Your Rights

Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards has had reports of "rogue" energy sellers operating locally who will say anything to gain access to your property. One claimed to be a "council home energy surveyor"; another claimed that he had been sent out to check meters in the area because of a report of "overcharging on tariffs" and carried a device similar to those used to record meter readings; a third claimed that the gas and electricity meter had been mis-calibrated.

New rules introduced this year to protect consumers state that:

Salespeople must carry a badge giving their name and that of the company.

They must give you a written quotation before the sale goes through.

If you have a pre payment meter you can now owe up to £200 and be able to switch.

Trading Standards advises:

If you really want to do business on the doorstep, do not switch on the first visit - get the written quotation and then check out whether it really is a better deal by using a price comparison website e.g. TheEnergyShop.com. If it really is better for you, arrange for the agent to call back at a later date to suit you.

For more advice on problems with shopping or buying services, contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06

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Last modified: September 28, 2010