Wickes Solar Avis 2 314

If I could give a 0 star rating I would! Please save yourself unnecessary stress and choose another company!

From start to finish(well not finished yet) the Solarfast team have been appalling.
From the scaffold not being booked in on the right day and a team turning up late with only half the gear, fitters arriving 3 hours late on the day, working in pouring rain and into the dark night, having to come back to finish and again arriving 3 hours late. Refusing to take scaffold down until full payment made, and now an issue with pigeons as the don’t use a proper netting. Someone due with me at 8am this morning and now told they are stuck in traffic and won’t be here till 11.30. And I still don’t think this will sort the problem out.
I have paid a lot of money for this system and expect an expert service (as their advert says) in fact all I expect is a proper job that does what it is suppose to and the common curtisy to call me if they are going to be late. This is the start of a long association with this company and they are definitely not performing as I would have expected. Think Wickes need to take more control if they put their name to a company they should make sure the service is of the expected level.

It was done in a day the fitters were very good good communication excellent after service

Our Solar System failed this morning. We rang Wickes Solar and, refreshingly, within a few minutes we were connected to Adam Taylor, WIckes Solar Technical Team.

Adam was really excellent. He took us very easily, patiently and logically, step by step through what we had to do.

The system was restored and operating effectively within minutes.

Adam should be commended and recognised for excellent customer service

Very well done Adam and thank you. Very much appreciated.

UPDATE - I have dropped down from 3 to 1 star due to the scaffolding. After three weeks the scaffolders finally turned up, removed half and disappeared. End of the day, turned up and said couldn’t take away as another job had come up and should be back sometime next week. So scaffolding will have been in place and in the way for over 4 weeks instead to 4 to 5 days.

Happy with the product but would never use Wickes again due to logistical incompetence and lack of communication.

Placed an order Oct 25 for solar panel installation on front and rear roof aspect and Tesla battery pack with an agreed installation date Jan 26. Two days before the install I had a phone call that the installation was being postponed until a survey engineer could attend site to confirm the solar panels would fit. I had sent all requested information and even included photos, so this request did not fill me with confidence. Surveyor turned up and confirmed the solar panels would fit and installation rescheduled for Feb 26; one day planned with a contingency next day.

Scaffolding went up three days before installation, scaffolding team turned up with no notice even though we had been told they would contact day or so before.

Wickes team turned up and started the install, one engineer was sound and I would describe as totally professional. The other, caused a lot of concern and questions about the standard of work. First day, with most of the install complete, they started packing up. I asked what time they would turn up next day to complete to be told they may be back end of the next week! When asked about the planned next day contingency, they had not been informed by Wickes. So we had a part completed installation, no confirmed return/ completion date and as we discovered next day, issues with the roof.

Next day with daylight, had a look at the work so far completed and noticed two holes in the roof where roof tiles had been pushed up and not returned. Tiles broken with a temporary repair applied. I would not have cared about the broken roof tiles if I had been told, but there was no mention.

Contacted Wickes and informed the installation would be completed in four days time; thankfully no heavy rain showers during that time. Two days before there return, the scaffolders arrived (again, no notice) to remove the scaffolding as the job had been noted as complete. Luckily someone was home to tell them not to take it as the installation was not complete. More lack of communication between the contractors.

Team returned, completed the install. To be fair, the broken roof tiles were replaced and issues we raised dealt with. The professional engineer baby-sat the questionable engineer to ensure he didn’t screw up. Have to admit I am very happy with the end product.

Couple of days after and first strong winds, could hear knocking from a loose solar panel. Also noticed one of bird blocking brushes was hanging out. Contacted Wickes, told someone would attend site to sort out the issues. Week and a half later, no one has arrived on site to sort out the loose panel or bird blocking brush and the scaffolding is still in place. The scaffolding should have been removed within 3 to 5 working days, but looks like it’s going to be a lot longer.

I emailed about the issues, but after an initial reply received no further updates. When calling, the information I receive is vague and non-committal. For example, the G98/ G99 export certificate that I was told was applied for at the very start, will still take up to twelve weeks, same time as an initial application; I feel I have been greatly misled.

I chose Wickes as I believed them to be a trustworthy company and liked the idea of long term system monitoring and repair option in the contract. I have lost confidence in Wickes and now wish I had chosen a different company. I have been given conflicting information, there is a lack of accountability and an inability to communicate between customer and sub-contracted parties. I would seriously advise anyone to consider a different company.

Solar fast, well what can I say. 1 year on and the support is awful! Well none existent!

Got told when we have a power cut our electric won't go off, well it did and we had a full battery!

They never even turned the system on before they left, I only found out after 3 sunny days and no battery storage!

My advice, go elsewhere. I am still waiting for their support team to call or email me!!!

Solar Fast fitted 15 solar panels with a couple of batteries and an inverter for us in October last year. From initial enquiry to everything fitted (and scaffolding taken away) took less than 3 weeks. We have gradually seen the benefit as the power generated has increased now we have some good weather to more than meet our consumption. We expect to start exporting energy to the grid later this month (March 2026). Everything ran very smoothly and the installers and support staff were polite, punctual and very helpful. All in all a great job.

I have posted two previous reviews of Solarfast, now Wickes Solar, and my assessment of this company continues to tumble.
The original installation was pretty good, continues to work well and we were pleased.
A few weeks later there were birds under the panels including pigeons which are considered by DEFRA to be a pest associated with a number of health issues. Soalarfast sent out a man with a ladder who made some adustments to the "bird brush" bird defence product that was ineffective. This happened two or three times. The birds are still there.
Matthew Bedford of Solarfast told me that no product could be guaranteed 100% effective but agreed that we should not have the issue so soon in the life of the installation.
They sent out another man with a ladder who reported that the bird brush was in place. The birds are still there.
Matthew Bedford told me that the bird brush was a product that they did not charge for and installed to dissuade birds. I replied that I was certain the cost of the product whilst not itemised was included in the cost of the installation.
Matthew Bedford told me that the bird brush was the best product for the job despite saying that it wasn't guaranteed to be 100% effective. Enviroguard offer a product 100% effective when correctly installed which is available on the internet for £62.15 per 30metres so perhaps Matthews opinion isn't founded on detailed knowledge.
The birds are still there, nesting again and Solarfast, now Wickes Solar, appear to be ignoring me.
Draw your own conclusions.

I spent over £15,000 having 12 panels with batteries fitted just over 2 years ago.
We then had issues with water pouring through the upstairs bedroom ceiling every time it rained. I employed a roofing contractor who confirmed that the water ingress was as a direct result of the shoddy panel installation. Most of the slates had been cracked and several were missing altogether. I contacted Wickes who eventually sent a fitter who confirmed that the installation was the cause of the water ingress. They came back to remove the panels and refitted them in a much more secure fashion and the water ingress has stopped - (this part went well).
importunely the water has ruined the wooden bedroom blinds and caused discoloration of the window surround and the carpet. I stated that they would would need to make good this damage. They are now requesting three quotes for the remedial work. Given that the damage is obvious and there is no dispute as to the cause, I do not think it reasonable that the onus is on me to have it put right.
From my experience to date, I would not recommend using this company for your solar installation.

I paid £12.500 for panels converter and battery in 2023 and was advised of any fault that could not be fixrd remotely the part would be replaced. My battery has stoped taking a charge so i am now paying for any power being used when daylight stops. I have reported this weeks ago but have not received any help exept being told to send a video of it. I have advised them i am disabled and am unable to get up my loft but still have had no help.

Totally useless
Made enquiry, sent them plans, booked an appointment. Received a call 2 days ago confirming appointment then a day later they call to say my roof is not compatible!
Complete lies and BS.
My roof will be 12 meters wide and no interuptions

We encountered the most competitive pricing, exceptional products, and outstanding customer support here.The entire process was managed smoothly and effectively from beginning to end.Every staff member we interacted with was extraordinarily helpful and took initiative, embodying excellent customer service. The only area for improvement lies with your scaffolders; they were skilled in their work, but could benefit from feedback and customer service training to align with your exemplary standards.

Ordered a solar system from Wickes Solar in October 2025, works started early December but left incomplete and now not expected to complete until after 9th January.

Communication and scheduling very poor - constant delays, no sharing of information resulting in poor planning, and failing to show when planned. Scaffolding left up for over five weeks including over Christmas.

Bad conduct - Installation was chaotic, with incorrect information and pressure to change the design on installation day.

Damage - Several roof tiles were broken during the install and unnecessary holes drilled internally. Wickes Solar's Operations Manager is currently telling me that roof tiles will remain broken and exposed to the elements for over 5 weeks.

The system design lacked the expertise I expected. I later learned that a more effective layout — including additional panels and a more suitable inverter was possible, but this was never discussed.

In summary, we're still waiting for the job to be completed, the damage repaired, and the scaffolding removed. Overall a very disappointing experience and I would not recommend.

The sales and installation process with Solarfast was exceptional, deserving of a 5-star rating. The team was professional, efficient, and clearly communicated all aspects of the product offering, including the stated monitoring feature.

However, there is a significant gap in after-sales support, particularly within the Technical Department. A key concern is the discrepancy between the advertised "monitored" product and the actual experience: rather than the team proactively identifying issues through monitoring, customers are required to initiate contact to report problems. Additionally, response times from the Technical Department have been unsatisfactory, creating frustration when addressing critical product concerns.

While the initial experience is strong, improvements to the technical support function are essential to deliver on the full promise of the product and provide a consistent, high-quality customer experience.

What can I say, I spoke to Scott from Wickes Solar Fast and explained what I wanted etc, top of the list was no hard sell and this young man was open, how at and very knowledgeable. As a result within 15 minutes I’d made up my mind to go with Solar Fast to install roof panels, inverter and two batteries. Top man Scott, thanks.

Full marks to the Solar Fast technicians Adam and Jack for an efficient and fast service. I recently lost the internet connection to my solar panels, for some unknown reason. With their guidance and help the system was eventually restored. They were both knowledgeable and polite throughout!
Many thanks
RB, Chelmsford

Hi,

Panels fitted however scaffold still up around my property even when the work is complete. No real help in setting up the app’s, not sure if they are working correctly. Asked for payment straight away which I paid however still not had the final completion certificate or completion certificate to date. Overall disappointing service

Best price, product and customer service we came across.

Efficient and well organised process from start to finish.

Super supportive and proactive customer service from every one of your employees that we met or came into contact with. (Only exception was your scaffolders - good at doing their job, but need a bit of feedback and customer service training to mirror your high standards.

From the start of the process I felt safe and comfortable with Solar fast - The fact that it was well known brands - Wicks and Duracell gave me confidence
all sales staff we not pushy and were very helpful. Very quick turnaround from initial call to installation around 3-4 weeks.
Installation team were really friendly and professional

after 1 small problem after 4 days it was rectified I was very pleased with the results H O were very good all clear now i can recommend this company.

Solar fast were exceptional with the whole process from planning to execution of my Solar
panels. I would highly recommend them