Six solar sales red flags before you sign

4 min read

Published by QUOTES AND DEALS · Updated

14 September 2026

THE SHORT ANSWER

Pause when an offer relies on urgent rebate deadlines, unexplained zero bills, unnamed installers, missing costs or unclear warranty responsibility. Ask for evidence and a complete written quote.

1. A rebate that supposedly disappears tonight.

Check the government’s program page and installation-date rules yourself. A salesperson’s deadline is not evidence of an official closing date.

2. A tiny price with a long list of exclusions.

Ask for the complete installed cost in writing. Compare the same installation scope across all offers.

3. Guaranteed zero bills without checking your usage.

Ask what remains on the electricity bill, including supply charges, and what the model assumes about weather, consumption and tariffs.

4. Accreditation without a person’s name.

Ask for the actual installer’s credentials and the electrical licence relevant to your state. Product approval, installer accreditation and retailer membership mean different things.

5. “The subcontractor will deal with that.”

Find out who you are contracting with and how installation faults or damage will be resolved. Put the answer in the agreement.

6. A warranty without a service pathway.

Find out who pays labour and freight, how you lodge a claim and what happens if the retailer stops trading. Save the documents somewhere you control.

Sources & further reading

Australian Government Solar Consumer Guide ↗

General information, not a site-specific design or an eligibility decision. Confirm requirements with the relevant authority and your installer.

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