El Paso Solar Scam Complaints: What the KTEP Report Shows

A recent KTEP report tells the story of an El Paso grandmother facing a legal battle over more than $100,000 in solar financing for panels she says she never purchased, never authorized, and never had installed on her home. It's the kind of solar scam story that sounds almost too extreme to be common.

"I never asked for any loan," she told KTEP. "I was so afraid that something could happen to me."

Her story does not appear to be an isolated one. At Bennett Legal, we handle solar financing fraud matters across Texas, and we're seeing the patterns KTEP describes — homeowners confronted with serious questions about solar contracts, financing agreements, sales practices, and debts they say they did not knowingly or properly agree to. While every case is different, the shape of the problem is strikingly consistent: what looks on paper like an ordinary solar scam started with a friendly conversation about lower electric bills.

For families who believed they were simply discussing solar panels, learning about a rebate, or exploring ways to lower their electric bill, discovering that they may be tied to a substantial long-term financial obligation can be devastating. We've written before about what this looks like on the ground for El Paso homeowners dealing with disputed solar loans, and the pattern in KTEP's reporting matches what we continue to see.

El Paso County Leads Texas in Its Rate of Solar Complaints

KTEP reports that Texas RioGrande Legal Aid is currently pursuing 15 cases involving similar solar-related issues along the Texas-Mexico border, with most of the homeowners located in El Paso. Attorneys interviewed by KTEP described cases involving homeowners who signed documents but, in about half of these cases, never received the promised services, as well as consumers who say they were asked to sign electronically without understanding that the documents could be connected to financing.

KTEP also reports that the Texas Attorney General's office issued Civil Investigative Demands in April 2026 as part of a broader inquiry, and that more than 100 complaints related to solar sales have been filed with that office. If you believe you've experienced something similar, filing a complaint with the Texas Attorney General is also an option worth knowing about.

If you've searched anything like "how to get out of a solar panel loan" or wondered whether your contract even qualifies as a solar panel lawsuit waiting to happen, you're not alone — that search volume reflects a real and growing group of homeowners in exactly this situation.

That is concerning, particularly because the financial consequences of a disputed solar transaction can be substantial.

We Are Seeing Similar Issues in Our Own Cases

The KTEP story caught our attention because many of the concerns it raises are familiar to us. We handle solar financing fraud matters across Texas, and the allegations we see in those matters overlap closely with what KTEP describes.

Because we have an obligation to protect our clients' confidentiality, we cannot discuss the specific facts of any individual case here. But the broader lesson is important: homeowners should not assume that they have no options simply because their name appears on a contract, financing document, electronic signature, collection notice, or lawsuit.

The circumstances surrounding how an agreement was presented, what representations were made, what the homeowner understood, whether proper authorization was given, and whether the promised goods or services were actually provided can all matter. And if a homeowner believes a signature was forged, financing was opened without authorization, important terms were misrepresented, or a transaction occurred without informed consent, those concerns should be taken seriously — they may be the hallmarks of predatory solar loans, not a bad-faith buyer's remorse.

Texas Is Responding With New Solar Consumer Protections

Texas has also begun imposing additional requirements on residential solar sales.

These changes are significant, but they do not erase problems created by transactions that have already occurred. A homeowner locked into a bad deal signed in 2022 or 2023 gets no automatic relief from a rule that takes effect in 2026 — which is exactly why understanding your legal options for an existing contract matters as much as the new regulatory framework.

Common Red Flags in Solar Financing Disputes

Across the cases we're seeing, a handful of warning signs show up again and again. None of these automatically proves fraud, but each one is worth taking seriously if it describes what happened to you — for a broader list, see our full guide, 7 Red Flags That Could Mean Your Solar Panel Contract Is a Scam:

If more than one of these sounds familiar, you may be looking at exactly the kind of predatory solar loan pattern KTEP's reporting describes — and the fact that you signed something doesn't mean the case is over.

What Should You Do If You Believe There Is a Problem With Your Solar Contract or Loan?

If you discover a solar loan you do not recognize, receive collection notices for a disputed solar debt, believe you were misled about what you were signing, or are served with a lawsuit, do not ignore it.

Preserve any documents connected to the transaction, including contracts, loan statements, text messages, emails, advertisements, screenshots, utility bills, and communications with the salesperson, installer, lender, or collection company.

Most importantly, if you have been sued, deadlines may apply to your response. Speak with an attorney about your solar fraud case promptly about your particular circumstances.

This El Paso Solar Scam Pattern Isn't Isolated

KTEP's reporting shines an important light on what some El Paso homeowners say they have experienced. We believe that attention matters because we are seeing similar disputes in our own practice.

A homeowner who believes something went wrong should not assume that a disputed contract or six-figure loan is simply something they have to accept, and trying to get out of a solar contract on your own — without understanding what leverage the paperwork actually gives you — can make a bad situation worse.

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading this article, or contacting Bennett Legal, does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and past or current representation does not guarantee a particular result.