{"id":42591,"date":"2025-03-28T13:37:03","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T18:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/?p=42591"},"modified":"2025-03-28T15:48:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T20:48:25","slug":"notice-complaints-about-everbright-solar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2025\/03\/28\/notice-complaints-about-everbright-solar\/","title":{"rendered":"Notice: Complaints about EverBright Solar\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-34320 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-300x198.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-800x529.png 800w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-768x508.png 768w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels-391x260.png 391w, https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Installing-Rooftop-Solar-Panels.png 935w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>CUB has received several complaints recently about a company called EverBright Solar going door-to-door across the state.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The complaints include seniors who say they thought the 25-year lease was free when, in fact, it is not. (Some have told CUB they unknowingly signed up for an extremely expensive contract.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of strong energy policy, solar power is an excellent deal in Illinois. The state has solid residential solar programs (see <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/illinoisshines.com\/find-an-av-designee-or-subcontractor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Illinois Shines<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.illinoissfa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Illinois Solar for All<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) and consumers have a lot of legitimate solar offers to choose from.(See <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2024\/09\/04\/chicago-tribune-excerpt-consumer-watchdog-helps-solar-roof-shoppers-cut-through-the-confusion\/\">CUB\u2019s recent work in a solar group-buy program.<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But consumer education makes Illinois\u2019 market even stronger. The following are tips on how solar shoppers can protect themselves and find the deal that\u2019s right for their individual households:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Do some homework:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find out if the solar company you&#8217;re considering has a bad track record.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Verify the company is registered with <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/illinoisshines.com\/find-an-av-designee-or-subcontractor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Illinois Shines<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the state program that\u2019s in charge of solar incentives and monitoring the market.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/illinoisshines.com\/violations-report-cp-complaint-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Illinois Shines complaint report<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to see if the company you\u2019re considering is on there.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go to the Better Business Bureau: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/bbb.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>BBB.org<\/strong><b>.<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask the company for references.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Consider 2-3 installers:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think rooftop solar would be a good fit for you, call at least two solar installers in your area to get quotes for your project. Find residential solar installers near you by visiting the<\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/illinoissolar.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Illinois Solar Energy Association website: IllinoisSolar.org.<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Tip: Use Illinois Shines Disclosure forms to make apples to apples comparisons.)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Don&#8217;t make quick decisions.<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t have to make a decision at your doorstep. Take the company&#8217;s literature and review the offer on your own time. If they keep pestering you, high-pressure sales tactics could be a red flag.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>File a complaint:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you believe you have been subject to fraudulent or deceptive sales practices, file a complaint with <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/illinoisshines.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Illinois Shines<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and you can also file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General\u2019s office.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chicago: 1-800-386-5468 (TTY 1-800-964-3013)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Springfield: 1-800-243-0618 (TTY 1-877-844-5461)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carbondale: 1-800-243-0607 (TTY 1-877-675-9339)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spanish: 1-866-310-8398<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reach out:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Got questions about Solar? There are some great resources:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/illinoisshines.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IllinoisShines.com<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CUB&#8217;s Clean Energy Page, at <\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/citizensutilityboard.org\">CitizensUtilityBoard.org<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illinois Solar Energy Association, at<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/illinoissolar.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> IllinoisSolar.org<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Solar Energy Industries Association, at<\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/seia.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> SEIA.org<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CUB has received several complaints recently about a company called EverBright Solar going door-to-door across the state.\u00a0 The complaints include seniors who say they thought the 25-year lease was free when, in fact, it is not. (Some have told CUB they unknowingly signed up for an extremely expensive contract.)\u00a0 Because of strong energy policy, solar power is an excellent deal in Illinois. The state has solid residential solar programs (see Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All) and consumers have a lot of legitimate solar offers to choose from.(See CUB\u2019s recent work in a solar group-buy program.)\u00a0 But consumer education makes Illinois\u2019 market even stronger. The following are tips on how solar shoppers can protect themselves and find the deal that\u2019s right for their individual households:\u00a0 Do some homework: Find out if the solar company you&#8217;re considering has a bad track record.\u00a0 Verify the company is registered with Illinois Shines, the state program that\u2019s in charge of solar incentives and monitoring the market. Review the Illinois Shines complaint report to see if the company you\u2019re considering is on there.\u00a0 Go to the Better Business Bureau: BBB.org.\u00a0 Ask the company for references. Consider 2-3 installers: If you think rooftop solar would be a good fit for you, call at least two solar installers in your area to get quotes for your project. Find residential solar installers near you by visiting the Illinois Solar Energy Association website: IllinoisSolar.org. (Tip: Use Illinois Shines Disclosure forms to make apples to apples comparisons.) Don&#8217;t make quick decisions. You don\u2019t have to make a decision at your doorstep. Take the company&#8217;s literature and review the offer on your own time. If they keep pestering you, high-pressure sales tactics could be a red flag. File a complaint: If you believe you have been subject to fraudulent or deceptive sales practices, file a complaint with Illinois Shines, and you can also file a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General\u2019s office. Chicago: 1-800-386-5468 (TTY 1-800-964-3013) Springfield: 1-800-243-0618 (TTY 1-877-844-5461) Carbondale: 1-800-243-0607 (TTY 1-877-675-9339) Spanish: 1-866-310-8398 Reach out: Got questions about Solar? There are some great resources:\u00a0\u00a0 IllinoisShines.com CUB&#8217;s Clean Energy Page, at CitizensUtilityBoard.org\u00a0 Illinois Solar Energy Association, at IllinoisSolar.org The Solar Energy Industries Association, at SEIA.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[475,681],"tags":[389],"class_list":["post-42591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-solar-2","category-solar-power","tag-electric-bills-2"],"cp_meta_data":{"_facebook_share_type":["default"],"_twitter_share_type":["default"],"_linkedin_share_type":["default"],"_pinterest_share_type":["default"],"_instagram_share_type":["default"],"_medium_share_type":["default"],"classic-editor-remember":["classic-editor"],"_edit_lock":["1743195365:5"],"_edit_last":["5"],"_wp_page_template":["default"],"borntogive_page_header_show_hide":["2"],"borntogive_pages_title_show":["1"],"borntogive_pages_Choose_slider_display":["2"],"borntogive_pages_select_revolution_from_list":["3"],"borntogive_pages_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_effects":["fade"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_social_show":["1"],"borntogive_strict_no_sidebar":["0"],"borntogive_sidebar_columns_layout":["3"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_effects":["fade"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["false"],"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":[""],"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":["off"],"_wpsp_is_facebook_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_twitter_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_linkedin_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_pinterest_share":["off"],"_selected_social_profile":["a:0:{}"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["681"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["60"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["2"],"_wpb_post_custom_layout":["default"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42591"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42596,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42591\/revisions\/42596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}