HOUSEHOLDS in Worcestershire are urged to be vigilant when having work done to their heating system to avoid falling victim to non-qualified technicians or dishonest pricing tactics.
The call comes as part of Scams Awareness 2019, a national campaign which aims to raise awareness of the types of fraud taking place and what individuals and families can do to protect themselves.
A recent survey revealed that over 3,648 UK households fell victim to a scam in 2018, a 12 per cent increase from the previous year. The most common scams included bank and credit card, consumer and retail fraud.
In response OFTEC, which represents the oil heating industry, has joined the Citizens Advice Scams Awareness campaign to provide local households with guidance on how to ensure a technician they employ is professionally qualified.
Households looking to employ a technician are advised to use a GasSafe (for mains gas) or OFTEC (for heating oil or solid fuel) registered technician who has demonstrated their competence and undergone industry recognised training to ensure the work is completed safely and to a high standard.
Visit www.oftec.org for more.
