Eco House Solutions is wound up owing customers - and Portsmouth City Council - thousands of pounds

Stephen Ingram, 68, was a director of Eco House Solutions Limited, which is insolvent. Companies House lists him as having been a director twice – from April 20, 2018 to April 10, 2019 and from September 7, 2020 to January 2, 2022.

He is also a Conservative Fareham borough councillor representing Fareham South, having been elected last May.

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Customers said they paid the company, which is registered in West Street, Fareham, tens of thousands of pounds.

Alison Smith said she paid the company £10,080 in deposit and interim payments last year.

She said: ‘By July this year all I had was broken promises and little contact, so I cancelled the contract, which stated I would receive my money back, this has not happened.

‘These are hard economic times for my family and many others, and I just feel companies should not be allowed to get away with this sort of thing.’

Kerstin Wheeler entered into a contract with the company in July 2021 to install an air source heat pump system at her home, costing her £14,355.50.

She said after 17 months the company stopped responding to her emails and blocked her phone calls.

On February 24, the County Court ordered Eco House Solutions Ltd to be wound up under the Insolvency Act, following an application by Portsmouth City Council last September.

Tom Southall, assistant director of property and investment at Portsmouth City Council, said: ‘District Judge Emerson ruled that the company should pay the council £3,982 in costs. The council will seek to recover substantial sums owing in rent and other charges.

‘We’re seeking to recover the maximum we can from the insolvency process.’

Eco House Solutions was a tenant at the city council-owned Lakeside Northarbour business complex.

A company is insolvent when it cannot repay its debts, and usually this means the company will sell off assets to repay creditors.

Search results from TrustOnline, which provides a register of judgements, orders and fines across the UK, found three additional County Court Judgements against the company.

Cases from July and September 2022 and February 10 this year ordered the repayment of debts amounting to £4,417, £12,069 and £15,052 respectively – these are all either unpaid or partially unpaid.

In response, Cllr Ingram said: ‘The company suffered very badly during the pandemic as the manufacturers were unable to supply equipment as they were unable to obtain the micro chips for the equipment.

‘All customers were informed of this by email at the time. Unfortunately it has meant that we have had to make the decision to cease operating.

‘I am no longer a director of the company however I have made the decision that any customers that paid deposits whilst I was a director will have them paid back by me personally.

‘I cannot be fairer than that. It is a great shame that it has come to this as before the pandemic we were doing very well.’

Mr Ingram is also the director of a company named Eco House Energy Solutions Ltd which was incorporated on December 1, 2022.