Gillingham resident's fury at E.ON after solar panel installation ruins home
"They've not done a single thing right," Chris who has spent five months trying to get his roof fixed
Chris, 53, and wife Lorraine Lee, 61, have criticised E.ON for 'not caring' about damage caused to their home (Image: Chris Lee)
A Gillingham couple has hit out at energy company E.ON for their poor treatment after a "cowboy" solar panel installation led to roof damage and flooding. Chris and Lorriane Lee paid thousands for the new renewable panels but have since waited five months for their roof to be fixed - which leaks whenever it rains.
The couple, 53 and 61, forked out nearly £10,000 when they ordered the green energy system in November 2021, and which was installed by E.ON contractors in May this year. However, after rain in June revealed a leak, it took more than two months for workers to return to the property, despite numerous calls.
"They've not done a single thing right," Chris said who has accused E.ON of "incompetence" and "stupidity", as well as a lack of accountability. "I've pointed out to them it's not their home that it's being done to, it's mine. They just do not care. They've had no duty of care whatsoever."
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Even after the contractor's visit in August the problem was not fixed and "constant" water ingress caused damp, damage, and cracks to the bedroom and bathroom ceilings, as well as water stains on a newly decorated landing wall. Chris continued: "They're not caring whatsoever. They've got my £9,500 and that's all they care about."
The couple said they fill half a bucket of water each week (Image: Chris Lee)
Chris and Lorraine's house is a 140-year-old Victorian property close to the mouth of the River Medway which the pair share with their three labradors. "We're not talking about a biblical flood coming through my roof but we've got enough water that's filling up half a bucket within the space of a week," Chris revealed.
The couple choose to have 10 solar panels installed due to the energy crisis and with environmentally-friendly motivations in mind. Now though, Chris said he has felt the need to apologise to his wife for the situation the couple has ended up in.
Chris - who runs his own carpet and upholstery cleaning business and has dealt with water damage claims through his work - suffers from poor health and said recent stresses have made things worse for him. The 53-year-old had a stroke six years ago and is partially blind.
A drone shot of the couple's roof with solar panels on (Image: Chris Lee)
He is also being treated for a condition that leaves him with regular migraines, which he said has got worse since dealing with E.ON. "The stress from dealing with these people has not been good. My health has not been fantastic.
"My migraines have actually been spiking a bit more recently since having to deal with these idiots. When you pay out that amount of money you shouldn't get treated like this if there's a problem."
The couple claimed to have called E.ON almost every day but have had little response in the past five months since the damage was done. Since speaking with KentLive Chris said E.ON has now arranged to send roofers around this week to address the issue.
Water damage from the roof leak has affected ceilings in the bedroom and bathroom, as well as on the landing (Image: Chris Lee)
E.ON has now apologised and said: "We are currently arranging for the necessary repairs to Mr Lee's roof which should be completed in the next week or so. We're speaking with Mr Lee to apologise for the inconvenience and to keep him updated on the progress of the works.
"We will ensure the matter is resolved to his complete satisfaction. This is an extremely rare occurrence across the thousands of solar panel installs completed for E.ON customers around the country."
Chris said he and his wife chose E.ON because it is a big energy company "so you'd like to think they employ people who know what they're doing". He warned the company should have to pay compensation for the damage, as well as fix the issue itself.
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