Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On January 16th, 2025 a middle aged male was going door to door and knocking/ringing bells in my neighborhood. As I was finishing walking my dog, I watched him go up my driveway, look directly at a 12×14 inches, bright red "NO SOLICITING" sign on my screen door and then proceed to open my screen door and begin knocking on my door repedeatly. I confronted him in my driveway by asking if he saw the sign and he replied "yes, but they make us knock anyway" referencing "they" as Empower Energy. I asked for credentials and he refused to provide any, only stating that his name is Joel. I told him to leave my property immediately. I then witnessed him knocking on multiple neighbors doors as he made his way down the street. All of this is captured on my home security camera and this complaint is to serve as notice to Empower Energy that any further unsolicited contact and/or trespass will be reported to appropriate authorities.

  

  Business response

  01/17/2025

  We would like to express that we have taken this complaint seriously and if he would like to provide his exact address via text and or email we will add him to our no contact list and we've also taken the steps to address this internally. 

  Customer response

  01/21/2025

  * *********** **

  ********** ** *****

  

  Business response

  01/21/2025

  We would like the customer to be informed that we have tagged his area and all necessary actions have been taken. 

  Customer response

  01/22/2025

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because the business response is not sufficient.

  "We would like to express that we have taken this complaint seriously and if he would like to provide his exact address via text and or email we will add him to our no contact list and we've also taken the steps to address this internally."

  How has the business taken the complaint seriously? There has been no apology or even acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

  What steps have been taken internally to address the issue? And what exactly is the issue being addressed?

  - Is it that the business sends its employees into neighborhoods in plain clothes with no identifying credentials?

  - Is it that the business instructs their employees to ignore "No Solicitation" markings?

  - Is it that the business does this during dinner time hours disrupting the peace of those who they hope to entice as a future customer? 

  Door to door sales can be a viable source of earning business when done properly but sending out lone persons to prowl neighborhoods as night and temperatures fall, is not a smart marketing strategy. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *

• Initial Complaint

  10/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Waiting 4.5 months for a $550 refund after having 10 or more written communications requesting when it will be made.

  

  Business response

  10/28/2024

  A reimbursement check has been sent to the customer and apologize for the delay. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We had solar panels installed on our house in 9/2024. The first day the crew was onsite they had to leave early, and then did not know when they would return. When we called it was going to be almost 2 weeks for someone to come back out and finish the install, we complained and got it moved up. All of the other reviews and approvals that were needed took another few weeks, and we finally got the go ahead to turn on the system at the end of the month. Since we have turned on the system it has not worked. We have contacted multiple people and were told that someone would be out to fix it, but no one has showed up. Our calls and texts are not being answered at this point and we are still not producing electricity. Our first payment is due in November and we do not want to pay for a system that is not working. We are also now losing the last days of good solar before winter comes and the production will be reduced. We would like the company to resolve this and compensate us for our time and losses.

  

  Business response

  10/03/2024

  Our Customer Support team is in communication with the Customer and has provided a date for our tech to go onsite to address the system issues. 

  Customer response

  10/04/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: The date provided is almost 3 weeks from now, and almost a month from when we reported the issue. This is not acceptable. Our first loan payment is due in the beginning of November, I do not want to make a payment without knowing that our system is up and running. We would like to discuss compensation for the issues we are dealing with and the time that we are not producing solar power as winter is coming and the amount of production will be declining. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  

  Business response

  10/22/2024

  Our company has been in contact with the sales team who is in direct contact with the Customer.  A scheduled site visit has been calendared in for October 24 to address the Customer's issues. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Initially agreed to solar installation with enphase sunlight backup After ground array installed company did install incorrectly, then told me the system would not work the way it was described Agreed to purchase batteries, they installed incorrectly , now have a non functional system and cannot get them to fix it

  

  Business response

  10/03/2024

  We apologize for the inconvenience but rest assured that our team is working diligently to address the issues of the Customer's system. This is a very technical system therefore our team wants to make sure that we will address any pending concerns thoroughly to avoid any further inconvenience to the Customer. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I own a multifamily property, and I recently installed solar panels and a new roof on my property with Empower Energy Solutions. I had my final inspection today Sep 24, 2024 by the city of *******, and I learned from the inspectors that they only installed one solar panel unit for the 2nd-floor unit and not for the 1st Floor, which makes no sense as this is a multifamily house. I contacted my Empower Energy Solutions representative and informed him that I only got a solar unit for the 2nd Floor and nothing for the 1st Floor. He told me I verbally agreed to that, which I did not verbally agree to this, and I disagreed with him because it would not make sense to have only solar for one unit and not the other. In addition, before installing my roof, they sent me a text with the blueprint, which showed that the roofs on the house and garage were getting replaced, and they also confirmed this through text. Then, my representative called me, questioning where I got this information from. I felt he thought I was making it up, so I sent him screenshots of the text messages. In the end, only my house roof got replaced. Initially, this company comes across as resourceful, pleasant, and beneficial. Their selling point is the Federal Solar Tax Credit, which they told me I qualified for after they reviewed my tax returns. However, when I contacted the finance company, they noted that that’s not guaranteed.

  

  Business response

  09/27/2024

  We are currently addressing the Customer's concerns. The sales team has confirmed with Customer Support that they have a phone appointment with the Customer to further discuss her concerns and address them accordingly. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Empower Energy installed solar panels on my home in the summer of 2023. The panels stopped working in December 2023. I noticed the panels stopped working March 2024 and notified the company. They told me that I needed to pay $1,100 for them to send an electrician to investigate the problem. They did not state that they knew what the problem was. They would not send anyone unless I paid $1,100. I thought the work should have been under warranty. The customer service rep told me that the warranty would only apply to parts. He also stated they required payment up front since people would not pay afterwards. I expressed my confusion but was given no options. I paid $1,100 April 2024 so the electrician would come. He was at my house for 45 minutes to replace a blown fuse on April 10, 2024. I contacted the company to get refunded money for the portion that was not spent. After many conversations, I found out that the company knew the problem was a blown fuse in March 2024 but did not tell me. They also did not tell me that I had a choice to go to a different company for the repair work. I believe a blown fuse should not cost more than $200 to repair, at most. I believe the company was fraudulent in their representations. I believe I should get refunded money, but I also want the BBB to be aware of these practices. I spent over $60000 for the panels. The contract has stipulations for labor and parts warranty but for some reason this situation was not covered. Other solar panel company installers I’ve spoken to would have covered this work.

  

  Business response

  06/05/2024

  This has been escalated to upper management who also had a phone conversation with the customer along with a recap discussion of customer's issues being addressed directly with her. Customer was informed that the site visit was done at cost and that a quote was sent prior to the site visit and was approved. There will be no refund available. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We entered into a contract with Empower Energy Solutions on Aug. 22, 2023. Paid 30% down, $9413.10, Paid installation $20,963.90 9/7/23. Initially they were supposed to come out on 11/13/23 to install but they cancelled because of lack of staff. Postponed the install until 11/28/23. The electrician returned on 11/14/23 to correct electrical problems. The system was active, against code, until 12/14/23 when we returned from out of state. We got a call to ask us to shut it off on approx. 12/6/23 but unfortunately we were not expected home until the next week. They said they would send someone out to shut it off. They did not. *** *** ********* ******** ***** stated that we were charged more on our electric bill because of this error on Empower's part. We have not been able to get an exact dollar amount yet but will need to be reembursed. We asked several times to get the paperwork needed for the electric company to hook us up to the grid. They refused to go any further with the paperwork until we paid the last $1000.00 that we owed them. Once we did pay them, the electric company refused internnection because Empower had installed the meter to low: incorrect height and incorrect meter label. We called them again to give them the exact height that the meter needed to be at and which label needed to be on the meter to meet the necessary code for the electric company. (which is also on the form the solar company needed to fill out after installation) Empower scheduled 1/5/24 to correct the meter but postponed due to weather. They returned on 1/10/24 to correct the height and the label. *** ********* again refused interconnection because the meter was now too high and still incorrect label. Empower scheduled again to correct the meter on 1/17/24 but were not able to meet the schedule due to transportation problems. After discussing with the manager (John) of the customer support on several occasions , over weeks, we asked to speak to the CEO but were refused. Technically , they are trying to work with us to get the install done, but we feel very uncomfortable with the work done so far, the level of incompetence and the time it is taking to just get it ready to get on the list with *** ********* ******** **** to internnect. This is a company that we will need to continue to work with over years.

  

  Business response

  01/18/2024

  we have been in constant contact with Customer in regards to their concerns and have been proactively working on resolutions. We've already calendared a site visit to address all concerns and even offered to reimburse the customer for their inconvenience. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Signed solar contract to have solar panels installed. Contract was based on a certain solar layout to maximize KWH output. They did not install the solar panels per the layout which is reducing my solar KWH output. I have contacted them many times and have no solution.

  

  Business response

  08/14/2023

  We apologize for the imperfect experience. We are most definitely working to get your situation rectified. Our customer support team has been in communication with you and has already escalated this to our departmental head for feedback and a swift resolution. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a house in March of 2023. There are solar panels on the house. The solar panels have not worked efficiently over the past three summers, confirmed by my utility company. Empower is not only refusing to address my issue, but now they're refusing to speak with me entirely because I wasn't the one who applied for this product. The previous owners did. I own the house, the land, and the lease for the panels. After a week and a half of being lied to and brushed off by customer service, they've only now told me that they won't speak with me for privacy reasons, and continue to lie to me, telling me that my utility company can deal with this. The utility company has nothing to do with the solar panel product, confirmed by ******. There is no resolution to this issue, as the one suggestion they gave me was to have the previous owners call them and switch the name - a solution that is wildly unnecessary, given the fact that I had nothing to do with the decision for the project, and one that is yielding no results, because the previous owners have no interest in getting involved. Their policy is that they can't speak with me because I didn't decide to take on this project, again, after a week of lies and refusal to communicate with me, so I'm stuck paying for a product that I have no rights in a situation where the product I'm paying for is malfunctioning, and the only people who can do anything about it are refusing to honor their work. This has been a week and a half of agitation for me, and this company is becoming even more adamant that they shouldn't have to be part of the solution, hiding behind a long-standing policy that took over a week to be revealed to me. I have no options, apart from paying triple the amount of money compared to the monthly "savings" these ineffective, and not-energy-efficient solar panels generate. It isn't to sound dramatic, but, as a new homeowner, funds are stretched paper thin for me, and this expense creating a significant issue

  

  Business response

  08/05/2023

  Thank you for your feedback. We understand you situation and frustration in regards to not being able to monitor your system. As a company built and founded by trust and integrity, we will at all times protect the privacy and will never disclose any information of any of  our valued customers to any third party unless legally obligated to do so. We also understand that you had purchased the property with solar installed by the previous owner and since none of the access to the monitoring of the solar was worked out between you and the seller and or agent - we were willing to assist you as long as the previous owner was okay in giving us the consent to use her private information to change the solar access monitoring to your name in which she did. As much as we wanted to grant you initial access we have a responsibility to protect the privacy of our customers as we would do the same with your information. 

  Customer response

  08/14/2023

  Since submitting my request for action, this company has stopped communicating with me entirely. After being told I would be charged, I requested, yet again, that a team come out to my property to inspect my solar panels. I was told they would submit the request to their team that makes those house calls. It has been two weeks, and I have heard nothing from them regarding my request to PAY THEM to come out to my house to inspect their product, as well as to discuss the placement of additional panels. This issue is far from resolved. In fact, it's getting worse, and my apparent frustration is getting me absolutely nowhere. If this company is not held accountable for their failure to communicate, and inability to act accordingly given the situation, there won't ever be resolution to this matter. Their stock, patronizing response may be enough to satiate the ***, but it does nothing but incite this matter even further on my end. I, as a consumer, have a right to professional decency, and am receiving none of it from Empower Solar, or the ***, as I've discovered. I have every reason to believe that submitting this claim, and furthermore, my response in this message, will bring zero resolution. If the bureau set in place to handle claims such as these is uninterested in interjecting on any level of involvement in the matter, I question the true nature of this process entirely, as it seems abundantly futile.
  

  Empower Solar is an absolute scam, and are behaving in a manner befitting of attention - attention best suited to be coming from the ***, not from me. It appears to me that maybe Empower Solar and the *** have more in common than I had thought.
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We went through Empower Energy Solutions to have solar panels installed on our house. The process from start to finish was full of delays, misinformation, and problems from the company, but was finally completed 6 months after it was originally scheduled to be. The current issue, which is what is costing us money we should not be responsible for, is that 3 months after installing the equipment it failed and took 5 weeks to get the company to come and get it repaired. In that time we were responsible for the $350 of electric bills that the solar was to cancel out as well as the $250 payment for the equipment that was not working. So the company is charging us the monthly payment for the equipment that was not producing solar credits which caused us to have to also pay for the electricity. In talking to the customer service team we were told to send in the bills to Empower for reimbursement, and then we were told by our sales rep that they would not be reimbursing us for anything, and that the customer service rep was mistaken.

  

  Business response

  08/07/2023

  Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. Let us first apologize for the experience you've had so far with our company. Your feedback will certainly shed some light in areas that may need improvement to provide a better and the best service possible. We understand the inconvenience once again we apologize and our customer support team is in direct communication with you in regards to your billing concerns. 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩