'Don't give up': Some Green Deal homeowners finally freed from Helms loans after 12-year fight

Homeowners tied into long-term loans under the now-scrapped Green Deal scheme are urging others not to give up hope, after some finally secured refunds and had their contracts cancelled following a 12-year fight.

Several former customers of the Scottish firm Helms (Home Energy and Lifestyle Management Ltd), which went bust almost a decade ago, have now received compensation and confirmation that their solar panel finance agreements have been ended.

Others still navigating the complex complaints system say they face yet another Christmas of confusion and uncertainty.

‘A remarkable sigh of relief’

For Eugene O’Brien, a short letter marked the end of more than a decade of stress. The correspondence confirmed the cancellation of a 25-year finance deal linked to his Glasgow home, with the refunded money paid back into his bank account.

O’Brien told STV News he felt a “remarkable sigh of relief”.

He said: “From the beginning, I just seemed to be knocking my head off a wall because I wasn’t getting anywhere fast, and it gets very frustrating.”

In 2013, Helms installed solar panels and other products as part of a UK Government-backed Green Deal scheme, which was scrapped two years later.

The company was fined over its sales tactics and later went bust. Its loan book was sold to the Green Deal Finance Company, leaving homeowners to pursue complaints over alleged mis-selling and faulty products.

More than 300 cases were taken to the Financial Ombudsman and the secretary of state.

‘A complete U-turn’

Jim McColl from Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, was among 15 people waiting for their case to be heard by a judge when progress was suddenly made.

He said: “It was within weeks of being on the television that the Green deal company did a complete U-turn, and I was quite literally shocked after fighting for all those years.”

Following several offers, an agreement was eventually reached. Jim’s monthly charges were removed, and he received a refund of several thousand pounds.

“It’s been a great wee boost,” he said. “We celebrated our golden wedding anniversary this year, and this has been the icing on the cake. My only regret is that it didn’t happen 12 years ago, and I might be sitting in a different house more suited to our needs.”

Mr O’Brien had also been concerned about how the loan might affect the future sale of his home.

He was supported through the complaints process by his neighbour, Angela Lowe, who is still pursuing her own case.

Eugene O'Brien and his neighbour Angela Lowe were both HELMS customers. — Eugene O’Brien and his neighbour Angela Lowe were both HELMS customers. STV News

Angela said: “If I hadn’t been working with Eugene through his complaint, I wouldn’t have had the confidence or the knowledge to quickly try and resolve it at this time, so that I’m not waiting ten years for an answer.

“I’m just hoping that his news means that the offers that other people get will improve.”

“Together we’ve pulled our knowledge and worked as a group so that we know not to give up at the first hurdle because eventually if you stick with it you will get a closer settlement to the way that we have been treated.”

Eugene echoed that message, adding: “Don’t give up. That’s what I would like the rest of the people to do. Not to give in and not to give up until they get an answer.”

Homeowners still in limbo

The Green Deal Finance Company has since been bought by Tandem Money Ltd.

It says historic complaints are being handled on a case-by-case basis and that it remains committed to supporting customers and ensuring they are treated fairly.

Meanwhile the UK Government said it is working “at speed” to individually investigate all complaints over the scheme and intends to resolve them as “quickly as possible”.

Not everyone has seen their cases resolved. Some homeowners are being offered discounts rather than full cancellations, while others who have accepted offers say they are still facing problems with their energy suppliers.

In Ayrshire, Irene Harris and her elderly neighbours are at an earlier stage of the appeals process. She says uncertainty remains widespread.

“We are pensioners with iPads who are trying to look back through 12 years worth of emails,” Irene told STV News. “Even now, I’m still going back 12 years trying to find things. I can’t retrieve them now because it’s that long.”

“We’re at a loss right now to where we all are. The next lot of intention notices have come out, and they’re offering 30% reductions and lots of different offers. So we don’t know whether they want us all to go through the tribunal process. We are just at a loss. There is a lot of confusion out there.”

“I just want it cancelled. I want shot of the whole thing, I never want to hear Green Deal ever again. I would like it just to be out of my life.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “We are working at speed to individually investigate all complaints referred to the department on this inherited scheme and aim to resolve them as quickly as possible.”