AM warns people to beware of phone canvassers promoting government energy efficiency schemes

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 24th Jul 2008

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member, Peter Black, has warned people to beware of cold canvassing phone calls from organisations claiming to be handing out government grants for insulation and wall cavity grants.

His warning came after he received two such calls from firms claiming to be speaking on behalf of the government and who say that they have access to public money to assist the elderly and infirm improve the energy efficiency of their homes. In one instance the woman who spoke to Mr. Black rang from a mobile phone and was not even sure whether she was ringing on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government or the UK Government.

"There is a UK Government scheme which requires energy suppliers to promote energy efficiency and which is designed to help eradicate fuel poverty," said Mr. Black. "There is also a Home Energy Efficiency Scheme being promoted by the Welsh Assembly Government, which will provide grants to those who qualify to insulate their homes. However, in the case of the first scheme the company promoting it should be linked to a specific energy supplier and in my view should be targeting that supplier's customers. In the case of the HEES grant, that needs to be applied for through the Assembly's agency company."

"My concern is that these cold callers are misleading people into thinking they are speaking on behalf of the government when they are not and when their main objective is to drum up business for themselves. My advice is to always ask the person calling you for the name of the company they are calling on behalf of and for precise details of the grant regime they are referring to. Check out their credentials before agreeing to anything and ensure that anybody doing work in your home is a member of a proper professional body that can guarantee the quality of their work."

"I have referred both the calls I received to trading standards at Swansea Council and would urge anybody receiving similar calls to do the same."