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Over recent years, various green home scams have surfaced in the UK, the US and Canada. We’ll outline just a few of them here, to give you an idea of the kind of scam it’s worthwhile looking out for.
UK home owners were targeted with scams about the new Green Homes Grant in summer 2020.
Consumers reported receiving calls, emails and text messages claiming they were eligible for green grants. Other scams involved offering specific installations to save energy in the home, such as insulation.
While this may not have been obvious to consumers, these offers were clearly scams as the Green Homes Grant scheme hadn’t even launched at that point (it was opened in September 2020).
Scams that were reported included:
In the US, recent green energy scams have particularly targeted senior citizens and consumers who are motivated about reducing their environmental impact:
Natural Resources Canada is a governmental entity responsible for promoting and managing green energy initiatives in Canada.
The entity’s warned Canadian consumers about misleading sales tactics, where supposedly reliable green energy offers claim to be backed by Natural Resources Canada. These could claim affiliation with Natural Resources Canada itself, or one of its brands: ENERGY STAR, EnerGuide or ecoENERGY.
The government’s website particularly emphasises that the Government of Canada does not provide rebates or incentives for energy products.
In particular, the advice recommends consumers watch out for:
For many consumers, it’s their desire to support positive change and protect the environment that initially draws them into these scams.
It’s vital to remember that there are tangible, verifiable and reliable ways to change your energy habits at home.
These make a real difference. Installing insulation and energy saving devices with reliable companies is the best way to protect your finances and your home, while protecting the planet.
Below, we’ll outline a simple question checklist that you can go through if you think you may be being targeted by a green homes scam.
This could be a cold call, or a random email from a company that you don’t remember sharing your email with.
Perhaps the company is offering incredibly low prices, or astronomical savings on your future home energy bills.
Scams will often ask you to share your banking details so that they can access your account. They may also ask for other personal details. You should always be vigilant and cautious about sharing this type of information with sources you’re not sure that you can trust.
Often, scammers will pressurise the people they’re targeting so that they feel rushed into making decisions that they haven’t had time to think over properly.
These are all signs that it’s not a legitimate company, or deal.
Again, this is a useful indication that the company contacting you is not a legitimate organisation.
This is a technique scammers use to try to isolate consumers, while encouraging them to act quickly to qualify for the supposedly great deal.
If you can answer “yes” to any of the questions above, you could be being scammed. It’s best to stop the conversation, take a step back and think things through.
Do you feel the deal is reliable? Do your research on the company and contact a consumer advice organisation for further support.
Make sure you never share any personal details unless you’re totally sure you can trust the organisation that’s asking for them.
It’s vital that we all work to improve energy efficiency in our home, as well as to start using more green energy. Use these tips to keep a sharp eye out for scams, so you can be sure you’re investing in real, reliable green changes for your home.