Unfortunately energy scams are a feature of modern life. Scammers will pretend to be energy suppliers, regulators, or other associated companies in order to gain your trust, your money, and your personal information.
Offers of grants, upgrades, better tariffs, or quick installations are all possible approaches. Given the variety of methods, the first red flag should be the unsolicited approach. If you receive information via a phone call, flier, cold-call, or email, it is best to be wary. If the deal looks almost too good to be true, that is a second red flag. Pressure for payment or unusual methods of payment, requests to give up personal information, and unprofessional formatting, are all warning signs.
PeCAN's role is to support and collaborate with our community, so we are very keen to help residents avoid such scams. We are also acutely aware that the threat of scams and untrustworthy contractors understandably discourage homeowners from pursuing genuine home energy upgrade opportunities, and that people are unsure who they can trust for advice.
If you would like to find out more about specific types of scams, and what to do if you have already engaged with or provided details to a group you now suspect to be scamming, have a look at The Energy Trust's blog post.
We would like to reassure you that we would never approach you with unsolicited information, and while we are keen to offer assessments and tailored advice, we will not recommend specific installers or put any pressure on you to commit to works or installations. We will certainly never ask for money.
The My Home Made Better free energy advice service we offer is funded and overseen by The Environment Centre, based in Southampton, which is in turn funded by the Ofgem Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme. The project is also supported Hampshire County Council and Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils.
If you’d like to start exploring options for your home, simply phone 0800 804 8601, email [email protected], make a direct appointment here, or fill in the enquiry form here. Find out more, directly from PeCAN staff members Patricia and Neil, by listening to this Shine Radio interview.
Explore the Home Energy page on our website for funding information, energy saving tips, local case studies, and examples of a variety of Petersfield homes.
