Trident West Industries Ltd has been wound up by the High Court in London after investigators found it targeted pensioners with false promises of government ‘grant refunds’ for solar equipment and maintenance. Its connected company, Star Solar Ltd, had already gone into voluntary liquidation, closing a short‑lived chapter that traded on trust in the UK’s clean energy market.

According to the Insolvency Service, 80 complaints reached Trading Standards and Action Fraud describing cold calls and unsolicited doorstep visits by sales staff linked to both companies. Households who had previously installed solar with unrelated firms were told to pay upfront for parts or maintenance plans and were repeatedly assured that a government refund would cover the cost.

The money trail was stark. Between May 2023 and January 2025, more than £3.1 million landed in the companies’ bank accounts. Just £7,010 was ever returned-and only to nine complainants-despite combined complaints and County Court judgments exceeding £413,000. The average age of those who came forward was 76.

Trident West was wound up on 28 October 2025 at the High Court in London. Star Solar went into voluntary liquidation in April 2025. The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator for Trident West, preventing further trading while investigators continue to assess the companies’ affairs.

Case notes released by the Insolvency Service describe familiar pressure tactics. In one instance, a customer paid £3,420 for an inverter that never arrived. After cancelling, they were sold a maintenance plan for £1,883 with a promise the balance would be refunded; it never was. Another customer cancelled well within the cooling‑off period and was repeatedly told a refund was on the way. It never came.

Governance failures multiplied the harm. The common director, Terry Smith, told investigators he did not control the companies’ bank accounts and declined to name a third party he said had set up Trident West. He could not explain payments exceeding £1 million to various individuals and businesses. Trident West also failed to file accounts due in April 2025 and a confirmation statement due the previous August, breaching the Companies Act 2006, while its website triggered access warnings and emails bounced.

The Insolvency Service said the conduct showed deliberate targeting of vulnerable consumers and a pattern of taking money for goods and services that were then not delivered. Refunds were routinely withheld, and when customers chased, the companies stopped responding. The Service has made clear it will not tolerate this behaviour and has stepped in to protect the public.

This episode lands at a sensitive moment for the energy transition. Home solar remains one of the most effective ways to cut bills and emissions, yet confidence is fragile when a minority use green language to sell false promises. For older homeowners on fixed incomes, the damage is not just financial; it can deter neighbours from choosing legitimate installers.

There are straightforward fixes policymakers could adopt without slowing genuine installations. Ban the use of the words ‘grant’ and ‘refund’ in sales scripts unless a verified scheme on GOV.UK is being referenced. Require deposits for home renewable works to sit in safeguarded client accounts until equipment is delivered. Mandate recorded sales calls and signed, plain‑English key facts sheets that set out cooling‑off rights and how refunds are processed.

Installers have a role too. Firms that are MCS‑certified or TrustMark‑registered already meet higher standards; adding visible deposit protection, clear aftercare contacts and proactive check‑ins with older customers builds goodwill and reduces chargebacks. Trade bodies can go further with mystery‑shopper audits and fast‑track expulsion for members who cold call vulnerable households.

If you are approached, treat any unsolicited promise of a government refund as a red flag. Ask for the company’s registration number and check it on Companies House, request evidence of MCS or TrustMark status, and never pay on the doorstep. If you want to proceed, pay by credit card or a regulated finance plan to maximise protections, keep all correspondence, and use the legal cooling‑off period in writing if you change your mind. Report concerns to Trading Standards and Action Fraud promptly.

Enforcement matters, but so do clear rules and buyer confidence. Most UK solar installations are delivered professionally and safely. By shutting down bad actors and tightening simple safeguards, regulators and industry can ensure households-especially older ones-keep saying yes to clean power with confidence.