Blocked · Inherited system

Previous owner won't release solar monitoring access

Q: Do I legally own the solar panels and monitoring system when I buy the house?

Yes. Solar panels and inverters installed on a property are fixtures — they form part of the property and transfer to the new owner on completion unless explicitly excluded in the sale contract. The monitoring system and any associated warranties also transfer. The previous owner has no legal right to retain control of or access to monitoring systems installed at a property they no longer own. If you are unsure whether the system was included in the sale, consult your conveyancing solicitor.

Q: The previous owner is still accessing my monitoring portal and changing settings — what do I do?

This is a serious issue. If the previous owner is actively accessing monitoring and changing inverter settings at a property they no longer own, contact the manufacturer's support team immediately and request an emergency account lock. Provide your proof of ownership. Simultaneously, have your solicitor send a formal letter to the previous owner demanding they cease accessing the system. If they continue, this may constitute unauthorised access to a computer system under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 — seek legal advice.

Q: What if the manufacturer requires the previous owner's email to transfer the account?

Escalate. The manufacturer's standard transfer process may default to requiring an email from the previous registered account holder, but this is a process requirement — not a legal one. Ask to speak to a manager and make clear that the property has legally changed hands and you have documentation to prove it. Most manufacturers will override their standard process when presented with clear proof of ownership and a formal request. If they still refuse, your solicitor can write to the manufacturer directly.

Q: Can the manufacturer reset the monitoring account without the previous owner?

Yes — most manufacturers can create a new account linked to your inverter's serial number, effectively unlinking the previous owner's account without requiring their input. This is sometimes faster than a formal transfer. Ask specifically whether they can 'create a new owner account' rather than 'transfer' the existing one. GivEnergy and Growatt are generally more willing to do this than SolarEdge, whose platform has stricter account linkage.

Q: What should I do if the Feed-in Tariff is still being paid to the previous owner?

Feed-in Tariff (FiT) payments and Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments are separate from monitoring access. If the previous owner is still receiving FiT or SEG payments for generation or export from a system in your property, this needs to be addressed separately. Contact your energy supplier or the FiT administrator. The previous owner should have notified the relevant bodies of the change of ownership at the point of sale — this is a legal requirement. If they did not, your conveyancing solicitor can assist with the process.

The previous owner is uncontactable, unresponsive, or actively refusing to help with the monitoring transfer. You don't need their cooperation. There are direct escalation routes with every major manufacturer that work on proof of ownership alone.

Escalation routes Book a diagnostic

Previous owner's consent not legally required
Manufacturer escalation works
Legal options available if blocked

The key point

Solar panels and inverters are fixtures — they are legally part of the property and transfer to the new owner on completion. The previous owner has no legal right to retain control of monitoring systems installed at a property they no longer own.

5.0

13 Trustpilot reviews

Trustpilot Google

I have a GivEnergy system consisting of two batteries, two inverters and a controlling EMS (Energy Management System) which has not worked since Nov 2025. After six months I discovered Solar Tech Support, reached out to them and Ron phoned me back – how often do you get that service? Could not be more helpful – worked directly with me over the phone, outside what I would call normal working hours. Lucid explanations and we were able to discuss the issues and history using camera and email history. As this was a very rare setup, Ron was able to access an EMS expert in the field to confirm the solution. One sunny day in, I am now only paying for standing charge and a few pence for spikes in grid consumption while battery catches up with house demand.

Ian · May 2026 Trustpilot

When my GivEnergy system had an issue, I was completely left without support and had honestly lost all hope. Thankfully, I searched online and found Ron, which completely turned things around. After sending him a message, he responded incredibly fast and called me to assure me that he would get the problem fixed. I really admire his dedicated, supportive nature and his determination to find a solution. With this kind of outstanding attitude and customer service, he has absolutely secured a future customer in me.

Sree · May 2026 Trustpilot

Ron want out of is way to help, nothing was to much. He was very thorough in what he did Very knowledgeable I would highly recommend Ron and his company He did a fantastic job for me. if you have any problems, he'll do his best to help you out and resolve your problem. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them

Dennis Brown · May 2026 Trustpilot

Ron took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)

Tony Deacon · May 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone

Phill · May 2026 Trustpilot

I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues

michael fairhurst · May 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Solar Tech Support in desperation. After explaining the issues I had with my system a diagnosis was made and a solution proposed. Fantastic service, even contacted a manufacturer to arrange replacement parts for me. Great communications, explained all they were doing and what I had to do, clearly and precisly. Followed up to confirm all was ok. Excellent service.

Mr Machin · May 2026 Trustpilot

After GivEnergy went into liquidation, just my luck, my battery started playing up (internal board crashed). Contacted my installer - not interested! Found Solar tech support on a Google search. Sooo glad I found this company! Ron is extremely helpful and has plenty of experience. He soon confirmed what the fault was, and helped me to get my system up and running again. Now moved my GivEnergy account to Solar tech support, and will definitely use again if I have more issues. Unusual to find such a helpful company in these times, no morons reading scripts, just direct contact with the engineer.

Keith Ballard · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.

Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Ron is a super star. Two months ago my GivEnergy battery failed a firmware upgrade leaving it a brick. My installer couldn't/wouldn't fix it. GivEnergy couldn't/wouldn't fix it. Then they went into administration and all hope was lost. A flurry of emails later and Ron had diagnosed the fault (failed USB flash drive, something I'd suspected) and talked me through resolving it. Two months of nothing resolved in about 3 hours. It's great to work with someone who pays attention to the details, knows that they're doing (not just following a script) and gets stuff sorted without a fuss or up-charging.

Christopher · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration (their Trustpilot reviews don't lie!). So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.

customer · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

This company are a rare gem, I had a very unusual problem following a failed firmware upgrade on my GivEnergy kit. I then found out GivEnergy were in administration and had dismissed all their support staff! None of the usual fixes to try and restore my inverter comms would work, and I looked everywhere, forums, GivEnergy youtube support videos - even AI couldn't figure it out. My installer was talking about huge sums for system replacements, and being vague / evasive about if they'd even install replacement GivEnergy inverter. Enter Solar Tech Support, reassuring and knowledgeable from the very start, I've learnt loads about my solar system though the friendly chat while my engineer worked as he diagnosed the problem and figured out a fix procedure that I've not found anywhere else - amazing . If you need solar system repairs - especially if you like me have been left high and dry by GivEnergy, I cannot recommend this company enough. Give them a call.

Andy Thomas · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

I sent a message on their website regarding a problem I have on my Givenergy system. Although not supplied by Ronald, I thought it was worth an email. Within the hour on a Saturday, he phoned and we discussed the problem. He logged in remotely and gave excellent advice. I'm too far away for his on-site help but he did diagnose the problem and was happy also to chat through my thoughts about an upcoming solar/battery install I'm planning. Great bloke.... if only he was nearer!

Philip · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Ian · May 2026 Trustpilot

Sree · May 2026 Trustpilot

Dennis Brown · May 2026 Trustpilot

Tony Deacon · May 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone

Phill · May 2026 Trustpilot

I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues

michael fairhurst · May 2026 Trustpilot

Mr Machin · May 2026 Trustpilot

Keith Ballard · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.

Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Christopher · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

customer · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Andy Thomas · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Philip · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Escalation routes — in order of priority

Work through these in sequence. Most cases are resolved at step 2 or 3 without needing any contact with the previous owner.

Submit a standard ownership transfer request first

If you haven't already, go through the standard channel first — manufacturer support with your serial number and proof of ownership. Even if this seems like it will require the previous owner's email confirmation, submit it. Some manufacturers process it automatically on proof of ownership without actually contacting the previous owner. See the monitoring access guide for the process by brand.

Allow 5 working days. If you get no response or a response saying they need the previous owner's confirmation, move to step 2.

Request escalation to a manager and state the situation clearly

Reply to your support ticket — or open a new one — and explicitly request escalation to a team lead or manager. State the following clearly:

•The property has legally changed hands on [completion date]

•You are the legal owner and have attached documentation confirming this

•The previous owner is uncontactable / unresponsive / refusing to cooperate

•You require the account transferred on the basis of your ownership documents

Use the word "escalation" — support teams respond differently to formal escalation requests than general support queries.

Request a new account creation (not a transfer)

Ask specifically whether the manufacturer can create a new owner account linked to your inverter serial number, rather than transferring the existing account. This effectively unlinks the previous owner without requiring their consent or email confirmation. GivEnergy and Growatt are generally willing to do this with proof of ownership. SolarEdge has a stricter account linkage system but can be escalated to their UK technical account team.

Contact the UK distributor if the manufacturer is unresponsive

Manufacturers sell through UK distributors who have commercial relationships and can sometimes apply pressure that a homeowner cannot. Key UK distributor contacts:

•Sunsynk: Segen Solar or Solar Distributor (depending on installer)

•Growatt: Segen or Mark Group

•GivEnergy: Contact GivEnergy UK directly — they have a dedicated homeowner team

•SolarEdge: Segen, BN Electrical, or other authorised SolarEdge UK distributors

Have your solicitor write to the previous owner and/or manufacturer

If the previous owner is actively blocking the transfer — particularly if they are still accessing the monitoring portal and changing settings at a property they no longer own — a solicitor's letter is the appropriate next step. This creates a formal record, is usually effective in prompting cooperation, and positions you correctly if further legal action becomes necessary. Your solicitor can also write directly to the manufacturer demanding account transfer on the basis of confirmed ownership.

If the previous owner is still actively accessing your system

This is rare, but it does happen — particularly where the previous owner was receiving Feed-in Tariff payments and wants to continue doing so, or simply doesn't realise they no longer have the right to access the system.

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Contact the manufacturer immediately and request an emergency account lock. Explain that the previous owner is accessing monitoring at a property they no longer own and is changing inverter settings without your consent. Most manufacturers will lock the account pending an ownership verification. Provide your proof of ownership and request urgent action.

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Change your home broadband Wi-Fi password. If the inverter is connected to your broadband, the previous owner cannot directly access it remotely — they can only access the monitoring portal data. However, changing your broadband Wi-Fi will cause the inverter to go offline temporarily, which breaks any data feed to the portal. You will need to reconnect the inverter to your new Wi-Fi credentials afterwards, but this removes a potential network-level route in.

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Seek legal advice if changes are being made to your system. If the previous owner is actively changing inverter settings — charge/discharge schedules, export limits, mode settings — at a property they no longer own, this may constitute interference with your property and, depending on method, potentially unauthorised computer access. This warrants formal legal advice.

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Check whether the previous owner is still receiving FiT or SEG payments. If they are receiving generation payments for a system they no longer own, this is a matter for your energy supplier and, if relevant, your conveyancing solicitor. See the FAQ below on Feed-in Tariff transfers.

The legal position — what you own

Solar panels and inverters are fixtures

Under UK property law, solar panels, inverters, and batteries installed on or in a property are fixtures — they form part of the property. Unless explicitly excluded from the sale contract by the seller (which would be noted in your conveyancing documents), they transfer to the new owner on completion. The previous owner retains no ownership of, or right of access to, these systems.

If you are unsure whether the solar equipment was included in your sale, check your conveyancing documents — specifically the Fixtures and Fittings form (TA10). If solar panels are not explicitly excluded on this form, they are included in the sale.

Warranties and guarantees on the equipment (panels, inverter, battery) also transfer to the new owner, as they relate to the equipment — not to a named individual. However, you may need to notify the manufacturer of the ownership change to ensure warranty claims can be processed in your name.

Available on-site across Yorkshire & beyond

Need help transferring monitoring from a previous owner? We can handle the full process remotely, or visit on-site across our coverage area if hands-on access is needed.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I legally own the solar panels and monitoring system when I buy the house?

Yes. Solar panels, inverters, and batteries are fixtures — they are legally part of the property and transfer to the new owner on completion unless explicitly excluded in the sale contract. The monitoring system and any associated warranties also transfer. The previous owner has no legal right to retain control of systems installed at a property they no longer own. If you are unsure whether the equipment was included, check the Fixtures and Fittings form (TA10) from your conveyancing documents.

The previous owner is still accessing my monitoring portal and changing settings — what do I do?

Contact the manufacturer immediately and request an emergency account lock. Provide your proof of ownership and explain that the previous owner is accessing a system at a property they no longer own. Most manufacturers will lock the account pending verification. Simultaneously, have your solicitor send a formal letter to the previous owner. If they are actively changing inverter settings, seek legal advice — this may constitute unauthorised interference with your property.

What if the manufacturer requires the previous owner's email to transfer the account?

Escalate. The manufacturer's default process may request the previous owner's confirmation, but this is a process convention — not a legal requirement. Request to speak to a manager and state that the property has legally changed hands with documentation to prove it. Most manufacturers will override their standard process when presented with clear proof of ownership and a formal written request. If they refuse, your solicitor can write to them directly.

How do I contact the previous owner if I don't have their details?

Your conveyancing solicitor should have the previous owner's details from the sale. If they can't assist, a formal letter sent to the previous address (redirected by Royal Mail if they set up a redirect) may reach them. In most cases, it is more effective to focus on the manufacturer escalation route rather than pursuing the previous owner directly — you don't legally need their cooperation.

Can the manufacturer reset the monitoring account without the previous owner?

Yes — most manufacturers can create a new owner account linked to your inverter's serial number without requiring the previous owner's input. Ask specifically for a 'new owner account creation' rather than an account transfer. GivEnergy and Growatt are generally willing to do this with proof of ownership. SolarEdge has stricter account linkage but can be escalated to their UK technical account team for resolution.

What should I do if the Feed-in Tariff is still being paid to the previous owner?

If the previous owner is still receiving Feed-in Tariff or Smart Export Guarantee payments for generation at your property, contact your energy supplier directly to notify them of the ownership change and request the payments be transferred or stopped. The previous owner was legally required to notify the FiT administrator at the point of sale. If they did not, your conveyancing solicitor can assist. Payments made to the previous owner for generation at your property after the sale completion date may need to be recovered through your solicitor.

Account transfer

Stuck — or want the transfer handled for you?

Our monitoring account transfer service takes the whole process off your hands. We contact the manufacturer, deal with the documentation, and get the portal in your name — typically within 3–7 days. From £75.

Handles all 19 major brands
Direct manufacturer escalation — no hold-music
Full system generation confirmation included

Call 07944 877 329 Book free diagnostic