| A Widnes resident got a visit last week from a man pretending to work for Scottish Power and claiming he was visiting to swap the electric card meter to a smart meter.
The man was smartly dressed and had an electricity meter cupboard key and a clipboard with lots of paper, but he didn’t have any ID. The Widnes resident refused the man access and rang Scottish Power which said the caller had nothing to do with them. Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for Trading Standards, Cllr Dave Cargill, said: “Scottish Power would not make a visit like this without writing to a customer first. “Like other energy providers, Scottish Power operate a free Password Service, for any customer who’d like extra assurance about visitors to their home. “This service allows you to choose a personal password that will only be given to representatives who need to visit you. You can change your password at any time. When their representative visits you, ask them for the password before you let them in. “ If you are a Scottish Power customer and would like more information about the Password Service you can contact them free on 0800 027 0072. Customers of other energy suppliers should contact them directly to see if they offer the free password service. If you or somebody you know has been caught out by a scam please contact one of our specialist officers, Linda or Sue on 0151 511 8785 or 0151 511 8775, who are already working with people in Halton who have lost thousands of pounds to scams. If you need advice on anything else please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline or 03454 04 05 06. |