Last reviewed: 4 September 2026. Checked against the Consumer
Credit Act 1974 and Financial Ombudsman Service guidance. This explains the general legal position
in the UK; it is not advice about your particular purchase.
If you pay for a solar kit, a battery or an installation with a credit card, and
the thing goes wrong or the company disappears, the card issuer can be equally liable
with the retailer. That is Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, and in a market where a major
battery manufacturer went into administration in April 2026, it is the most valuable thing a buyer can
understand before spending four figures.
What Section 75 actually says
Section 75 creates what lawyers call joint and several liability. If the supplier
misrepresents the goods or breaches the contract, you have a claim against the credit provider on the
same terms as against the supplier. You can pursue either, or both, and you do not have to chase the
supplier first.
The practical consequence is the part people miss: if the installer or manufacturer no
longer exists, the card issuer is still there. Administration does not extinguish your
Section 75 claim, because your claim is against the bank as well.
| Condition | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Payment method | Credit card, store card or point-of-sale credit. Not a debit card |
| Cash price of the item | More than £100 and no more than £30,000 |
| How much you put on the card | Any amount. A £50 deposit on a £4,000 battery still brings the whole purchase into scope |
| Who you paid | The supplier directly. Paying through a third-party processor can break the chain |
| What went wrong | Breach of contract or misrepresentation by the supplier |
The third row is the one worth committing to memory. Putting only the deposit on a credit
card protects the entire purchase price, not just the deposit. For a battery installation
running to several thousand pounds, that is the cheapest insurance available, and it costs nothing.
Section 75 versus chargeback
These get confused constantly, and they are not the same thing.
| Section 75 | Chargeback | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Statute — a legal right | Card scheme rules — not a legal right |
| Cards covered | Credit only | Debit and credit |
| Value limits | Over £100, up to £30,000 | No statutory limits |
| Typical time limit | Six years to bring a claim in most of the UK | Usually 120 days from the transaction or from when you expected delivery |
| If the retailer is insolvent | Claim stands against the card issuer | Often still possible, but the window is short |
Chargeback is faster and covers debit cards, but it is a scheme courtesy with a tight deadline.
Section 75 is a statutory right that survives long after the supplier has gone. For a purchase you
expect to last a decade, Section 75 is the one that matters.
Where this bites in solar and batteries
Four situations come up repeatedly in this market.
- The installer takes a deposit and never returns. Classic breach of contract.
If the deposit went on a credit card and the job was over £100, claim against the issuer. - The manufacturer goes into administration and the warranty evaporates. Whether
this is a Section 75 claim depends on who gave the warranty and what was promised at the point of
sale. If the retailer sold you the product on the strength of a twelve-year manufacturer warranty
that is now worthless, there is an argument about misrepresentation. See
what to do if your battery brand goes bust. - The kit does not perform as described. A plug-in kit sold as producing a
headline figure that is unattainable at your latitude and orientation may be a misrepresentation.
Our page on what these kits actually
generate exists partly so buyers can tell the difference before they buy. - The kit turns out not to be compliant. Selling a plug-in kit that does not meet
the product specification is a straightforward breach. How to check is in
spotting a non-compliant kit.
How to make a claim
- Gather the paperwork first. Order confirmation, the advertisement or quotation
that made the promise, the card statement showing the payment, and your correspondence with the
supplier. - Write to the supplier if it still exists, setting out the problem and what you
want. Keep it factual and keep a copy. - Claim from the card issuer in writing, saying explicitly that you are making a
claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Naming the statute matters: a vague
complaint gets handled as a general dispute. - If they refuse, go to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It is free, and it deals
with a large volume of Section 75 disputes. You normally need the issuer’s final response first, or
to have waited the permitted period.
The limits, honestly stated
Section 75 is not a universal refund button, and it is worth knowing where it stops.
- Debit cards are excluded. This is the single most common disappointment. If you
paid by bank transfer or debit card, you have chargeback at best. - Buying through some marketplaces or payment intermediaries can break the debtor-creditor-
supplier chain, which is what the protection depends on. Paying the supplier directly is
safer. - Above £30,000 the section does not apply, though that ceiling is far above a
domestic battery. - It covers breach and misrepresentation, not regret. A kit that works exactly as
described but saves less than you hoped is not a Section 75 claim. It is a reason to have read
the honest maths first.
The one-line takeaway
Put at least part of any solar or battery purchase on a credit card, even if you pay the balance
another way and clear the card immediately. It costs nothing, and it converts an unsecured bet on a
company still existing in five years into a claim against a bank that certainly will.