Fife Council Trading Standards has launched a criminal investigation following a rise in “aggressive” door-to-door sales.
The report centres on the trade in home insulation projects such as external wall insulation. It focuses on Trading Standards’ concerns about aggressive practices following the cancellation of contracts and misleading claims about costs, timescales, building warrant status and guarantees made by companies offering private householders insulation measures under the Government’s energy company obligation (ECO) scheme.
The ECO initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions and is designed to support vulnerable and low-income households, as well as hard-to-treat buildings where the expense of implementing energy-saving measures could not be recouped through savings in energy bills.
The depute leader of Fife Council, Councillor David Ross, said it was “simply unacceptable” for companies operating under the Government schemes to use high-pressure tactics and mislead consumers, many of whom were elderly or vulnerable members of Fife’s communities.
“Any business that misleads or acts aggressively towards consumers commits a criminal offence,” he said.
Mr Ross told The Courier that he was aware of some residents receiving bills from companies for work which was never carried out and he advised anyone with concerns about how they have been treated by these operators to contact Trading Standards.
Fife Council Trading Standards advises householders to think twice and give themselves time to shop around to compare householder contributions, either for any preparatory works before a fully-funded installation or to look at the contribution towards the installation costs where they are not fully funded under one of the Government schemes.
Householders are being warned they should avoid signing up straight away and should ask for copy of the contract to be left to check before deciding to sign.
There is no legal obligation on householders to have these measures installed. A list of installers can be obtained from the National Insulation Association website, which also provides a mediation service for complaints about the workmanship or customer service of member companies that have been unable to be resolved by the company.
A building warrant from Fife Council Building Standards is required for external wall insulation and must have been approved before any works start.
Fife Council Trading Standards would like to hear from householders who are concerned about doorstep calls they have received or the practices of sales people who visit them at home. Householders can report concerns to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 08454 040506.
Further information on the Government’s energy-efficiency schemes can be obtained by contacting Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282.