Your Utah Solar Contract Is Costing You More Than You Were Told. Here's How to Fix It.
The short version: Most Utah 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 March 2024, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection sued Colarusso Ventures. Big solar companies that worked in Utah have gone bankrupt. SunPower (Blue Raven) 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.
Utah has one of the most aggressive door-to-door solar sales cultures in the country. Vivint Solar - one of the largest residential solar companies in America - was headquartered right here before being acquired by Sunrun. Tens of thousands of Utah homeowners in Salt Lake City, Provo, St. George, and across the Wasatch Front signed solar contracts at their kitchen tables after a knock on the door.
The pitch was always the same: save money, lock in rates, go green. But the reality is different.
Your payments are going up. The savings projections aren't matching your electric bill. And Utah's net metering export credits have been reduced - which means the economics of your system changed after you signed. Did your salesperson mention that was coming?
More than 100 solar companies filed for bankruptcy in 2024 alone, according to SolarInsure. Titan Solar Power filed Chapter 7 in June 2024. SunPower filed Chapter 11 in August 2024 and was acquired by Complete Solaria. Sunnova - one of the largest residential solar companies in the country - filed Chapter 11 in June 2025. When your installer goes under, your payments don't stop. Your contract doesn't disappear. But the warranty you were counting on is gone.
The Utah Attorney General Is Watching Solar
In March 2024, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection sued Colarusso Ventures. The company operates as Elan Solar. Owner Kevin Colarusso is also named. The Division had received more than 30 complaints. Elan admitted 140+ Utah homeowners had nonfunctional systems. Elan's license was revoked on August 30, 2023. An emergency cease-and-desist order came on March 1, 2024. A separate case: Solgen Construction got an administrative citation on March 14, 2023 under the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act.
This matters to you. State enforcement agencies have put it on the record. The same sales tactics used on Utah 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 Utah solar contract
Here's what most Utah 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 electric bill. But did they mention the escalator clause buried in your lease agreement? 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 Utah's net metering export credits have been reduced? If your contract's savings projections were built on full retail credits, your actual returns are lower than what you were promised. The economics shifted - and your salesperson either didn't know or didn't tell you.
Did your salesperson tell you what happens if your solar company goes bankrupt? SolarInsure counted more than 100 solar company bankruptcies in 2024. SunPower filed Chapter 11 in August 2024. Sunnova Energy was one of the biggest solar loan companies in the country. They filed Chapter 11 in June 2025. Titan Solar Power filed Chapter 7 in June 2024. Lumio Holdings filed Chapter 11 in September 2024. Freedom Forever filed Chapter 11 on April 15, 2026. Pink Energy shut down in October 2022. Vision Solar filed Chapter 7 in December 2023. When any of these companies goes bankrupt, your payments don't stop. Your contract doesn't cancel. But your warranty usually disappears.
Your rights under Utah law
Utah gives you real legal protections. Here's what your salesperson almost certainly didn't explain.
Your 3-day cancellation window. If a solar salesperson came to your home and you signed the contract there, federal law (the FTC Cooling-Off Rule) gives you 3 business days to cancel with no penalty. If your salesperson didn't tell you about this right - 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's your answer.
Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act. UCA §13-11-4 prohibits deceptive and unconscionable sales practices. If your solar company made misleading claims about savings, system performance, or contract terms, this statute applies. The Utah Division of Consumer Protection investigates complaints - and in a state with this much door-to-door solar activity, they're seeing more of them.
Net metering export credit reduction. Utah transitioned from full retail net metering to a reduced export credit rate. If your contract's savings projections were built on full retail credits and you signed before or during this transition, your actual returns are lower than what was promised. This is one of the most common gaps between what Utah homeowners were told and what they're experiencing.
The door-to-door sales problem. Utah has one of the strongest door-to-door sales cultures in the country. Solar sales is a major industry here. That means more aggressive tactics, more pressure at the door, and more homeowners who signed quickly without fully understanding the terms. If you felt rushed, you're not alone. The protections above exist for exactly this reason.
Rocky Mountain Power rate structure. Most Utah homeowners are Rocky Mountain Power customers. Your savings projections were built against their rates. If those rates haven't climbed as your salesperson projected, the savings math doesn't hold. Did your salesperson show you what happens to your savings if rates stay flat? If not, you were only shown the best-case scenario.
Hidden dealer fees in your loan. Most Utah homeowners with solar loans don't know this. A big chunk of your loan went to the installer as a dealer fee. These fees often run 15 to 30 percent of the loan. They get buried in the balance. The federal Truth in Lending Act says every fee must be listed clearly. When a fee is hidden, it can be a federal violation. And you've been paying interest on money that never went into your system.
What you can do right now
You don't have to figure this out alone. Here are the first steps for Utah homeowners.
File a complaint with the Utah Attorney General. Go to https://services.dcp.utah.gov/s/. Or call 801-530-6601 / 1-800-721-SAFE. 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 Utah. Find Out What It's Actually Costing You.
Utah homeowners have rights under both federal and state consumer protection law - and with net metering credits reduced and one of the most aggressive door-to-door markets in the country, your contract deserves a hard second look. A free Solar Relief Assessment helps you understand what's in your contract, what went wrong, and what you can do about it for you and your family.
[Get free Solar Relief Assessment →](https://solarhomeadvocate.com/free-assessment?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=state-guide&utm_content=utah)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. If you signed a solar contract in Utah, 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 Utah?
Did a salesperson come to your home? If yes, you have a 3-day right to cancel. That's under Utah Code Ann. §70C-5-101 et seq. and the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule. Utah also has Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act (Utah Code Ann. §13-11-1 et seq.). That law covers unfair or deceptive sales tactics. You can file a complaint with the Utah Attorney General. Go to https://services.dcp.utah.gov/s/ or call 801-530-6601 / 1-800-721-SAFE. If your salesperson didn't tell you about the 3-day cancel rule, that can affect your contract.
Has Utah sued any solar companies?
Yes. In March 2024, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection sued Colarusso Ventures. The company operates as Elan Solar. Owner Kevin Colarusso is also named. The Division had received more than 30 complaints. Elan admitted 140+ Utah homeowners had nonfunctional systems. Elan's license was revoked on August 30, 2023. An emergency cease-and-desist order came on March 1, 2024. A separate case: Solgen Construction got an administrative citation on March 14, 2023 under the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act.
How does the escalator clause affect my Utah solar contract?
Most Utah 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. Utah's average electricity rate is about 12.88 cents per kilowatt-hour in early 2026. That's well below the national average of 17.45 cents. So the gap between your solar payment and your utility bill was small from the start. 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 Utah 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 Utah solar contract?
Did the salesperson come to your home? Then Utah law gives you 3 business days to cancel. That's under Utah Code Ann. §70C-5-101 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 an Utah 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 Utah?
Go to the Utah Attorney General's website at https://services.dcp.utah.gov/s/. Or call 801-530-6601 / 1-800-721-SAFE. 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.