Solar ads promise savings using Janet Mills’ face and fake incentives

If you’re a Mainer using Facebook or Instagram, you might have seen advertisements promoting conversions to solar power with costs covered by the state of Maine.

The ads use official photos and formal-sounding program names to attract customers to solar incentives. One that has circulated on social media features a portrait of Gov. Janet Mills and mentions Maine’s “solar for all” program. Another says the state will cover the cost of installation and that people who sign up can “say bye” to their power bills.

But these ads are misleading. There are many solar incentives available to Maine homeowners, including a federal solar tax credit program and a controversial net energy billing program, but they are not this generous. The state also has no role in producing the ads.

People who get the ads are referred to sales representatives claiming to represent legitimate solar companies, one of which said it has tried to get the entity running the ads to change the false copy.

“Although they assured us that the issue would be resolved, it appears that it has not been addressed,” said a man who identified himself as the CEO of an out-of-state solar company.

The ads that refer people to that entity are run by Energy Bill Cruncher, which says it is based in California. Its ads are publicly available in Facebook’s ad archive, with some targeted to Maine and other states running now . The Bangor Daily News is not naming companies that appear to be associated with the ads because it was unclear whether the firms were legitimate.

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey’s office has received several complaints about these types of ads, and Public Advocate Bill Harwood said his office has gotten some. Frey spokesperson Danna Hayes said her office has directly contacted advertisers asking them to remove confusing or misleading content. They have not been accused of violating any laws.

A BDN reporter followed some of the ad prompts. When you fill in your location and contact information, several entities reach out offering solar services. One reached out by text to confirm the location. They then asked for a copy of a recent electricity bill.

When asked whether the Maine government is behind their program, a sales representative admitted that it’s “actually a federally backed program.” That’s similar to what a representative from another entity said when asked about the misleading advertising.

“It is a nationwide government program,” that representative said. “It should cover the installation costs.”

Energy Bill Cruncher could not be reached for comment. Their ads appear to be referring to the federal Solar for All program, a $7 billion program established under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. In April, the state got $62 million under this initiative.

However, financial incentives are not yet available for Maine residents, Anthony Ronzio, a spokesperson for Mills’ policy office, said. The program is aimed at helping low-income families access solar power, but it is expected to apply to just 900,000 households across the country.

Harwood said as long as customers understand what they are signing up for and enroll with a reputable company, there can be benefits, “so it’s hard to say that they are harming ratepayers by giving them this misleading information.”

But the deceptive marketing hurts public trust in solar installation companies, Fortunat Mueller, president of Montville-based ReVision Energy, said.

Mueller, whose company recently penned a blog piece on this subject, encourages Mainers interested in solar to read contracts carefully, ask for local references and to visit companies at their in-person offices. Hayes asks that Mainers who see misleading information report it to the attorney general’s office.

“It has the potential to give the industry a bad name or at the very least to confuse people and slow down adoption of solar, which we can ill afford,” Mueller said.