OVO solar purchase and installation – Terms and Conditions

Last updated 29 January 2024

1. Acceptance of proposal

1.1 These terms (the Terms) and your accepted quote form the contract between you and us in relation to the purchase of your solar package. Please read these Terms carefully before agreeing to them. If you would like to discuss any part of the Terms, please contact us using the address or telephone number provided in your quote documentation or any email correspondence from OVO in relation to your purchase of your solar package.

1.2 Your quote is valid for a period of 30 days from the date indicated (including any updated quotes you may receive as a result of any changes to the works). Your quote is subject to these Terms. By accepting the quote you are agreeing to these Terms but no contract is in place until we send confirmation of the order to you. 

1.3 You must be over 18 years old  to enter into this contract and to accept a quote.

1.4 You can change your mind and cancel this contract from the day after you agree to these Terms until the date 14 days from the day your solar equipment is delivered (your Cooling Off Period). If you cancel after your solar panels have already been installed you will be responsible for the costs associated with removing them. For full details about your cancellation rights see section 10 below.

1.5 These Terms are governed by English law if your property is situated in England or Wales and subject to the jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts, and Scottish law if your property is in Scotland and subject to the jurisdiction of the Scottish courts. 

2. Delivery and arranging your installation date

2.1 We’ll deliver the goods to the place agreed in your quote. Once you have paid your deposit our delivery team will be in touch with you to arrange a date for delivery and installation. There may be times when we may not be able to meet the delivery and/or installation dates. See sections 2.3 and  4.6 to 4.11 below for what happens in these circumstances and your rights.

2.2 Should you wish to amend your delivery and/or installation date you will need to contact us at [email protected] or call us on 0330 102 7416. You will need to give us at least 72 hours’ notice prior to your installation start date (being the date we will arrive to erect your scaffolding as stated in your confirmation schedule email). We reserve the right to charge you for our costs incurred in respect of such cancellation if we do not receive such notice. In the event that you cancel your installation more than twice we reserve the right to cancel this contract and refund your deposit.

2.3 We reserve the right to cancel your installation if we believe that the weather or the occurrence of an event or circumstances at or near your property on the day outside our reasonable control means that we cannot carry out the installation safely. We will try to give you as much advance notice as possible but will not be liable for any loss you may suffer as a result of such cancellation. 

3. Title and risk 

3.1 You will only own the goods once you have made the final payment for them. Until ownership of the goods passes to you, you must:

• Store the goods separately in such a way that they can clearly be identified as our property;
• Not open any of the packages;
• Not destroy, deface or obscure any identifying mark or packaging on or relating to the goods; and
• Keep the goods in a satisfactory condition.

3.2 Goods belonging to us might be delivered to your property. If the contract is ended early for reasons set out in section 11 of this contract then you must return the goods to us – we’ll tell you how to do this. If this happens then we’ll pay you back if any of your money was used to buy a part of the goods. If you don’t return the goods to us, we have the right to take legal proceedings to get back the goods or their value.

If this happens you might have to pay compensation for reasonable costs or losses reasonably incurred. This will be taken off any deposit, or final payment (whether made directly by you or through a credit agreement with a finance provider) financing arrangement you’ve already made and if this does not cover the costs you will have to make a further payment to us. 

4. Installation  

Permissions and approvals

4.1 We’ll advise you on the approvals and permissions that you might need, but you must get all relevant permissions (such as planning and building consents) before we start work on the installation. If we ask to see those permissions (and related drawings and/or specifications) you’ll need to show them to us. If you haven’t managed to get the permissions in the time set out in the timetable, we might have to revise the timetable and possibly the costs to take account of the delay.

Technical Site Survey

4.2 If additional information is required prior to your installation which we weren’t able to obtain from our remote survey, we may need to carry out an onsite technical survey. On the agreed day of the survey, you will need to ensure that there is someone over the age of 18 in the house at all times. All our solar contractors will carry ID.

4.3 Your onsite technical survey will take approximately one (1) hour. You will need to provide our contractors with full access to the property including the loft, garden, all rooms, garages and conservatories and your heating and metering cupboards. You must ensure that our contractors have clear access, and any obstructions are removed. Our contractors will need to take photographs of certain areas of your property during your appointment and ask you a series of questions about your property and your energy consumption. 

4.4 If our contractor cannot gain access or considers that the circumstances to carry out the appointment are potentially dangerous or where there is a risk to health or safety, (e.g. where work is required in a loft space and permanent boards, railings, lighting or ladders are not in place) our contractor may, at their discretion discontinue the appointment. You will be contacted by us about this.

The timetable

4.5 We agree to supply the goods and carry out the installation work as set out in the timetable that we have agreed with you and which is set out in the quotation. Your acceptance of these terms shows that you agree to continue using that timetable. 

4.6 We’ll make every effort to complete the work by the time agreed with you. However, sometimes there may be delays for reasons beyond our control, for example severe weather, problems sourcing or transporting equipment, government rules changing, or delays caused by you not getting finance, planning permission or approval from the distribution network operator when we expect, access to the property not being given or where applicable, if any of the requirements described in clauses 4.1, 4.5 or 4.6 are not fulfilled . We can’t be held responsible for those types of delays. 

4.7 If there are such delays we’ll tell you as soon as possible, and we’ll adjust the timetable by written agreement. 

4.8 In the case of a delay to the delivery of goods beyond the time or period we’ve agreed, or where no time or period has been agreed beyond a period of 30 days from the date you agree to this contract, then you might be offered different products. These will be of a similar specification, value, and quality – so long as they are MCS certified. You can either accept that offer, wait for the products you ordered, or choose to cancel the contract as detailed in section 11 below.

Consequence of delay

Consequence of delay caused by us

4.9 In the case of an unreasonable delay to the installation for reasons that are within our control, then you can cancel the contract as detailed in section 11 of these Terms. 

 Consequences of delay caused by you 

4.10 We’ll aim to accommodate small delays without charging you extra.

4.11 If any delay caused by you means that we incur extra costs, then we’ll adjust the price accordingly. This might also mean that we need to adjust the timetable to complete the works. 

Access to services

4.12 We’ll need to have access to the following free of any charge:

• Water, washing facilities and toilets;
• Electricity supply;
• Adequate storage space; 
• Safe and easy access to your property from the public highway;
• Easy access to the area inside your property where we’ll carry out the installation, by removing belongings. You should also remove breakable or high value items from our work area and remove or cover electronic appliances. We won’t be responsible for damage caused to these items if you haven’t taken steps to protect them.

4.13 You, or a contractor you employ, might need to carry out advance work before the installation described in the quotation can start. If so, we’ll describe this to you in writing and/or provide a specification. This work must be finished before the installation work is due to start. The standard of work must be good enough for the installation and meet any specification given. If this advance work isn’t finished before the installation is due to start and/or doesn’t meet any specification we provide to you, then the conditions described in clause 10.9 of this contract will apply.

Canopies

4.14 Where the solar/battery equipment is installed externally and a canopy is required by the manufacturer under the terms of the product warranties, we will not take any liability if the canopy is subsequently removed and damage to the equipment ensues. 

4.15 Immersion Control Unit

In some cases the solar immersion control unit will not be possible to install due to the condition or configuration of your existing immersion system. This isn't usually established until the electrician starts to work on the installation. If it is not possible to install, we will install the remainder of the system without the immersion control unit. The cost of the immersion control unit as itemised on your quote, will be refunded to you.

If there’s any work we are unable to carry out we’ll tell you and ask how you want us to move forward. If you want us to continue any refund or additional costs will be reflected in your quote. If you choose to cancel, section 10 will apply.

Additional charges

4.16 If you break conditions set out in 4.1, 4.5 and/or 4.6 of this contract, you might need to pay extra costs due to delay and/or supply of additional services. You might need to pay reasonable compensation to cover those extra costs. If this happens then section 10.4 (below) of this contract will apply. 

5. Our obligations to you

5.1 Our main obligation to you is to carry out the work with reasonable care and skill, according to the standards set by MCS and according to the timetable set out in the quote. MCS (the MCS Service Company Ltd) certifies low-carbon products and installations used to produce electricity and heat from renewable sources to ensure they meet a high standard. For more information see: (https://mcscertified.com/faq/consumer-faqs/).

5.2 We agree to carry out the work with all reasonable care and skill in the planning, installation and commissioning of the system described in the quotation. The goods we supply will: 

• Be of satisfactory quality
• Be fit for purpose 
• Operate as described in the appendix 
• Match the model detailed in the appendix

5.3 We will carry out the installation of your system in compliance with the HIES Consumer Code and MCS requirements.  

5.4 We’ll carry out both the work and all our communications with you according to the HIES Consumer Code. 

5.5 We’ll make sure that the installation complies with the correct MCS installer standard, which in this case is MCS 001 and MIS 3002, 3005 or 3012, where relevant. 

5.6 Once the installed system is commissioned, we’ll give you any guarantees, test certificates, and other paperwork relevant to your goods and installation. We’ll aim to give you this when the system is commissioned, but certainly no later than 10 days after completion. 

5.7 We’ll also give you all of the documentation needed, as detailed in the appropriate Microgeneration Installation Standard. If it’s a requirement of the MIS 3002, 3005 or 3012 installer standard, we’ll also give you the certificate showing that the installation has been registered with the MCS Installation Database. We’ll give you this within 10 working days of the completion date.

5.8 The guarantees we give you will cover the goods and installation, and they will comply with the Consumer Code. We’ll explain to you the terms of the guarantees in writing.

5.9 We’ll make sure that the guarantees will be honoured if we fall into receivership, administration, or bankruptcy during the term of the installer’s guarantee. Please see sections 6.12 and 6.13  of these Terms for details.

5.10 If you apply to enter into a credit agreement with a finance provider introduced by us in order to fund the cost of this contract, we will act as a credit broker only and not a lender. We only provide you with limited options when introducing you to the lenders we work with. You must decide whether the finance product you choose is right for you, we don't provide advice or recommendation. OVO (S) Gas Limited, trading as OVO, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 957641 as a credit broker not a lender. 

6. Payment

The deposit

6.1 You’ll pay the deposit specified in your quote (if there is a deposit) when you agree to these Terms (you will need to pay this deposit to us directly whether or not you have applied for finance through a credit agreement with a finance provider). We will not ask for a deposit of more than 25% (or £5,000) to ensure that your deposit is fully protected by our deposit protection scheme. If you decide to cancel your contract with us within your Cooling Off Period (see section 11 of this contract) we’ll return that deposit to you in full, unless you’ve asked us to start work during the Cooling Off Period. If you cancel and we’ve already started work then we will be entitled to keep all or part of your deposit and there may be other charges you have to pay. See section 11.4 below.

6.2 Once the deposit referred to in section 6.1 is paid, your quotation is subject to a final technical review and also approval from your Distribution Network Operator (DNO), where you’ve been notified that such approval is required. In the event that we need to amend your quotation following this technical review then we’ll issue an updated quotation via email.  If you don’t accept the new quotation within 30 days then we’ll refund that deposit to you in full within 5 to 10 working days.

6.3 If you accept the new quotation and the deposit you’ve already paid exceeds 25% of total contract price set out in the new quotation, we’ll be in contact to discuss a partial refund. If the deposit you’ve already paid no longer meets the required 25% of the total contract price set out in the new quotation, you will be required to pay the difference.

6.4 It is your responsibility to notify your finance provider of any changes to your quoted contract price.

6.5 If you don’t accept the quotation you must tell us your decision in a clear statement by telephone, or email, using the details that can be found in your quote documentation or in any email correspondence from OVO in relation to your purchase of solar and we’ll refund any deposit you’ve paid.

6.6 If the rate of VAT changes between the date of your quote and the date we begin the installation we will adjust the rate of VAT that you pay.

Final payment

6.7 We’ll send you an invoice for the remaining balance. This will be due only after the installation has been completed and we have been in touch to confirm your satisfaction with the installation via in writing within 3 days of completion. If you fail to do this or do not notify us of a reason why you are not satisfied with the installation you will be deemed to be satisfied with the installation and if you are a finance customer the payment of the balance will be made to us.

6.8 Payment of the invoice will either: 

(a) be made by you using the details in the invoice by the due date specified on the invoice; or (b) be made to us directly by your finance provider if you have entered into a credit agreement with a finance provider introduced by us in order to fund the final payment. 

Please refer to the terms of your contract with the finance provider in relation to the details of your credit agreement with them including your repayment obligations to the finance provider. 

You are liable for all amounts owing under these Terms

6.9 If the credit agreement is cancelled, then subject to the terms of the 1974 Consumer Credit Act, the contract balance will become immediately payable to us. Please note that you are ultimately responsible for the final payment and all other payments due to us under these Terms and if your credit agreement is cancelled these amounts will become immediately due. This does not affect your statutory rights. 

Disputed Invoices

6.10 If you withhold any amount after the due date because of any alleged defect, then you must give us as much notice as possible and say why you're withholding the payment, including giving evidence. If we agree that there are defects you’ll pay us the remaining balance once these have been fixed. 

If we don't agree that there’s a defect, section 11 will apply. If it’s decided that there isn’t a defect, following the process set out in section 10, you must pay us the balance. If it’s decided that there is a defect and we then fix this, you must pay us the balance once the defect is fixed.

Consequences of late payment

6.11 If you don’t pay the amount needed in an invoice by the due date, then we might charge interest until you pay the full amount. The interest rate we charge will be 3% above the base rate set by the Bank of England. In some circumstances, we may undertake legal proceedings against you.

Your financial protection 

6.12 In case we fall into receivership, administration or bankruptcy before we deliver the goods to you, we’ll insure the money you pay us in advance. We’ll also make sure to honour our guarantees if we fall into receivership, administration or bankruptcy during the term of the installer’s guarantee. We might do this through the HIES financial Protection Scheme, or one similar.

6.13 We’ll give you the details of the insurance scheme we use, and you’ll get a policy directly from the provider once you’ve agreed to these Terms. 

The client account

6.14 If we fall into receivership, administration or bankruptcy, then the money in that dedicated bank account (or held within the protected payment scheme) will be returned to you or passed to another supplier who’ll complete the work.

7. Change of work 

7.1 If, after agreeing to the contract, you want to change the work, you must contact us to request any changes. You must ensure that any requests to make changes are made in writing (to the contact email address provided to you in your quote). We cannot guarantee that we will be able to agree to all requested changes but we might be able to make those changes as long as:

• It’s technically possible
• We have the right resources
• The permissions needed are in place
• If you are purchasing through a financing arrangement, that you are able to go through a new or amended  financing application and you are accepted for such financing.

7.2  If you need any help requesting changes or putting your request for any changes in writing please contact us at [email protected] .   

7.3  If we agree to changes to the works we will send you an updated quote which you must accept within 30 days of receipt.

7.4  If you accept the new quote and the deposit you’ve already paid exceeds 25% of total contract price set out in the new quotation, you may be entitled to a partial refund (or the excess will be put towards your final payment). If the deposit you’ve already paid no longer meets the required 25% of the total contract price set out in the new quotation, you will be required to pay an additional amount by way of deposit.

7.5 It is your responsibility to cover any additional costs associated with the changes including notifying your finance provider of any changes and amending your finance arrangements as required which you will need to do directly with your finance provider.

8. Unexpected work

8.1 If there’s any unexpected work, we’ll tell you and ask how you want us to move forward and issue an updated quote. If you want us to continue then you will be required to accept the updated quote. If you don’t want us to continue you have the right to cancel your contract  in accordance with section 10 but you may have to pay for any work that has already been undertaken.

8.2 If you accept the new costs of unexpected work, you will be responsible for paying any difference in price directly on the final invoice, or if you are paying via finance, you will need to adjust your borrowing to include this cost. 

8.3 If we have quoted you for any additional work, for example, any of the additional works mentioned in section 12 below, and are unable to undertake those additional works following further evaluation of your property then we will issue you with a new quote and refund any part of the deposit to you which is in excess of 25% of the new contract price.

9. Warranty

9.1 Once we have received the final payment from you you will become the owner of and responsible for the ongoing maintenance of your solar installation.

9.2 Your solar installation comes with a 2 year workmanship warranty and a manufacturer’s warranty. For full details of the terms of these warranties please see your quote documentation and handover pack.

10. Contract cancellation

Your rights to cancel

10.1 You can cancel your contract at any time during your Cooling Off Period but if any work has begun you may have to pay some costs on cancellation. See section 10.4 below.

10.2 You can also cancel your contract and request a refund of any amounts already paid:

• If there’s a delay to the delivery of goods or installation for reasons outside your control; or
• If in the final design we present to you, the installation is significantly different from what we’ve described to you.

Your Cooling Off Period

10.3 If you want the work to start during your Cooling Off Period, then you must request this in writing (you can request this by completing the form during the online purchase journey). You will still be able to change your mind during your Cooling Off Period but if your solar panels have already been installed then you will have to pay for the costs of installing your solar panels (and battery) and all costs associated with removing them (see section 10.4 below). 

Charges you might have to pay if you cancel

10.4 This section 10.4 sets out any charges you might have to pay if you change your mind and want to cancel your contract.

1. If you want to cancel your contract during your Cooling Off Period for any reason but before we have carried out any works or ordered any goods, we’ll return your deposit to you in full to the card that you paid with within 5 to 10 working days.
2. If you want to cancel your contract after your Cooling Off Period for any reason, or during the Cooling Off Period where you have consented to works being carried out during your Cooling Off Period,  then you will have to pay the costs of:

(i)    any  work we have already carried out on your property;

(ii)   any goods we have already supplied to you or goods that we’ve ordered and can’t cancel or reuse or for any depreciation in value of goods we’ve had to remove; and

(iii) removing the solar panels and battery;

We'll try to keep those costs to a minimum. In this case we have a right to keep all or part of your deposit and any further advance payment and/or final payment(s) from you. If the amount you owe to us upon cancellation is more than the payments you have already made (including where sums paid under your finance  arrangement have been recovered by the finance provider) we will invoice you for this amount. If you have taken out finance it is your responsibility to notify your finance partner and cancel your finance agreement. You may also be liable for early termination fees under your finance partner’s terms.

10.5  Whilst we will ensure the property is safe and watertight following removal we will not be able to restore it to its previous condition. It is your responsibility to arrange and pay for any further works required to restore your property to its previous state following the removal of the system.

 How to cancel

10.6  To cancel this contract you must either telephone us on 0330 102 7416 or email us at [email protected] giving your reason for cancelling. 

Your Other rights

If we fail to meet our obligations

10.7 If we don’t meet our obligations as set out in this contract, then you have various rights that will apply depending on the circumstances. If we break the contract for the supply of services, then you’re entitled to:

• A repeat performance of the service; or,
• A price reduction.

Faulty Goods

10.8  In the event of any issues with your solar package you are covered by your warranty but if any of the goods that we supply are faulty, incorrectly installed, incorrectly described, or not fit for purpose you also have the following legal rights:

• if this happens within the first 30 days after installation, you can reject the goods and claim a refund ;
• If this happens after the first 30 days but within the first 6 months you first have to give us the opportunity to repair or replace the goods before asking for a refund if this repair or replacement does not fix the issue;
• After the first 6  months in order to request a repair, replacement or refund you would need to prove that the goods were faulty at the time of installation.

You won’t be entitled to this if you just change your mind about the contract or you decide you no longer want some or all of the parts.

Our rights to cancel

10.9   If you don’t meet your obligations as set out in this contract and don’t meet them within 14 days of getting written notice from us, then we have a right to cancel the contract. We must give you a reasonable opportunity to meet your obligations. 

10.10  If we suffer a loss as a result of you breaking your contract, we’ll take reasonable steps to prevent the loss from getting worse and you’ll have to pay compensation for reasonable costs or losses reasonably incurred.

11. Complaints and Dispute resolution

11.1 We hope that you are always happy with our service but in the event that you are unhappy and wish to raise a complaint please see for our contact details and how we will try to help put things right for you: https://www.ovoenergy.com/zcl-complaints-handling.

11.2 If at any time there’s a dispute between you and us that can’t be resolved, you can ask for it to be handled through the HIES dispute resolution procedure. This is as long as it’s a dispute relating to the sale and installation of domestic renewable energy systems. We’ll follow this procedure if that’s what you want. HIES is certified through the Chartered Trading Standards Institute as an Alternative Dispute Resolution provider. You can find more information on the HIES website:https://www.hiesscheme.org.uk/ 

11.3 If you register a dispute with HIES it’ll be dealt with by a caseworker, who’ll mediate between both parties to attempt to resolve the dispute. Mediation aims to reach a non-legal solution to the dispute in a reasonable amount of time.

11.4 If an agreement is not reached through mediation for any reason, you can take the dispute to HIES’s independent arbitration service.

11.5 An award made under the independent arbitration service will be final and legally binding on you and us. You and we may only challenge the award on certain limited grounds under the Arbitration Act 1996.

11.6 If you have a complaint about the finance agreement you should contact the finance provider directly.

11.7 If at any time there’s a dispute between you and us that can’t be resolved and it was about the way we arranged the finance, you can refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) who can be contacted at:

Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower,

London, E14 9SR

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 0800 023 4567 or 0300 123 9123

Web: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

12. Additional Works we may recommend to you in your quote

Depending on the nature of your property we may recommend some additional works to you over and above our standard installation where we feel your property would benefit from them. You are under no obligation to accept these additional works.

Fire protection

12.1 Where a solar system has inverters, battery or switchgear installed in a loft (or other similar rarely visited building zone), in compliance with Fire Safety British Standards. Where fire detection equipment is located where an alarm may not be heard (for example, in a loft or other rarely visited zone) it will be necessary to link to a sounder elsewhere in the building.

If you choose not to have fire detection installed by one of our contractors,.

We accept no liability if you choose not to have these devices fitted.

Loft Access

Where solar equipment is installed in a loft space, if not already in place, we recommend that a suitable loft ladder and lighting is installed for ongoing access during the lifetime of the system. Fitting a loft ladder and lighting falls outside of our contracted work. We recommend speaking with a third party specialist to complete these works.