MARCH 12 10:45AM  |  Vivnt Solar, which the 7th District warned may be involved in a door-to-door sales scam, confirmed late Wednesday it is not affiliated with Southern California Edison (SCE) in any sort of working relationship but that it is a legitimate company that sells solar energy options.

Brandon Holmes, Vivnt Solar divisional manager for Southern California, emailed 7th District Councilmember Roberto Uranga and said the company is the second largest solar company in the nation and all of its employees go through an extensive background check. 

“The only ‘relationship’ we have with (SCE), is [that] we interconnect to their grid so that customers can pull any electricity they need or consume over and above the production of their solar system,” Holmes said in an email that was published by Uranga. “That means that both Vivint Solar and SCE will be providing power to their home, and that between both companies, we will supply all of their electricity need. We let all home owners know that this is and will be the situation in most cases, and I can see how this information could be easily misunderstood and hope this helps provide clarity.”

Uranga said he was pleased this was a case of unintended confusion and that Vivint Solar aims to be a community partner in Long Beach.

MARCH 11 2:56PM  |  Councilmember Roberto Uranga of the Seventh District is warning residents of a possible door-to-door sales scam.

The Seventh District has been contacted by several residents regarding Vivint Solar, which has approached homeowners and claimed their company is working with Southern California Edison (SCE) to provide solar energy options, Uranga said in a statement.

Ron Garcia, the SCE region manager who oversees operations in Long Beach, told Uranga that Edison currently “does not have a company that markets solar to residential customers.”

“Although we have not confirmed whether this is a matter of misinformation from Vivint representatives or an elaborate scam, we do encourage residents to exercise caution when approached by any stranger, uniformed or not,” Uranga said in a statement. “If you have any suspicion, please do not hesitate to notify the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) so that they may follow up on the matter.”

Anyone who is suspicious of a salesperson is asked to call the LBPD at 562-435-6711 or Southern California Edison at 800-655-4555.