The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has fined Bluon Energy Ltd £105,000 after the London-based solar panel company made nearly 200,000 nuisance marketing calls over 13 months – an average of almost 500 calls a day, or one every three and a half minutes.
Between April 2024 and April 2025, Bluon Energy made 194,379 unsolicited direct marketing calls to people registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). The calls offered a “free survey” for solar panels and led to 61 complaints to the ICO and the TPS during that period.
Investigation findings
The ICO's investigation found that the company bought leads from third-party data suppliers without checking that people had consented to being called. It also operated under at least three different trading names, including Greentech Solar, Green Line Solar and Solar Diagnostics Checks.
Complaints described the callers as “aggressive and pushy,” with one complainant wrongly informed that their TPS registration “didn’t count” and another told that the ICO “could not do anything to [the company].”
One complainant said: “They wanted to survey my house for solar panels. My elderly mother is frail and when I get a phone call on the home phone, I always feel sick in case she has collapsed, as I only get calls from her care home on this number.”
ICO response
Andy Curry, Head of Investigations at the ICO, said: “No one should have to worry when they answer the phone that news about a loved one might turn out to be an unwanted sales call instead. This penalty serves as a clear warning that we will always hold firms to account for unlawful nuisance marketing. I am pleased that Bluon Energy Ltd has now paid the fine.
“This case also shows exactly why it matters when people take the time to report nuisance calls to us. Every report helps us build a clearer picture of who's behind these calls and strengthens our ability to take action, especially as we continue to focus on the unlawful marketing of so-called green energy products and services. If you've had an unsolicited call like this, please report it to us and help us put a stop to these operations.”
The fine comes as the ICO reveals complaints about automated nuisance marketing calls have reached their highest level since 2021, almost tripling from July to September. This number continues to rise, with the ICO receiving 4,734 complaints about these calls in October.
TPS advice and public guidance
It is against the law to make a live marketing call to anyone registered with the TPS, unless the individual has informed the specific organisation that they do not object to receiving calls from them.
Russell Roach, Director of Preference Services at the TPS, said: “Enforcement action such as this relies on consumers taking the time to report the nuisance calls they receive – and, in return, having confidence that those making the calls will be dealt with appropriately.
“The Telephone Preference Service works closely with the ICO to share intelligence and complaints that can help identify where businesses may be breaking the rules, helping to protect consumers, especially those who may be particularly vulnerable.
“We understand it can sometimes feel as though making a complaint about a nuisance call will not make a difference, but penalty actions like this shows that it can be incredibly valuable.
“In summary, our advice is simple: please keep reporting nuisance calls to the TPS. Every complaint represents another piece of evidence and helps us, alongside the ICO, protect people from organisations that disregard their privacy.”
The ICO and TPS are urging the public to take three simple steps to protect themselves and loved ones from nuisance marketing: don’t answer calls from unfamiliar numbers; register with the TPS free of charge at www.tpsonline.org.uk and allow 28 days for it to take effect; and if you continue to receive nuisance calls after registering, report them to the ICO using the online reporting tool.
The ICO has also recently fined other green energy and home improvement firms for nuisance marketing calls, including Thermotech Wall and Loft Surveys Ltd and Jacksons Marketing Ltd. Any organisation carrying out telephone marketing must comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), and the ICO's direct marketing guidance sets out the rules on making live calls.
