My MP Has Now Raised the Tomato Energy / Tomatopia / Senapt Collapse With Government Ministers

What originally appeared to be a straightforward consumer issue involving a domestic solar and battery installation has, over recent months, increasingly revealed itself to be something much wider.

Following the collapse of Tomato Energy and the subsequent administration of linked entities including Senapt, I have spent considerable time pursuing information through Freedom of Information requests, Companies House filings, regulatory correspondence and direct engagement with various public bodies.

The more information that has emerged, the more concerning the situation has become.

At the centre of the issue appears to be a highly fragmented structure involving:

• energy supply;
• leased domestic renewable assets;
• monitoring and software platforms;
• contractual arrangements;
• and separate ownership and administration structures.

While customers were effectively presented with what appeared to be a single integrated “managed” renewable energy solution, the reality following insolvency events has been very different.

Responsibilities now appear spread across multiple organisations, administrators and regulatory boundaries, with no obvious single body clearly responsible for ensuring continuity, operational transparency, long-term maintenance accountability or consumer protection.

In my own case, monitoring access and visibility of the installed system became significantly disrupted following the collapse of the supplier-linked arrangements. Questions remain around:

• long-term responsibility for installed systems;
• continuity of monitoring platforms;
• operational accountability;
• maintenance obligations;
• and what protections consumers actually possess when these models fail.

What has become particularly striking through correspondence with regulators and public bodies is the apparent fragmentation of oversight.

Ofgem has confirmed that Supplier of Last Resort protections do not extend to these wider solar and battery arrangements.

The Energy Ombudsman has indicated that key aspects of such schemes fall outside its remit.

The National Audit Office confirmed it held no material relating to the wider consumer risks associated with these arrangements.

Meanwhile, Freedom of Information responses have identified very substantial volumes of regulatory material concerning Tomato Energy, including references to insolvency monitoring and Supplier of Last Resort considerations.

Collectively, this raises serious questions about whether the current regulatory framework adequately anticipates the failure of supplier-linked domestic renewable energy models of this kind.

These concerns have now been formally raised with Government Ministers by my local MP, Michael Payne MP.

In correspondence sent to both the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, concerns were raised regarding:

“wider structural concerns regarding supplier-linked domestic renewable energy arrangements.”

The letters also highlighted that:

“there remains considerable uncertainty as to who holds ultimate responsibility for the system installed on his property.”

And further:

“This raises significant questions as to whether the existing regulatory framework adequately anticipates and protects against the failure of hybrid energy models of this kind.”

I am not publishing the full ministerial correspondence as it contains personal information, but I believe it is important that the wider issues now being identified are understood publicly.

This is no longer simply about one failed energy supplier.

It raises wider questions about:

• consumer protection;
• long-term accountability;
• continuity arrangements following insolvency;
• operational transparency;
• regulatory coordination;
• and how the UK intends to manage increasingly complex domestic renewable models as part of the wider transition to Net Zero.

As more households move towards leased or subscription-style renewable energy arrangements, particularly where upfront installation costs are unaffordable, these questions are likely to become increasingly important.

If hybrid supplier-linked renewable models can collapse leaving consumers uncertain about ownership, maintenance responsibility, monitoring access and protections, then confidence in the wider adoption of domestic renewable technologies risks being undermined.

I will continue monitoring developments, including insolvency proceedings, Companies House filings, regulatory responses and ministerial correspondence as matters progress.

Tags: Tomato Energy, Tomatopia, Senapt, Solar Panels, Battery Storage, Domestic Renewables, Net Zero, Ofgem, DESNZ, Energy Regulation, Consumer Protection, Insolvency, Supplier of Last Resort, Renewable Energy, Solar Lease, Energy Policy, UK Energy Market, Smart Energy, Home Batteries, Energy Ombudsman, Companies House, Regulatory Oversight, Consumer Rights, Hybrid Energy Models, Energy Crisis, Parliamentary Scrutiny, Michael Payne MP