SAN LUIS, Ariz. – Maria Espinoza say she pays her utilities like most of us but she says she has three separate bills when it comes to her energy consumption. She thought buying solar panels for her home would reduce the cost, but after she signed a contract she found out she was wrong.
“I’m paying APS, the bank, and on top of that I’m going to acquire another (bill) in September if I don’t pay the amount that is almost $10,000.” said Espinoza.
Espinoza was approached at her doorstep by G-Energy to install solar panels on her roof. She says she was promised her APS bill would be reduced down to about $4 a month. Instead, she is now thousands of dollars in the red with a double digit interest rate on her solar panel loan.
“What we dreamed was going to be for savings is now going to be a load.” said Espinoza.
Espinoza say’s there is even a solar panel they sold her but was never installed. She says now she wishes she would have done more research before signing the contract.
“They were not honest; they didn’t explain to us, they didn’t tell us, ‘this, this, and that.’ I don’t know if they knew or not, but there was truly a lack of honesty.” said Espinoza.
As for G-Energy, the company no longer exists according to the former owner who did not want to comment over the phone.
“If someone has been a victim through an unlicensed contractor the best way to go is go to the Registrar of Contractors to just let them know what’s going on,” said Janet Torricellas who is with the BBB,”and give them as much information as you can, even if they are unlicensed.”
Espinoza says she hopes this can be resolved through complaints she has formally filed with the Registrar of Contractors but if not she may file a lawsuit against G-Energy and hopefully get her money back.