The energy grant checklist - spot the genuine installers from the duds
Energy grant schemes can help save energy and money for your home. Many of these schemes are free of charge to residents which meet the qualification criteria.
Where there are genuine energy grants, there are also, sadly, some scams. Rogue traders will take any opportunity to:
- carry out poor work
- leave jobs incomplete
- ask for additional payments which were not agreed in writing before work started
Before you sign up to any grant scheme, use our energy grant checklist to ensure the company you’re dealing with is a genuine company and not a scam or a rogue trader.
Regardless of how genuine the person may appear, ask for a leaflet with the company details. Always do a check online, and on the TrustMark website, to ensure the details you’ve been provided with are genuine and the company says who they are. Leaflets without any of the company’s contact details are not genuine.
All current grant schemes are listed on the council’s website. If it’s not on there, it’s a dud.
For grant schemes such as ECO 4, we have a verified list of installers listed. If the installer company isn’t listed, they may not be a genuine company, or they may be a company who has not met our due diligence checks.
All installer companies should provide you with their company details – usually including a registered company number you can check with Companies House. If they are unwilling to provide one, it’s a dud.
Before signing up to any installer company, always check their reviews online or with the council.
Be cautious of any company advertising on social media. Always check the company details, Trustmark status and whether they are verified by Luton Council.
The installer company should provide a list of measures they will be installing in your property in writing. The majority of these improvements are free of charge. If there are any associated costs, make sure you have this in writing in advance to protect yourself from any installer who attempts to impose further costs after work is complete.
If they haven’t informed you of any costs in writing, do not pay them and report them to CiTa (their contact details are below).
Be extra vigilant if they request money to paid in cash only or into an individual’s bank account, and not into the companies registered bank account.
Do not hand over cash before work has started.
It is important to check and ask for the qualifications of any persons that will be carrying out works at your property. If they to do not provide any qualification that matches with their photo ID, then do not let allow them to carry out any work. Unskilled installers can cause more damage to your property. If your unsure, always check with the council in the first instance.
- Boiler engineers: check they have a gas safe identification and also check on the gas safe register
- Insulation teams (loft, cavity wall, external wall, underfloor insulation): they must provide a NVQ level 2 and 3 (NVQ Level 3 only for external wall insulation)
This work is controllable under Building Regulations, therefore you will need to check the installer you use is registered with the Competent Persons Scheme.
If the installer is registered through the Competent Persons Scheme, they will issue you a certificate of compliance with building regulations. You will need to keep for your records (for future sale of your property) and they will notify the local authority of the work being carried.
If they are not registered, then you will need to complete and submit a building regulation application to Luton Council before the works are undertaken. They will then inspect the works to ensure they are correctly installed and meet the legal requirements. You can contact [email protected] for further advice and assistance.
If the works are carried out without prior notification to the local authority, this is considered as unauthorised building works and you may face legal proceedings for not following the Building Act 1984.
The installer should be the first port of call for any complaints you have. If:
- you are unable to obtain a suitable response? Please contact TrustMark
- any unexpected costs that were not in writing? Please contact CiTa 0808 2231133
Works which will infringe onto a neighbouring property boundary line, require a party wall agreement in place before any works can begin.