Your D.C. Solar Contract Is Costing You More Than You Were Told. Here's How to Fight Back.
The short version: Most District of Columbia solar leases have an escalator clause. It raises your payment 2.9% every year. Over 25 years, a $150 payment grows to more than $300. In September 2025, DC AG Brian Schwalb warned DC homeowners. Big solar companies that worked in District of Columbia have gone bankrupt. Sunrun is one of them. If your solar panels aren't saving what you were told, you have real rights. Start with a free Solar Relief Assessment to see what's actually in your contract.
There is a number buried in your D.C. solar contract that your salesperson spent a lot of time talking about - and it's the one causing you the most trouble. It's your projected SREC income.
Solar Renewable Energy Credits were a big part of the financial pitch in the District. Your salesperson showed you how much extra money you'd earn by selling SRECs. What they didn't show you is how volatile that market is - and what happens to your bottom line when SREC prices drop.
If you're a D.C. homeowner and your solar panels aren't delivering the savings you were promised, this is one reason why. But it's not the only one.
Your payments are going up. Your SREC income is falling short. And the company that knocked on your door and built that rosy projection? They might not exist anymore.
The District of Columbia Attorney General Is Watching Solar
In September 2025, DC AG Brian Schwalb warned DC homeowners. He said solar sales scams target people in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8. Many victims are seniors and people whose first language isn't English. The AG flagged hidden dealer fees, inflated savings claims, and the risk of losing your home over a solar loan.
This matters to you. State enforcement agencies have put it on the record. The same sales tactics used on District of Columbia homeowners are now named in court filings. If what your salesperson told you doesn't match your contract, you're not alone. You're not crazy. And you have options.
What's actually in your D.C. solar contract
Here's what most D.C. homeowners don't find out until they've been paying for a year or two: the deal you signed isn't the deal you were sold.
Your salesperson told you solar would lower your electricity costs and generate SREC income. But did they mention the escalator clause in your lease? That's the line that raises your payment every year - by as much as 2.9%. On a 25-year lease, that turns a $150 monthly payment into more than $300!
Did they mention that SREC prices in D.C. have been volatile? If your savings projection was built on steady SREC income at a specific price per credit, and the market hasn't cooperated, your financial picture looks nothing like what you were shown at the kitchen table.
Did your salesperson mention Freedom Forever? Freedom Forever was one of the biggest solar installers in the country. They put in about 2 gigawatts of solar across 35 states. On April 15, 2026, they filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. They owe $500 million to $1 billion. Between 50,000 and 100,000 people are owed money. Freedom Forever was still installing in District of Columbia when they filed. If Freedom Forever installed your system, your contract is still active. But the company behind your warranty is now in bankruptcy limbo.
Freedom Forever isn't alone. SolarInsure counted more than 100 solar company bankruptcies in 2024. SunPower filed Chapter 11 in August 2024. A company called Complete Solaria bought them. Sunnova Energy filed Chapter 11 in June 2025. Titan Solar Power filed Chapter 7 in June 2024. Pink Energy, Lumio Holdings, and Vision Solar are on the same list. When your installer goes bankrupt, your payments don't stop. Your contract doesn't cancel. But your warranty usually disappears.
Your rights under D.C. law
The District gives you some of the strongest consumer protection tools in the country. Here's what your salesperson didn't explain.
Your 3-day cancellation window. If a solar salesperson came to your home and you signed the contract there, the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives you 3 business days to cancel with no penalty. D.C.'s own consumer protection laws reinforce this right. If your salesperson never told you about this - and most don't - that affects the enforceability of your agreement. Pull out your contract. If there's no cancellation notice on the front page, that tells you something.
The D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act. D.C. Code 28-3901 et seq. is one of the strongest consumer protection statutes in the country. It prohibits deceptive trade practices and gives you a private right of action - meaning you can take legal action directly. And here's the part that gives it real teeth: treble damages. If a court finds your solar company misled you, you could recover up to three times your actual damages. This law was built for situations like yours.
Pepco rate structure matters. Most D.C. residents are Pepco customers. Your solar savings were projected against Pepco's rates. If those rates haven't moved the way your salesperson assumed they would, the gap between your solar payment and your utility savings is narrower than promised - or gone entirely. Did your salesperson show you the specific Pepco rate assumptions they used? If not, those projections were built on guesswork.
Hidden dealer fees in your loan. Did you finance your solar system with a loan? If so, the lender probably added a dealer fee. These fees are usually 15 to 30 percent of your loan. They get hidden in your balance. You pay interest on money that went to the solar company. Not to your panels. Federal law (the Truth in Lending Act) says every fee must be clearly shown. If yours wasn't, that can be a legal violation.
What you can do right now
You don't have to figure this out alone. Here are the first steps for District of Columbia homeowners.
File a complaint with the District of Columbia Attorney General. Go to https://oag.dc.gov/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint. Or call 202-442-9828. Filing is free. The AG's office reads every complaint.
Compare what the salesperson told you to what's in your contract. In most cases, the two don't match. That gap is what makes a case.
Pull your utility bills from the last 12 months. Add up what you're paying the utility plus what you're paying for solar. Compare that to what you'd pay the utility alone. If the numbers don't work, that's a real gap — not just a feeling.
Find the escalator clause and the dealer fee in your contract. These two lines cause the biggest gap between what you were sold and what you're paying. You can spot both by reading your own paperwork.
Every contract is different. But the first step is the same for everyone. Understand what you signed. Solar Home Advocate built the free Solar Relief Assessment for this exact moment. Someone walks through your contract with you in plain English. They tell you your options.
You Signed a Solar Contract in D.C. Find Out What It's Actually Costing You and Your Family.
D.C. homeowners have some of the strongest consumer protection rights in the country - including the CPPA's treble damages provision. The SREC market that powered your salesperson's projections hasn't cooperated. A free Solar Relief Assessment helps you understand what's in your contract, what went wrong, and what you can do about it.
[Get free Solar Relief Assessment →](https://solarhomeadvocate.com/free-assessment?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=state-guide&utm_content=dc)Get free Solar Relief Assessment →**
No charge. No obligation. No high-pressure pitch.
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"Sal says: A 2.9% escalator clause nearly doubles your payment over 25 years. Freedom Forever filed Chapter 11 in April 2026. If you signed a solar contract in District of Columbia, these facts hit your math and your warranty."
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are my rights if I signed a solar contract in District of Columbia?
Did a salesperson come to your home? If yes, you have a 3-day right to cancel. That's under D.C. Code §28-3811 et seq. and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. District of Columbia also has DC Consumer Protection Procedures Act (D.C. Code §28-3901 et seq.). That law covers unfair or deceptive sales tactics. You can file a complaint with the District of Columbia Attorney General. Go to https://oag.dc.gov/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint or call 202-442-9828. If your salesperson didn't tell you about the 3-day cancel rule, that can affect your contract.
Has District of Columbia sued any solar companies?
Yes. In September 2025, DC AG Brian Schwalb warned DC homeowners. He said solar sales scams target people in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8. Many victims are seniors and people whose first language isn't English. The AG flagged hidden dealer fees, inflated savings claims, and the risk of losing your home over a solar loan.
How does the escalator clause affect my District of Columbia solar contract?
Most District of Columbia solar leases have an escalator clause. It raises your payment about 2.9% every year. On a 25-year lease, a $150 payment grows to more than $300. District of Columbia's average electricity rate is about 23.72 cents per kilowatt-hour in early 2026. That's well above the national average of 17.45 cents. District of Columbia's utility rates are climbing fast. That makes your solar math a close call. Utility rates haven't always gone up 2.9% a year. So your solar payment can climb faster than your would-be utility bill. Your savings shrink instead of grow.
What happens if my District of Columbia solar company went bankrupt?
SolarInsure counted more than 100 solar company bankruptcies in 2024. Big names include SunPower (Aug 2024), Sunnova Energy (June 2025), Titan Solar Power (June 2024), Freedom Forever (April 15, 2026), Pink Energy (Oct 2022), and Vision Solar (Dec 2023). If your installer went bankrupt, your contract still stands. Your payments still go out. But the workmanship warranty usually dies with the company. The panel maker's warranty (often 25 years) still exists. But filing a claim without an active installer is hard.
Can I cancel my District of Columbia solar contract?
Did the salesperson come to your home? Then District of Columbia law gives you 3 business days to cancel. That's under D.C. Code §28-3811 et seq. and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. If those 3 days have passed, you may still have options. Did they skip the cancel notice? Did they use deceptive sales tactics? Did your loan hide fees? Any of those can open a path to cancel. It depends on your specific contract and how it was sold.
What are hidden dealer fees on a District of Columbia solar loan?
Solar finance companies add dealer fees of 15 to 30 percent to your loan. They roll the fee into the principal. They don't list it separately. That means you pay interest on fee money that went to the solar company. Not to your panels. The federal Truth in Lending Act says every fee must be listed clearly. A hidden fee can be a federal violation. That's one of the strongest paths to renegotiate or exit a solar loan.
How do I file a solar complaint in District of Columbia?
Go to the District of Columbia Attorney General's website at https://oag.dc.gov/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint. Or call 202-442-9828. Filing is free. Write down what the salesperson told you at the sale. Save your contract. Save any texts, emails, and voicemails with the installer. If you have a solar loan, keep your loan paperwork. A formal complaint creates a record. That record strengthens any legal review later.