The Fuel Bank Foundation, a charity, published advice on 20 September 2023 on how to avoid and report energy scams. In the guidance the charity said there had been a large rise in energy-related fraud over the preceding year, which it linked to fraudsters exploiting the cost-of-living crisis1.
"There has been a huge increase in energy-related scams over the last 12 months as fraudsters look to exploit the cost-of-living crisis."
The charity described energy scams as people pretending to be energy companies or regulators in order to obtain money or personal information. It said scammers may pose as a household's energy supplier or as official bodies including Ofgem, the energy regulator, and the Energy Saving Trust. Contact methods it listed include phone calls, text messages, doorstep visits, social media, email, letters and pop-up adverts on websites1.
On identifying a scam, the guidance states that a householder should never be asked for bank details or to give out personal details, and that anyone unsure whether a contact is genuine should check with the organisation directly using contact details from its official website rather than numbers or addresses supplied in the message1. Where a person believes they are being targeted, the charity advises ignoring the message or ending the call, not sharing personal details and not clicking links or using contact details provided by the caller1.
Reporting routes set out in the guidance differ by nation. Action Fraud, described as the National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre, covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and can be contacted online or on 0300 123 2040. Householders in Scotland are directed to Police Scotland on 101. Energy scams should also be reported to Ofgem by email or on 020 7901 72951. The guidance states that anyone who has had money taken, or who has given someone access to their bank, should contact their bank straight away1.
| Nation | Scam reporting route given |
|---|---|
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Action Fraud, online or 0300 123 2040 |
| Scotland | Police Scotland on 101 |
| All energy scams | Ofgem by email or on 020 7901 7295 |
The guidance also points to Take Five, an Ofgem advice page on avoiding and reporting energy scams, and Citizens Advice information on recovering money after a scam1.
Why it matters for households
Energy scams target the two things a household needs to keep its supply secure: money in the bank and control of its own account. A caller who obtains bank details, or who is given remote access to a bank account, can take funds that would otherwise cover a bill, and a fraudster posing as a supplier or regulator can extract personal information that is used to impersonate the household later. The charity's account of a sharp rise in such attempts over 12 months places the risk alongside the period of elevated bills, when households were already fielding more contact about payments, arrears and support. The reporting routes above are split by nation, so the correct body depends on where the household lives. The guidance does not give figures for the number of scams, the amounts lost or the specific tactics used, and no breakdown of cases by nation or supplier has been reported1.
What happens next
No further steps, dates or follow-up publications are set out in the guidance. The charity directs householders to its listed reporting routes and to the Take Five and Ofgem pages, and to Citizens Advice for advice on recovering money after a scam1.
Sources1 cited
- How to avoid and report energy scams | Fuel Bank Foundation, fuelbankfoundation.org