - they are swearing blind that we aren't but they are reusing to show any proof. We received 22 optimisers, 22 panels (280W) - total array = 6.16kW. We then got a 6 kW inverter - they originally fitted a 5kW. Then we needed scaffolding and the outsourced/contracted company took two days to install the panels.

Fully agree.

I will be rejecting the invoice today, for the third time, requesting a formal invoice, on letterhead with breakdown. Does anyone recommend contacting the ombudsman?

I’ve requested an itemized invoice, which they’re refusing to provide. And a two line email requesting the remaining amount is simply not acceptable.

We received six quotes in the end for a variety of solutions. Two were battery options which we disregarded because they weren’t cost effective and we installed an air source heat pump. When we dumped the batteries, we increased the size of the array and that was the final quote we received - this was the amount we approved. They clearly updated the quote, nulled the batteries (where it says “none”) and forgot to remove the Victron. It is only now that we understand what we received that I identified the Victron and that we never received it and this component has clearly been charged for.

This is the approved quotation for our job. The “invoice” was a two line email saying we owe them £xxx. My sole point of reference for job deliverables is the approved quotation.

Yeah, it’s astonishing.

They are denying it tooth and nail. Needless to say I never opted for the battery solution and it was never installed.

I’m having a disagreement with my installer. If you look at the attached image, which is a snippet of the final invoice (I’ve scratched out the amount), would you agree that I have been charged for a Victron inverter?

I know that most of you on this forum that have solar PV are very clued up on what should comprise a solar system in terms of kit and capacity. Never having had solar before, and not knowing too much about the tech, when I’ve gone through my paperwork, solar installation quotes seem to lack transparency and specificity. Not a single quote I received stated the size of the inverter they’d install or the number of optimizers - just the brand is mentioned. They’re all vague, and they harp on about savings... Is this lack of detail common practice amongst solar PV installers?

No (other than the shading described by JS in early morning and late afternoons). My current exercise is to see whether the installers have actually fitted everything they've mentioned in our estimate/invoice.

Thanks guys. Your feedback and explanations are massively appreciated. On an unrelated note, how much should I potentially be paying for a Victron battery charger/inverter? i just need an idea for the inverter itself. It would work in conjunction with three Phantom S batteries.

I've just been going over my invoice for our solar PV array and have seen that we've been quoted and invoiced for SolarEdge optimisers. Can someone please tell me what an optimiser is and how do I know whether they have been installed (or not)?

It has been full and has had some heavyish items in it like tins and olive oils. Nothing overly crazy though, assuming that it's been built to handle this. I think I'll have to disassemble it and see what's wrong. I may identified issue and contacted the supplier to see if they can support my diagnosis. Will keep you posted on the progress.

We have a slide out larder door in the kitchen that’s been getting progressively worse. when you open it and push it close, it doesn’t go in all the way (see photos). You have to apply a lot of sustained force to close the door. I’ve looked at the door and can’t identify the issue. The only thing that looks odd are the two sliders at the bottom of the door because they don’t line up. One is in further and the other is out further and I can’t align them. It makes sense for them to be aligned but not sure if that’s the issue. Any suggestions, as always, would be immensely welcome.

Jesus Barney, that sounds awful. Definitely want to avoid any damage like that.

As my diy skills continue to improve, I would like to retain all my digits for a few more years to come, so clamping is a good option. looks like the Irwin you suggested is a winner - thank you. Also, what is the consensus in G clamps?

I’ll be cutting on a work bench. Rounded edges.

What kind of clamp should I be using when using a jigsaw?

This does raise some interesting questions - if installers inflate their figures to get the sale on the promise that you'll get x-amount via RHI payments this could lead to all manner of issues. After all, they have the sale, and it'll take months before we get our first payment which could be way off what they "promised".

I was the same as you NSS - we never received quotes from any companies that weren't MCS-certified. The thought of "DIYing" this would have been well beyond us, and we were reluctant to not proceed with a company that wasn't MCS certified because we figured that any repayments would have been better than none.