Protecting Your Home: Understanding the Energy Evaluation Scam
: Scammers offer a "free" or discounted home energy inspection. Once inside, they may use fake equipment or misleading technical jargon to claim your home is inefficient or even unsafe. Energy Evaluation Scam
: In some cases, one "inspector" will distract the homeowner while another steals valuables from the house. Red Flags to Watch For How to spot an energy scam Red Flags to Watch For How to spot
Con artists use the promise of lower utility bills to gain entry into your home or access your sensitive data. Common tactics include: They may ask to see your energy bill
: After the "inspection," they pressure you to sign contracts for overpriced or ineffective equipment, such as $4,000 "solar blankets" or fake energy-saving plug-in devices that do nothing to reduce costs.
: Some scammers are only after your information. They may ask to see your energy bill to "verify eligibility," then use your account number to switch your provider without consent (known as "slamming") or steal your identity.