In the Northern Territory, Consumer Affairs and NT WorkSafe have urged Territory residents to ignore promotional material from Sunboost Energy Pty Ltd after reports of alleged questionable behavior from across the border.
The two agencies say they have been made aware of Sunboost Energy Pty Ltd’s “dubious practices” across Western Australia involving high-pressure, door-to-door sales of solar systems. They say WA’s Department of Energy, Mines, Industrial Regulation and Safety has referred the company to WA Consumer Protection for further investigation.
A search of the WA Consumer Protection website for concerns about the company returned no results at the time of writing, nor was there anything found on the NT WorkSafe or Consumer Affairs websites. However, the information comes from this announcement, which was linked yesterday on the NT Government’s media release website entitled “The sun is shining and the downside is out”.
Consumer Affairs and NT WorkSafe say Sunboost Energy Pty Ltd appears to be targeting Indigenous communities and pressuring people to buy solar energy through financing arrangements.
“Vulnerable and elderly people have also been targeted by signing and finalizing contractual agreements for solar energy and financing,” the press release said. “In some cases, the equipment provided by Sunboost Energy Pty Ltd malfunctioned or did not work at all.”
The allegations include:
- Not giving consumers the required 10-day cooling-off period
- Taking deposits and forcing buyers to sign illegal contracts.
Consumer Affairs and NT WorkSafe note that Sunboost Energy Pty Ltd also trades under names such as Energenic Solar, Energetic Engineering, National Solar Energy Group Pty Ltd and Sunboost. National Solar Energy Group Pty Ltd describes itself as Australia’s largest integrated solar company (based on installed volume from September 19 to August 20).
Authorities are aware of promotional material circulating in Darwin and are urging Territorians who have communicated with Sunboost Energy Pty Ltd in relation to the purchase of a solar power system to contact:
Selling solar energy door-to-door is problematic
In general, selling door-to-door solar systems has a bad reputation in Australia. All too often, the systems were overpriced, of poor quality, poorly installed, or not tailored to the needs and circumstances of the household – and in particularly extreme cases, all four.
The Victoria Solar Homes Program experienced poor door-to-door and telemarketing sales behavior by some participants, resulting in a door-knocking ban being implemented in 2021 and a telemarketing ban taking effect on May 1 this year .
Australians who roll the dice and buy a system from a door knocker or telemarketer should be aware of their rights if things go wrong. These forms of unsolicited trading fall under the Australian Consumer Law and each state or territory may have different requirements.
When it comes to solar financing, when done right, it can be a useful tool for purchasing a system. If approached carefully, a high-quality and correctly sized solar system can save you more money each month than the financing costs (including interest) – but there are pitfalls that you should be aware of.
For tips on getting the right system for your needs at the right price, check out SolarQuotes’ Solar 101 Buyer’s Guide.
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