A WORCESTER property expert is warning home owners of the dark lining that could be attached to the silver cloud of solar energy.

The green energy source is currently popular with people investing in solar panels to cut their energy bills, but there could be legal pitfalls.

The alert has come from residential property expert Sharon Lerry who over the past 12 months has seen an upturn in the number of households seeking her advice on their situation before forking out thousands of pounds on panels and installation. Many homeowners are concerned whether or not they need permission from the council or what impact panels can have on their home insurance.

Miss Lerry, a conveyancing manager at Worcester law firm mfg Solicitors, said: “Solar panels are a great investment and can help reduce energy costs in the long term. They can also improve a property’s value and are very popular with a projected 10 million homes in the UK expected to have panels installed by 2020. But homeowners should check their title deeds or they could find themselves out of pocket if consent was needed from a third party, such as the original developer, prior to them being fitted.

“Not only should homeowners ensure they aren’t in breach of restrictions in their title deeds, but it’s absolutely essential they check if their mortgage lender has any requirements. It is also key that any installer is part of the Competent Person Scheme and is accredited under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. If not, they may need to make a separate application to a local authority for building regulations approval. These are vital steps.

“Often the company fitting the panels retains ownership of them but leases the roof space from the homeowner. The lease has to comply with the Council of Mortgage Lenders Handbook and there has to be a guarantee to cover the responsibility of maintenance, or the homeowner will have problems re-mortgaging, or selling the property. Finally, the household insurer must be informed that panels have been installed.

“This is just a snapshot of the many issues I’ve been dealing with in the past year as more home owners try to stay on the right side of installation rules. The rule of thumb is simple, take advice before you risk making a sizeable financial commitment.”