Prepayment Electricity Scam

20/09/2010

Householders Scammed With Illegal Electricity Top-Ups

Householders who use electricity prepayment meters are buying half price electricity top-ups keys for cash on the doorstep, not realising that they will end up having to pay twice for their electricity.

Criminal gangs are cloning electricity meter top-up keys and selling them door to door for half their normal costs i.e. a £50 top up for £25. Householders are buying them in the false belief that they will save money. However, energy companies detect when they have not received payment for electricity used. As the energy credit is illegal any customer buying top-ups on the doorstep will end up paying twice, first to the criminal and then to their energy supplier.

Energy companies and Consumer Focus, the consumer watchdog, have reported that up to 85,000 households across the UK have been affected by the doorstep scam.

Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service is urging Warwickshire residents to only buy electricity credit through official channels (recognized PayPoint or Payzone shops or The Post Office).

Companies never sell electricity top-up door-to-door. The fraud involves only electricity, not gas, prepayment meters.