TSI warns of dangerous energy saving scam targeting elderly

 Trading Standards Institute is urging consumers to be aware of rogue telephone cold callers offering energy saving devices after trading standards up and down the country reported hundreds of complaints.

Trading standards are currently dealing with more than 200 complaints about people claiming to be their energy supplier or working in partnership with them, offering a plug in device which they say can save them 40 per cent off their energy bills.

Trading standards have had a number of the items tested which not only failed to satisfy electrical safety standards but do not deliver any tangible energy savings.

Ron Gainsford from the Trading Standards Institute 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 in 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.”

Westminster trading standards have been investigating the scam as the caller gives a London W1 Oxford Street address for the company.

Sue Jones from Westminster trading standards said: “The address they give is that of a virtual office provider, 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.

“We know that these fraudsters have been duping consumers across the country into paying £99 for the energy saving device and have been told the caller always appears to be very credible by already knowing the consumers’ details, their energy supplier and sometimes some or all of the digits of their credit/  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.”

So far four different suppliers have been named, 1 Stop Marketing Solutions, ITC Development Corp, Power Saver and Athico Ltd. but the fraudsters could be operating under other names too.  Some of these names could be very similar to genuine companies – for example Power Saver Ltd, based in Tonbridge, Kent is not involved in this fraud.

The director of Athico Ltd appears to have been a victim of the scam himself. He fully cooperated with trading standards and the company has now ceased trading.

Advice to consumers

 If consumers have responded to one of these cold calls they should report the matter to Action Fraud on www.actionfraud.org.uk 0300 123 2040 or Consumer Direct on 08454040506 . They should also contact their bank to stop their debit/ credit card. If a device has been received they should not use it and dispose of it carefully. 

Consumers should be cautious about giving out any personal or financial information. They should independently verify a caller’s identity before agreeing to purchase any goods or services.

 

The proceedings took a full 2 1/2 hours and, as well as the lengthy reports which were received, it was still thought necessary to submit quantities of ‘late material’, including the opinion of Transport for London that the intensive development envisaged would not create congestion in the area! At least, that was what we were told they said, though one of the glories of late material is that neither members nor objectors get to see it and examine it before the meeting starts. I can’t believe that TfL took until yesterday to deliver an opinion on an issue so well flagged up in advance or as important as this one. But followers of this saga will be aware already of the manipulations and distortions of facts and figures which have bedevilled this whole process from the beginning in 2009.

I won’t rehearse all the arguments put forward but I will observe with Cllr. David Cunningham that a proposal such as this, demolishing buildings of townscape merit, despoiling a conservation area, felling 43 trees and risking the creation of gridlock in the area on a daily basis would not have been likely to win approval if put forward by a developer. The arguments put forward by supporters, which included the planning officers (I speak as I heard from the public gallery) failed to address any of the objections in a convincing way and, as at last week’s Scrutiny, relied heavily on ‘confidence’ and ‘belief’ that it would be ‘all right on the night’ as their basis for this major and irreversible decision.

There was little controversy about the health facility aspect of the application – but there never has been. The whole object of the exercise, since we managed to stop KPCT closing down the site in 2005, has been to preserve it for health care in Surbiton. But, before the Lib Dems accuse the Tories of voting against the new health centre, it should be understood that the Council and the NHS linked the two buildings in one application so members could not support one without supporting the other – a proceeding which smacks of subterfuge and one which I was assured as long ago as the summer of 2009 would not be adopted.

In general Cllr. Vicki Harris chaired the proceedings well but spoilt the effect by taking 12 minutes at the end, not to sum up the arguments on both sides, but to make yet another series of assertions in support of  the school. She even went so far as to suggest that a playground on the roof was a good thing and that children she knows were asking ‘can we have one too?’ Let us hope that they never get to work out in practice how you get children from a rooftop playground in the event of a fire underneath them.

Cllr. Umesh Parekh had a lot to say, which struck me as odd, considering that he (a) appears in sundry Lib Dem publications promoting the school plus health centre concept and (b) failed to absent himself from the room during the discussion on the application at Surbiton Neighbourhood (whereas Cllr. Frances Moseley, to her credit, did!). This puts a novel interpretation on the words ‘prejudicial interest’ – but perhaps things have changed so much in the last 10 months that I am now sadly out of date!

Cllr. Barry O’Mahony relieved himself of some rather dyspeptic comments on the extent to which Residents’ Associations represent residents. His target appeared to have been the Southborough Residents Association, where he lives, and which he says doesn’t represent him. I believe it has about 300 members in all.

Where do we go from here? Time will tell

Anyone with info about a fire in South Bank last Saturday please contact Louise Robertson at the Surrey Comet.

Hi all,

Please see below, re appeal for help for the people involved in the fire on the Cambridge Road Estate

Thanks

Richard

Jill Preston – Chair
> Cambridge Road Estates Community Group
> 61 Graveley , Willingham Way
> Kingston, Surrey KT1  3HY
> Office: 0208 547 6910
> Mobile: 07910 844427

Police and Fire Brigade are currently dealing with a fire at premises on Surbiton Road, Surbiton.

Surbiton Road Closed from the junction of Penrhyn road to Surbiton Hill Road, all traffic is being diverted along Surbiton Road towards Portsmouth Road.

Delays Expected

THE ROAD IS NOW RE-OPENED

Please note: – tickets can also be purchased from the Market House, Kingfisher Leisure Centre, The Malden Centre, Kingsmeadow & Tolworth Recreation Centre.

Faulty electrical equipment poses a potential risk of fire in all our homes.

For older residents, appliances such as electric blankets, which may be left switched on and unattended for long periods, pose a particular risk. In fact, any blanket that is more than 12 years old is likely to fail as it may not have the electrical protection features that more modern blankets have.

Kingston Council is again this year providing a day of free electric blanket checks for older people. Inspections carried out in Kingston in the last two years revealed that on average about one third (33%) of all blankets tested were classed as unsafe.

Whilst winter might seem a long time away, now is the time to dig out that electric blanket that you use every year and consider having it tested.  The checks will be carried out on Wednesday 16 September 2009 and priority will be given to older residents and those who have not had blankets tested before.

To arrange for your blanket to be tested, book an appointment by telephoning the Trading Standards Department on 020 8547 5518.

Photo is from Darlington Borough Council

London Fire Brigade are offering free home fire safety checks to residents. They will even fit a free smoke alarm where needed.

To ask for a visit and check you should

• call them free on 08000 28 44 28
• or email them at smokealarms@london-fire.gov.uk.

You can also request a visit on behalf of a family member or friend.