Warning over bogus 'energy saving' plugs

Rogue telephone fraudsters are targeting older people with the offer of "energy saving devices" that could result in fire or electrocution. The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) is dealing with more than 200 complaints about people who have claimed to be a victim's energy supplier, or working in partnership with them, and are offering a plug-in device costing £99 which they say can save users 40% on energy bills. But trading standards has had a number of the devices tested and found that they not only failed to satisfy electrical safety standards, but do not deliver any tangible energy savings.

Ron Gainsford, TSI chief executive, said: "Consumers are warned not to use the product as they pose a risk of fire and electrocution, and a safety recall has been issued for the items traced so far. Unscrupulous criminals are using the rising energy prices as an opportunity to lure cash strapped consumers – elderly people seem to have been deliberately targeted. The number of complaints we are currently dealing with is bound to be only the tip of the iceberg."



The City of Westminster Trading Standards Service has been investigating the scam as the caller gives a London W1 Oxford Street address for the company, but this belongs to a "virtual" office provider. Sue Jones from Westminster trading standards said: "The companies involved in these scams are not actually situated there. We believe the call centre they use is based abroad and the appliances appear to be distributed by a number of individuals in the UK."

She said complainants had told trading standards the caller always appears to be very credible, already knowing a consumer's details, their energy supplier and sometimes some or all of the digits of their credit or debit card. "Often consumers do not realise that they have been defrauded until they receive the dodgy looking device with instructions in broken English and the accompanying invoice which names an unknown supplier and often gives an American address," Jones said.