Ohio at a glance

Ohio has no solar-specific sales law. The Home Solicitation Sales Act gives you three business days to cancel a sale made at your home, and the seller can't start work or sell your loan agreement until that window closes. Ohio's net metering credits exported power at the utility's generation rate, which leaves out delivery charges.

If you were misled, you have options

Being told your bill would disappear, that the system was free, that a tax credit would pay off the loan, or that you were only signing up for an inspection can all matter, even long after a cancellation window has closed.

  1. Your state's consumer protection law. Every state has a law against deceptive and unfair business practices. False promises about savings, costs, tax credits, or who you were dealing with may fall under Ohio's law.
  2. Missing paperwork and disclosures. Many states require specific disclosures and a written cancellation notice. If you never received them, a deadline may not have started, or the contract may have other problems.
  3. Your lender may share responsibility. When a seller arranges your financing, federal rules often let you raise the same claims against the lender that you have against the seller, up to the amount you paid. Check your loan for a notice about the FTC Holder Rule.
  4. Official complaints. Complaints to Ohio's agencies are free, create a record, and can lead to mediation or an investigation.
  5. Professional help. A solar attorney or solar exit company can review your documents and tell you which of these options fit your situation.

Not sure which option fits? Tell us what happened and we will help you see your options. It takes about two minutes.

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Your right to cancel

Ohio cancellation window

3 business days after signing

Ohio's Home Solicitation Sales Act lets you cancel a sale of consumer goods or services of $25 or more until midnight of the third business day after you sign, if the seller solicited you in person at home and you agreed there, or you agreed anywhere other than the seller's place of business. A solar contract signed at your kitchen table is generally covered.

Source: ORC 1345.22 and 1345.23 · Checked November 7, 2026

Conditions that matter

  • Cancel in writing by certified mail, personal delivery, fax, or email. No special form is needed. In Ohio, Saturdays count as business days, but Sundays and listed holidays do not.
  • The three days do not start until the seller gives you the required written notice of your right to cancel and two cancellation forms. The seller must refund your payments within 10 business days after receiving your notice, and generally cannot start the work during the cancellation period.
  • Does not apply if you contacted the seller first to negotiate a purchase and the seller has a fixed Ohio business location where it regularly sells those goods or services (seeing its ads does not count as the seller contacting you). It also excludes repair visits you requested, emergencies with a handwritten waiver, and sales where you have a federal right to rescind.

Ohio has no solar-specific cancellation law as of this check. The current version of ORC 1345.22 took effect March 23, 2015, and the definitions in ORC 1345.21 were last updated effective September 30, 2021.

Canceling one agreement does not always cancel another. A separate loan, lease, or power purchase agreement can have its own terms, so check each document you signed. If the sale was made in Spanish or another language, read your rights when a contract is not in your language. To compare deadlines, see the cancellation period in every state.

Laws that protect you in Ohio

These are the state laws that come up most often in solar disputes here. Each one links to the official text or the agency that enforces it.

ORC 1345.21 to 1345.28

Home Solicitation Sales Act

For sales of $25 or more made at your home, you can cancel until midnight of the third business day. The written agreement must be in the same language used in the sales presentation, the three days don't start until you get the required cancellation notice, and the seller must refund you within ten business days.

Ohio Attorney General

Ohio Attorney General guidance on door-to-door sales

The seller may not begin services or sell any loan agreement you signed until the three-day cooling-off period has ended.

How your utility credits solar in Ohio

Net metering at the generation rate

Ohio's rule requires utilities to offer net metering. For standard service customers, excess generation is credited at the energy portion of the utility's generation rate, not the full retail rate with delivery charges. If you buy power from a competitive supplier, that supplier sets its own net metering terms. Systems must be sized to no more than 120 percent of your use.

Source: OAC 4901:1-10-28

Check your Ohio solar contract

Pull out your paperwork and look for these. Anything missing is worth noting in a complaint or showing to an attorney.

  • Your agreement is in the same language as the sales pitch.
  • You received a Notice of Cancellation, and the three days counted from when you got it.
  • No work began during the three-day window.
  • Your savings estimate credits exports at the generation rate, not full retail.
  • If you use a competitive supplier, you know its net metering terms.

Where to get help in Ohio

These are official agencies. Filing a complaint is free. An agency can investigate or mediate, but most cannot act as your lawyer or guarantee a refund.

Contractor licensing

Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB), Ohio Department of Commerce

Licenses commercial electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics, and refrigeration contractors. Ohio does not license residential contractors at the state level, so complaints about a home installer go to the Attorney General or your local building department.

Visit the official page 614-644-3493

Consumer protection

Ohio Attorney General, Consumer Protection Section

A copy of your complaint may be sent to the business, and what you submit is a public record. It cannot act as your private attorney.

Visit the official page 800-282-0515

Utility billing and service

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Call Center

Takes informal complaints about utilities the PUCO regulates. Municipal electric systems are not regulated by the PUCO.

Visit the official page 800-686-7826

Before you contact anyone

  1. Gather every document you signed. The sales or installation agreement, any loan, lease, or power purchase agreement, and any change orders.
  2. Identify each company. The seller, installer, lender, and current servicer may be different businesses. Your latest statement shows who services your account now.
  3. Write down the timeline. When you were contacted, when you signed, when work started, and every promise made about savings or cost.
  4. Keep proof of every notice. Save emails, certified mail receipts, and the date you sent anything.

Guides for your situation

Questions to ask

  • Which agreement am I trying to cancel or change, and who is the other party to it?
  • What does my agreement say about cancellation, notice, and where to send it?
  • Did the seller give me the cancellation notice and disclosures required in my state?
  • Is my loan separate from my installation contract, and what happens to it if the contract is canceled?
  • Was a dealer fee built into my loan? Estimate it with our calculator.

Ohio solar questions

Can a solar company start installing during my three-day window in Ohio?

No. The seller may not begin services or sell your loan agreement until the cooling-off period ends.

My contract is in English but the pitch was in Spanish. Is that allowed?

No. Ohio requires a home solicitation agreement to be in the same language principally used in the sales presentation.

Who do I complain to?

The Ohio Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section. Utility billing issues go to PUCO.

National resources

General information, not legal advice.

This page can’t tell you whether a right applies to your agreement. For that, contact a licensed attorney or the agencies above.

Other states

Solar rules change at the state line. See every state and the review status of each.