As part of Scams Awareness month which launched today SSE has put together some advice following analysis carried out by Citizens Advice.
An increasing number of consumers have been in contact with the consumer service after being caught out by fraudulent companies. This has resulted in a push from Citizens Advice for a ban on cold calling and doorstep selling of Green Deal to help protect consumers.
As part of the real Green Deal system you may be asked to pay an assessment fee but any costs involved should be explained and a Green Deal Advice Report provided after the assessment.
Citizens Advice Chief Executive Gillian Guy said: “The Green Deal is at risk of being undermined by fake firms. With energy prices up by 33% since 2010, households are looking for ways to save money on their bills. Opportunistic tricksters are lining their pockets by ripping-off people who are trying to cut the cost of heating and lighting their home.
“A more energy-efficient home can drive down the cost of bills so it is important people look out for scams and action is taken to protect consumers. A ban on cold calling and doorstep selling of Green Deal would help people distinguish between the genuine scheme and a scam. Consumers can check whether a firm is a proper Green Deal seller by looking at the authorised list of companies.”
You can check this information here: http://gdorb.decc.gov.uk/consumersearch
John Mullen, Head of Green Deal for SSE added: “If any customer of SSE is approached by a firm offering Green Deal and is concerned about this they should withhold giving over any personal details, including bank details and contact our Green Deal team on 0800 294 3258 for further advice.”
Green Deal – how it works
Green Deal helps customers make home improvements, like replacing a boiler or installing loft or solid wall insulation, that improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Millions of homes throughout the country are in a condition that would benefit from the installation of energy saving improvements which in turn would reduce their electricity and gas usage, reduce carbon emissions and result in warmer, healthier homes.
The Green Deal allows customers to take out a loan to cover some or all of the costs of carrying out such improvements and to pay back the cost in instalments through their electricity bill.
The Green Deal has a Golden Rule to ensure that customers can install measures at no upfront cost and without their bills rising: the repayments that a customer makes on a Green Deal loan should never be more than the savings they are expected to make on their energy bill.
Each customer can find out how much they can borrow and what improvements are recommended for their home by getting a Green Deal Assessor to perform a bespoke Green Deal Assessment in their home.
This assessment should be organised through official Green Deal channels. You can check if your company is a legitimate and accredited Green Deal Provider or Assessor here: http://gdorb.decc.gov.uk/consumersearch
SSE has undertaken Green Deal Assessments across the country to support our Energy Company Obligation energy efficiency projects