How real schemes actually reach you

Most scams fall apart once you know the genuine route. None of these schemes cold-calls you out of the blue to sign you up.

How each genuine scheme works
Scheme How it really works What you should never be asked for
Boiler Upgrade SchemeYou choose an MCS-certified installer, who applies for the grant and takes it off your quote.A fee to “register” for the grant
ECO4 (ends 31 December 2026)Funded by energy suppliers. Work is arranged through suppliers and their installers after a survey and a written contract.An upfront payment to “secure” funding
Warm Homes: Local GrantYou apply through the GOV.UK service or your council, which then contacts you.Money to be put on a list
Warm Home DiscountUsually added to your electricity bill automatically by your supplier.Bank details by text or email
Winter Fuel PaymentUsually paid automatically after a letter in October or November.Bank details or passwords by text

Ten warning signs

  1. An upfront fee described as registration, admin, processing or a “refundable survey deposit”.
  2. A request for bank details to check eligibility or release a payment.
  3. A text or email with a link about your Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment or an “energy rebate”.
  4. A cold call or a knock at the door saying you have been selected for a free boiler or heat pump.
  5. Pressure to decide today because funding is “about to run out”.
  6. A name that sounds official, or official-looking logos on an advert, used to suggest a link with the government.
  7. Nothing in writing: no contract, no quote and no company address.
  8. No registration numbers, or numbers they will not let you check.
  9. No cooling-off period, or being asked to waive it before you have read anything.
  10. A request to sign that the work is finished before it actually is.

“Free” offers that turn into a bill

A common pattern is a “free” survey that ends in an expensive quote, with the grant presented as a discount off an inflated price. A real grant is a fixed amount set by the scheme, not a sales discount.

How to check an installer

  1. Step 1: Ask for the details

    Get the company’s full name, address and registration numbers in writing.

  2. Step 2: Find the register yourself

    Type the register’s address into your browser. Do not use a link the company sends.

  3. Step 3: Gas work

    Anyone fitting or working on a gas boiler must be on the Gas Safe Register. Check the engineer’s ID card too.

  4. Step 4: Heat pumps and solar

    For the Boiler Upgrade Scheme the installer must be MCS certified. Search the MCS register by company name.

  5. Step 5: Compare in writing

    Get more than one written quote, and never sign on the doorstep.

If you have been approached

  • Do not click links in unexpected texts or emails.
  • Forward scam texts to 7726. It is free and reports the message to your mobile provider.
  • Forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
  • Close the door on cold callers, and ask your council about a no cold calling zone if it keeps happening.
  • Check the claim another way, using a phone number or website you find yourself.

If you have paid or shared your details

  1. Step 1: Call your bank now

    Ring 159, which connects you to most UK banks, or the number on the back of your card. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.

  2. Step 2: Report the fraud

    In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, contact Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) online or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.

  3. Step 3: Get consumer advice

    The Citizens Advice consumer helpline, 0808 223 1133, can help if you signed a contract under pressure.

  4. Step 4: Change passwords

    If you entered a password or code on a scam website, change it straight away.

Enquiry websites, including this one

Many websites, including this one, are enquiry and information services rather than the schemes themselves. That is legitimate, but you should know who you are dealing with. A trustworthy enquiry service:

  • says clearly that it is not the government, Ofgem, your council or your supplier;
  • tells you who would survey your home before anything is arranged;
  • never charges a fee to check eligibility;
  • never asks for bank details to check eligibility;
  • lets you go directly to the scheme if you prefer.

That is how Warm Home Support works. You can always skip us: apply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme through any MCS-certified installer, for ECO4 through an energy supplier, and for the Warm Homes: Local Grant through GOV.UK or your council.

Myths worth clearing up

  • “ECO4 is a scam.” It is not. The risk is companies misusing its name.
  • “There is an ECO5.” There is not. See what replaces ECO4.
  • “Ofgem approved our company.” Ofgem does not approve installers for ECO.
  • “The heat pump grant pays for a gas boiler.” It does not. See what the Boiler Upgrade Scheme covers.