Energy scams - how to avoid getting tricked

Ofgem scams

Someone claiming to be from the energy regulator Ofgem may contact you asking you for certain personal information or to change your bank details so that you can get a grant or cheap energy. Remember, Ofgem won’t:

• ask you for bank details or personal information
• sell you energy
• come to your house

Energy bills discount scam

There is another scam doing the rounds that centres on the government’s £400 energy bill discount scheme. Targets are sent an email or a text message inviting them to apply for the discount. They are then instructed to follow a link to a fake Ofgem website where they are asked to set up a Direct Debit in order to get the money. In actual fact, all payments that make up the £400 discount are automatic and you don’t need to apply.

Green scams

You may be approached by scammers trying to get you to sign up for fake energy-efficiency schemes. In one such con, people have reported being offered the green homes grant, which came to an end in 2021.

Fake refund scams

Another common scam involves getting a text or email that appears to be from your energy supplier and says you are due a refund. You are then instructed to follow a link to a form that asks for personal information including your bank details. Your energy supplier will never ask you to provide information in this way, so you can be sure emails and text messages like this are being sent by fraudsters.

Debt collection scams

Scammers have also taken advantage of the collapse of some smaller energy companies over recent years. They contact the customers of collapsed suppliers posing as debt recovery firms. Targets of the scam are told they have an outstanding balance that needs to be paid. This scam can be very convincing as the fraudsters involved know their target's names and their previous energy supplier.

It's useful to be aware that if your energy supplier goes out of business, it will be taken over by an Ofgem-appointed company. You should check any request for payment with that company before handing over any money.

Energy-saving device scam

One particularly worrying scam involves an online advert for an energy-saving device. The piece of tech involved, which looks like a plug, goes by various names, including Voltbox, Voltex and Motex. According to the advert, the product can cut a £251 monthly bill to just £15. There is no evidence the device actually works and, more worryingly than that, it doesn’t even pass the Which? basic safety test so could cause fires or electric shocks.

Meter key scams

This scam targets people with prepayment meters. The fraudsters clone meter keys with credit on them and sell them door-to-door at a drastically reduced price. Once an energy supplier realises you’re not actually paying them for your energy, you end up paying again at the full price.