A solar battery that is not charging can be a product fault, an installation fault, a settings problem, a handover problem, or part of a wider complaint about how the system was sold. Before you write to the installer, the useful job is to separate those possibilities with evidence.
This guide is for homeowners who have a battery connected to a domestic solar panel system and need to prepare a complaint. Equisure Direct does not inspect batteries, diagnose electrical faults or repair solar systems. It prepares formal complaint and dispute correspondence from the customer’s paperwork.
Record what the battery is doing
Start with the exact symptom. Avoid a technical conclusion unless an installer, electrician or manufacturer has put it in writing.
Useful descriptions include:
- the battery shows zero charge;
- the battery does not charge from the solar panels;
- the battery charges from the grid but not from solar generation;
- the battery charges but drains much faster than expected;
- the battery app shows an error code;
- the inverter or hybrid inverter shows a warning;
- the installer has not explained how the battery settings should work.
Write down when the issue started and whether anything changed just before it happened, such as a firmware update, installer visit, meter change, new tariff, power cut or app change.
Save app screenshots before settings change
The monitoring app is often the best evidence. Take screenshots that show:
- battery state of charge;
- charging and discharging graphs;
- solar generation at the same time;
- household consumption;
- export or import from the grid;
- error messages or warning icons;
- battery mode or tariff setting;
- date and time.
If the app allows downloads, export the data. If it does not, screenshot enough days to show the pattern. A complaint saying “the battery has not charged above 12 percent since 4 September” is clearer than a general statement that it never works.
Match the battery against the sales paperwork
Find the quote, proposal and handover documents. Look for:
- battery make and model;
- usable capacity;
- expected charge and discharge behaviour;
- whether the system was sold as backup power, self-consumption, off-peak charging or export support;
- any generation or savings estimate;
- installer statements about how the battery would interact with your tariff.
Be careful with expectations. A battery may not charge fully every day if the panels do not generate enough surplus electricity, the household uses most of the solar power immediately, or the battery has been set to a tariff mode. The complaint is stronger when it compares written sales claims and app data rather than guessing.
Check the handover and certification papers
For a solar and battery installation, missing paperwork can matter. Gather:
- MCS certificate or certificate query information;
- electrical certificate;
- DNO notification or approval record;
- battery and inverter warranty papers;
- commissioning sheet;
- user manual;
- final invoice;
- insurance backed workmanship cover, if provided;
- installer membership details for RECC, HIES, TrustMark or another scheme.
MCS says certified installers are expected to issue the MCS certificate to the customer after commissioning. If you do not have the certificate, record that in the complaint and ask the installer for it in writing. RECC says its members cover renewable systems and add-ons including battery storage, and TrustMark advises homeowners to use written contracts and check the tradesperson is registered for the specific trade.
Build a clear timeline
A battery complaint can become messy because several parties may be involved: installer, manufacturer, finance provider, tariff provider and monitoring app provider. Make a timeline with:
- sale date;
- installation date;
- handover date;
- first date the battery failed to charge;
- screenshots or readings from that date;
- installer contact attempts;
- any remote access or setting changes;
- engineer visits;
- what was promised after each contact;
- what remains unresolved.
Save email threads and messages in date order. If the installer gives advice by phone, send a short email afterwards summarising what was said and asking them to confirm.
Decide who should receive the complaint
Start with the installer when the problem is installation quality, missing paperwork, settings, handover, battery integration or lack of response.
If the battery was bought with installer-arranged finance or by credit card, there may also be a finance complaint. The Financial Ombudsman Service says consumers should complain to the financial business first, keep records and evidence, and can usually bring the matter to the ombudsman if a final response is received or the business has had the time allowed under its rules.
If the installer claims membership of RECC, HIES, TrustMark or another scheme, check whether the membership covered the business and the technology at the time of sale. Scheme membership is not universal, so the contract and membership record matter.
What to ask for
Keep the request tied to the evidence. Depending on the facts, the complaint might ask for:
- a written explanation of why the battery is not charging;
- a visit or remote diagnostic appointment;
- correction of settings or commissioning errors;
- missing MCS, DNO, electrical or warranty documents;
- copies of the design, quote and handover records;
- a response to the gap between sales claims and app data;
- the installer complaint outcome needed before scheme escalation.
Avoid broad accusations. A useful letter says what the battery does, what the paperwork said it would do, what the installer has already been told, and what written response is now requested.
When the battery issue is part of mis-selling
Some battery complaints are not just technical. The issue may be that the battery was sold on an unclear savings claim, a tariff that was never available, a backup-power feature that was not actually included, or finance figures that did not match the paperwork.
If that is the case, put the sales evidence beside the technical evidence:
- quote and proposal;
- savings calculation;
- finance agreement;
- screenshots showing real battery behaviour;
- bills before and after installation;
- messages from the salesperson;
- installer replies after the fault was reported.
The letter can then explain both points: the battery problem itself, and the way the system was described before you signed.
Quick evidence checklist
- App screenshots showing charge level, error codes and dates.
- Solar generation data for the same days.
- Meter or inverter photographs.
- Quote, contract, invoice and handover pack.
- Battery, inverter and warranty documents.
- MCS certificate, electrical certificate and DNO paperwork.
- Finance or credit card paperwork, if relevant.
- Installer messages, call notes and visit records.
- A short timeline of the fault and every contact attempt.
Once those documents are together, the complaint can be routed more cleanly, whether it goes to the installer, a scheme, the manufacturer, or a finance provider.
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