Smart meter telephone scam

Some tenants have been called by a company saying that they have been authorised by us to change their property over to a smart meter and would have to gain access within 5/6 weeks. The company advised the next time residents tried to top up their card meter it would go straight onto a bill. The telephone number they called from was 0800 023 8992.

This number is a known nuisance caller and Angus residents are being advised not to engage with them. We have not authorised any company to change properties  to smart meters and we do not get involved with changing tenants’ energy provider.

If you or someone you know has received a call like this, please contact Trading Standards on 03452 777 778.

If you want advice about energy switching, we advise you to contact the Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT)

See the current scam warnings on our website.

Advertisement

Keep Warm this Winter and Reduce Your Gas and Electricity Bills

 

As we mentioned in our previous post, it’s that time of year when you notice the drop in temperature and your first instinct may be to turn up the heating and use it for longer periods. This could mean an increase to your fuel bills and we know that managing these costs can be difficult. Your household circumstances, your property, your lifestyle, your heating system – all can affect your bills.

If you are worried about your energy bills this winter, there is help available regardless of whether you own or rent your home. Home Energy Scotland (HES) offers a wide range of advice and assistance free of charge, such as:

• reducing your energy bills
• managing fuel debt
• switching energy supplier (simply by switching supplier, you could save £100s per year!)

To speak to one of their advisors you can call (free phone) – 08708 808 2282 – or simply fill out this form – and one of their advisors will call you back. It’s that easy.

You can also arrange for a free home visit by a member of the Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT). They’ll get to know you and your property to provide tailored advice, helping you heat your home for less.

For more information about HEAT and how they can help you, free phone 0808 129 0888, email heat@scarf.org.uk or visit their website.

Innovative Heating Solutions at Academy Court, Forfar – Visit by Dundee and Perth & Kinross Council Officers

We want to make homes more energy efficient, to reduce tenants’ home energy bills and reduce greenhouse gasses in Angus. We’ve installed district heating in the new houses and flats at Academy Court in Forfar to help achieve this.

Colleagues from Dundee City Council and Perth & Kinross Council visited the Academy Court site last week to see the new district heating system for themselves. 

What is District Heating?

Rather than having an individual boiler in each property, district or community heating is generated from a central energy centre with one set of boilers. These boilers may be gas or include renewable sources such as biomass (wood) fuel. In addition to heating, water and electricity may also be included in the central energy centre. The utilities are then distributed to properties via a local infrastructure (pipes and wires) direct to homes. With community energy you have a pre-heated building that is kept warm all the time. This means tenants only have to pay for the heat they use and not the costs associated with running an individual boiler from cold to hot. Centralised community energy schemes optimise efficiency far and above that of an individual system supplying one customer.

Benefits of using district heat include:

• Receiving low carbon energy from local heat sources that can help reduce emissions. District heating can be highly efficient and uses low carbon fuel sources.
• Helping to tackle the problem of fuel poverty. Replacing expensive heating systems with a district heat network, especially in high-rise apartment blocks, may reduce fuel costs.
• Lowering the cost of heat – the connection to the local heat source should provide lower cost heat for residential customers, as compared to heat from fossil fuels.
• The diagram below shows how homes are heated. A central boiler room pumps hot water through pipes to each property connected to the district heating network. There are individual meters in each home which measure the energy used.