The Courier Mail today reported that a group of residents in Hughenden had paid $60,000 in deposits to a solar company and have not had any systems installed. Full article below.
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From Courier Mail
TRUSTING Queenslanders have been burned by another Gold Coast solar company pocketing thousands of dollars in deposits and failing to install solar systems.
Residents in the tiny north Queensland town of Hughenden have paid up to $60,000 since March but have received nothing but unanswered calls and broken promises.
This follows Gold Coast solar conman “Pastor” Steve Jones, who was exposed by The Courier-Mail in June after he pocketed $900 deposits from several hundred Gold Coast and Brisbane residents.
More than 150 police complaints have been filed against Jones, who remains under investigation by Fair Trading and the QPS fraud squad.
Mount Isa MP Betty Kiernan has contacted the office of State Attorney-General Paul Lucas and the Office of Fair Trading, demanding an investigation of the Hughenden transactions.
“These are genuine people trying to reduce their energy costs. It’s really sad,” she said.
A representative for Cleaner Energy Pty Ltd, of Coomera, who refused to give her full name to The Courier-Mail, said on Friday the firm’s “assets and sales orders” had been acquired by another Gold Coast firm.
She would not say if or when people would get solar panels.
Hughenden resident Natasha Nicolosi provided The Courier-Mail with a contract showing she paid a $750 deposit for her $3000 system seven months ago this week.
“We got nothing, not even an installation date out of them,” Miss Nicolosi said.
“All we ever asked for is the truth and to get our money back. We haven’t been able to speak to a manager. No one can.”
Clean Energy Council spokesman Mark Bretherton said Cleaner Energy was not a member of his organisation, which accredited installers.
Even in areas of high demand, it was reasonable to expect the installation of systems in two-three months, he said.
The office of Federal Member Bob Katter confirmed it was aware of the complaints and seeking answers.
Hughenden resident Margaret Mitchell also has received nothing after paying a $750 deposit to Cleaner Energy in March.
The company said an eight-panel solar system would be installed by July 1.
“We started ringing after they didn’t come, and we’ve been ringing and emailing ever since,” she said.
“I just want my money back so I can go with someone else. We can’t do that until we get our money back.”
Directors and shareholders for Cleaner Energy were either unlisted or did not return calls.
