How To Spot and Energy Scam 

Hear the doorbell? You peek out and see a well-dressed young man with a badge who identifies himself as a representative of your energy company. Is he friend or foe? A mistake can cost you thousands of dollars before you know it, and then there’s the time and hassle of straightening everything out once you do.

How serious is the problem of door-to-door energy scamming? It’s hard to quantify. Some people never realize they’ve been scammed. Some are too embarrassed to report it. But evidence of a national problem does exist.

In 2015, a New York State Public Service Commission investigation resulted in 1,566 consumers receiving $950,700 in refunds from one of the largest energy suppliers in the state. Complaints ranged from predatory sales practices to higher-than-expected prices – though it’s not possible to pinpoint how many of the complaints stemmed from door-to-door sales.

AARP specifically warns its members against energy scams. And the fact that energy trade associations designate the third Wednesday of November as Utilities United Against Scams Day provides further documentation that there’s a real problem.

Most recently, AEP Texas took to the press to warn customers of scammers in the San Angelo area going door-to-door and threatening to shut off power without immediate payments.

 Article from https://www.chooseenergy.com/ 2019