Ealing Council Warn of Bogus Eco Loft and Boiler Scams
Spate of fraudsters calling at homes offering free installation
Ealing Council say they have recently received a number of reports of fraudsters calling at people’s homes and offering to install free loft insulation and boilers.
The callers claimed to be operating the council’s ECO-flex scheme. But the council point out that approved ECO-flex installers will never arrive at your door ready to install on the same day and that you should always ask to see an ID badge and ask for the name and contact information for the company. They should also be able to refer you back to the council in order to verify their call is legitimate.
The council are advising householders to always insist on being shown a work order and company ID as well as a letter stating that they are carrying out work on behalf of the council.
Ealing Council has a list of approved ECO-flex installers able to offer free or reduced cost insulation and heating systems. You can call Healthy Homes Ealing at 0800 083 2265 to confirm if a company is working with the council. If you are unsure, ask for their company information and tell them you will call once you have verified their identity.
Legitimate businesses will never arrive at your door to carry out construction work or installations without your prior knowledge. If someone knocks on your door and tells you that they are there to work on your home, the advice is to turn them away and report them to the council. Reputable heating engineers and loft companies can be found on this site’s directory.
Fake or dodgy ‘builders’ are among the most common type of bogus calls in Ealing borough – along with fraudsters pretending to be from the water board, or saying they need to carry out gas checks.
The council has issued five general tips on what to do if a stranger calls:
- If in any doubt, do not open the door
- If you do answer the front door, lock your back door and close windows first
- Use a spy hole or door-chain to check who the caller is
- Ask to see the person’s identification, even if they have made an appointment to see you. And, if you are unsure, call their company yourself (not on a number they provide) – if you do this, shut the door while you are doing it
- If you are still unsure, ask the caller to return another time when someone you trust can be with you.
If you think you have a bogus caller and you are worried they are not leaving and are still at your door call 999 – alternatively, you can call the police on 101 to give officers some information. If you are deaf or speech-impaired, text ‘police’ and your message to 60066
January 30, 2020