They have problems with heat pumps. 'We were left without help'

In recent years, the market for photovoltaic installations and heat pumps has developed very dynamically. The result of this situation is an increase in the number of companies that install such installations. At the same time, the number of customers reporting problems with the operation of devices is increasing.

Recently, E.ON Foton (formerly known as E.ON Technik) has become a target of netizens. Her clients have been posting negative reviews of her for several months. They accuse her of being unreliable and failing to meet deadlines. “Collaborating with this company is like kicking a horse,” they write. At the same time, according to company representatives, the number of complaint reports has decreased significantly compared to previous years.

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Negative comments about E.ON Foton can be found, among others: on Facebook, as well as on the websites Fotowooltaika w Polsce and Świat OZE. A year ago, the company's clients reported that they were considering filing a class action lawsuit against the company. According to netizens, the installation is a “guerrilla war.” It is also assumed that the company relies on random contractors without proper knowledge.

However, the most important comments relate to warranty service.

In practice it does not exist. Pump malfunction can only be reported by email, as there is no telephone contact. When pump errors occur, no one can be contacted. Last winter, when the pump stopped in our new house, we were horrified. It was cold outside, and we have a small child, Mr. Andrei tells money.pl.

He adds that the error quickly disappeared, then reappeared. However, no help arrived. — I already know that I cannot rely on any service from this company. Previously, I thought that if you chose an entrepreneur who was part of an international organization, such a situation would not happen. “I was wrong, you see,” he says bitterly.

Our interlocutor emphasizes that such measures by renewable energy industry companies may effectively discourage Poles from installing renewable energy sources, among other sources. Because it is not known who can be trusted now.

What do E.ON Foton representatives think about this? We asked E.ON, formerly known as Innnogy, about this. Since 2021, E.ON Foton, formerly operating as Foton Technik, has become part of the international concern.

It turns out that her representatives were not aware that there were so many negative entries about them on the Internet. So they asked me to point out where these comments were located. However, the company's response, which we waited for nearly three days, was evasive.

Our priority is to provide clients with comprehensive care on and off contract. We always strive to support the users of our PV and heat pump installations, first and foremost with the free solutions resulting from the contract and free terms of service. We act in such a way that all provisions of the contract are implemented. In cases where customer reports exceed the scope of the warranty, we provide professional services for an additional fee, the company wrote.

We also read that it has been more than two years since the major increase in interest in photovoltaic installations and heat pumps. According to the company, this means that the devices purchased at that time have entered the post-warranty service period.

“We are aware of the increase in the number of these types of service requests and are working to fulfill them all as quickly as possible. However, an increase in the number of requests may result in longer wait times for services,” E. wrote on the press office.

Meanwhile, the company admits that there are no delays in installing the installation at the moment, but such a situation has occurred in the past. “We, like the entire market, have seen service delays during a period of intense interest in residential renewable energy installations. They were caused by a global situation – such as the epidemic or the conflict in Ukraine, which, among other things, affected the availability of components on the market. At the moment, the situation has stabilized and we are implementing the contracts as planned,” explains E.ON Foton.

He also points out that the company's internal statistics show that the number of complaints has decreased significantly compared to previous years.

This is a signal to us that the quality of our services is high and that most customers are satisfied with them – explains the company’s press office.

We agreed on that Some dissatisfied E.ON Foton customers have filed reports with the Competition and Consumer Protection Bureau. Others decided to notify the district inspectorates of the commercial inspection.

We have asked the Competition and Consumer Bureau to confirm whether the Office has received signals from dissatisfied E.ON Foton customers. We also asked what steps people should take who cannot, for example, have equipment repaired under warranty.

In response, Kamila Gozowska of the Communications Department of the Competition and Consumer Protection Bureau admitted that the Office had registered a notification regarding E.ON Foton in December last year. It was a problem with the heat pump service and difficulty contacting the company.

The official explained that we analyze the signals and reports received in accordance with our competencies, that is, in terms of violating the collective interests of consumers and prohibiting the use of prohibited contractual provisions.

She added that If we have any reservations about the quality of a company's service or product, we should immediately file a complaint with the entrepreneur. Additionally, you can benefit from the support of consumer advocates who are appointed to provide assistance in resolving individual cases. The other way is to seek advice via the hotline or via e-mail on the Competition and Consumer Protection Office website, in addition to writing a formal complaint to the Office.

The Antimonopoly Office has been analyzing the situation on the heat pump market since last year. The reason is the large number of complaints that companies have received recently. Devices imported from China also pose a serious problem. Often, at full power, its performance is insufficient, but the power consumption is high.

Meanwhile, according to Paweł Lachman, President of the Polish Organization for the Development of Heat Pump Technology (PORT PC), the main problem in the heat pump market is primarily the lack of proper control of these devices. In his opinion, such random inspections should be carried out from eight years onwards. He says this is due to a lack of action in this area Customers are left to their own devices because they are not sure that the equipment sold on the Polish market meets the appropriate requirements.

The latest report from Zero Carbon Analytics shows that Poland is currently the leader in heat pump market development in the EU. In 2022, our country recorded the highest increase in sales of these devices compared to other European countries. Every third heating device installed in Poland at that time was a heat pump.

This represents an increase of just over 100%. Compared to 2021. However, a significant decline has already been recorded in the first half of 2023. Compared to the same period in 2022. Heat pumps for sale It was down 40 percent and in the second quarter of 2023 it was much worse. Sales of these devices fell by more than 55%. Compared to the same period in 2022

Agnieszka Zielinska, journalist at money.pl