Scammers are once again flouting the ban on door-to-door energy sales, Czech energy regulator and municipalities warn

Dishonest energy sellers and brokers, known as energy scammers, have once again started violating the ban on door-to-door sales more frequently. Authorities and municipalities are therefore reporting a rise in complaints. The Energy Regulatory Office (ERÚ) said so today in a press release. Together with energy companies, it also warned about other tactics used by scammers, who have stepped up their activities in recent weeks.

„Municipalities are once again dealing with complaints about door-to-door sales. Many of them involve so-called energy scammers, who have resumed their activities in recent months. They pose as employees of energy suppliers or distributors, hide behind various authorities and, in short, trick people into signing contracts under all sorts of false pretences,“ said Radka Vladyková, executive director of the Union of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic.

Municipalities are primarily responsible for dealing with violations of the ban on door-to-door sales. Although the ERÚ has overseen energy brokers since last year, it cannot fine them for breaching the ban. „The ERÚ can penalise, for example, a broker offering energy without the required registration. But if they violate a ban on door-to-door sales set out in a municipal regulation, the municipal police should be called first. In such cases, only the municipality itself can fine an energy scammer,“ explained Markéta Zemanová, a member of the ERÚ council. She stressed that contacting the municipal police is also preferable in such cases because officers can intervene quickly, which is crucial for securing evidence.