FTC Sends More Than $2.9 Million to Consumers Harmed by Home Improvement Financing Firm

The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $2.9 million in payments to consumers harmed by Ygrene Energy Fund, a home-improvement financing company that made false claims about the potential financial impact of its services.

According to the FTC’s October 2022 complaint, Ygrene and its network of door-to-door home-improvement contractors deceptively sold Ygrene’s home-improvement financing program by telling homeowners that the financing program would not interfere with the sale or refinancing of their homes. The complaint also alleged that Ygrene’s contractors used high-pressure sales tactics, even forgery in some cases, to sign up consumers, which resulted in liens being recorded without the homeowner’s express, informed consent.

As part of the settlement, Ygrene agreed to stop its deceptive and unfair practices, to monitor its contractors closely, and to pay $3 million to provide relief to certain consumers whose homes are still subject to the company’s liens. The settlement did not remove Ygrene’s liens, and those liens remain outstanding until paid.

The FTC is sending checks and PayPal payments to 960 affected consumers. Check recipients should cash their checks within 90 days, as indicated on the check. PayPal recipients should redeem their PayPal payments within 30 days.

Consumers who have questions about their payment should contact the refund administrator, Analytics Consulting LLC, at 877-412-1816, or visit the FTC website to view frequently asked questions about the refund process. The Commission never requires people to pay money or provide account information to get a refund.

The Commission’s interactive dashboards for refund data provide a state-by-state breakdown of refunds in FTC cases. In 2024, FTC actions led to more than $339 million in refunds to consumers across the country.