There are still reports of cases of people impersonating energy suppliers to try and hoodwink customers into providing personal details or money.
If you have any doubt or believe something to be suspicious, you should ask for the following to help validate you are speaking to your actual supplier.
- The exact expiry date of your contract
- The date and reading of the last invoice
- The last 4 digits of the bank account in which your direct debit comes out
- The last payment amount
- When the last contract was agreed
If they are unable to answer the above, you should contact your supplier directly using the contact form or details provided on their website.
Things to look out for:
1. Brokers pretending to work for a supplier
Brokers play a vital role in meeting customer needs and serve as impartial advisors to find an energy supplier that is right for them. They key here is that they are impartial. They don’t work for a supplier. If you are unsure who you are speaking to or are being asked for payment or personal details report this directly to your supplier.
2. People using scare tactics to force you into a new contract
There are also brokers who mention or proclaim that your meter is about to expire, this is not the case – your meter does not expire and this is a scare tactic. There are also reports of those saying Government rules state you cannot go out of contract with a supplier, again this is not the case – and it is best to hang up the phone. These are known tricks to pressure businesses into signing contacts without considering the implications.