A call from your "electricity or gas company": fake discounts and rate changes

"Good morning, we're calling from your electricity company. Your rate goes up next month, but if we sort it out now we can apply a 20% discount. I just need to confirm a few details." The call sounds professional, knows the name of your supplier (or guesses it, because there are only a handful of big ones) and offers something everyone wants: to pay less. Behind it there's usually one of two things: a switch of supplier you never asked for or an attempt to get hold of your bank details. Sometimes both.

How does this scam work?

The hook changes from one wave to the next, but it's almost always one of these:

• "Your rate is going up" or "your current tariff is being discontinued". They rush you with a supposed price or regulatory change that forces you to "update" your contract today.
• "You have a pending discount" or "you qualify for a social tariff". They offer a reduction, a refund for "overcharging" or a public subsidy that only kicks in if you hand over your details.
• "We're calling from the network operator" or "from the regulator". They present themselves as a neutral body or as the company that owns the meters, to sound more official than a salesperson.
• "Your gas installation needs inspecting". They announce an imminent mandatory inspection, sometimes with a home visit and payment on the spot.

The real goal is usually one of these three:

1. Switching your supplier without your clear consent. They ask for your supply point number (in Spain called the CUPS, printed on your bill), your ID number and your bank account, and record a "yes, I accept" that they use to process a contract with another company, often on worse terms or with add-on services you never wanted.
2. Stealing your bank details. The supposed discount or refund "will be paid into your account", so they ask for your IBAN, your card or even a code sent to you by SMS. That code is almost never for receiving money: it's for authorising a payment or registering your card on another device.
3. Charging you something there and then. A "deposit", an "inspection" or an "adjustment" that you pay immediately, over the phone or at the door.

How can I tell the call is fake?

No single sign proves it on its own, but several together are more than enough reason to hang up:

• They ask for details your company already has. Your supplier knows your supply point number, your address and your account. If "your" company asks you to read them out, be suspicious.
• They don't know who you are, or ask who your supplier is. "Which company do you get your electricity from?" is a question from a salesperson or a scammer, not from your provider.
• There's a rush. "The offer expires today", "if you don't confirm now your bill will go up". Real price changes are communicated in writing and in advance.
• They ask for a code you've received by SMS. No legitimate company needs you to read out a code from your bank to apply a discount.
• They insist you say "yes" or "I accept" to long sentences you barely understand, or tell you it's "just to log the call".
• They say they're "the network operator" in order to sell you something. The network operator runs the grid and the meters; it doesn't sell tariffs or offer discounts.
• They want cash or a bank transfer on the spot. Legitimate inspections and adjustments are arranged with advance notice and charged on your bill.

What do I do during the call?

1. Don't confirm any details. Not your ID, supply point number, IBAN or address. If they read your details out to "verify" them, don't say whether they're right.
2. Don't say "yes, I accept" to anything you haven't read. If they offer something interesting, ask them to send it in writing.
3. Never read out an SMS code or install any app they ask you to.
4. Hang up and call back yourself. Find the customer service number on your latest bill or on your company's official website and ask whether anything is changing in your contract. If the offer was real, they'll confirm it.
5. If someone turns up at your door for an inspection you weren't expecting, ask for their credentials and don't let them in until you've called your company on the number on your bill. If you actually smell gas, that's a different matter: call the emergency number on your bill or 112.

What if I already gave my details or accepted the switch?

Don't blame yourself: these calls are designed to sound routine. Act in this order:

1. If you gave bank details or a code, call your bank now, on the number on your card or in its official app. Ask them to block the card if you gave it out, watch for transactions and, if there are charges, dispute them. A direct debit you don't recognise can be returned through your bank.
2. Call your usual supplier on the number on your bill. Ask whether there's a switch request in progress and tell them you didn't authorise it. The sooner you do this, the easier it is to stop.
3. If you've already been switched, remember that for a contract made over the phone you generally have 14 calendar days to cancel at no cost (this cooling-off period applies in Spain and across the EU; elsewhere, check your local consumer rules). Do it in writing and keep the receipt. If you were switched without your consent, complain to the new company and, if they don't respond, go to your local consumer protection office.
4. Keep evidence: the number that called you, the time, the name they gave, the SMS messages and any contract or email you receive afterwards.
5. If money was stolen or your details were misused, report it. In Spain, to the Policía Nacional (091) or the Guardia Civil (062); elsewhere, to your national police. If you're unsure what to do about your data or your account, in Spain INCIBE's 017 helpline gives free, confidential advice and the OSI (the Spanish Internet User Safety Office) publishes alerts about active campaigns; elsewhere, contact your national cybersecurity agency.

If you gave your ID or your account number, bear in mind that this data can be reused in other scams: what to do if you've given your details in a phone scam has the detailed steps, and how to get your money back after a phone scam covers the ways to dispute the charges.

Frequently asked questions

Can my electricity company genuinely call me? Yes, and salespeople from other companies also call offering to switch you. The call itself isn't the problem; the problem is giving details or accepting something without checking it. When in doubt, hang up and call the number on your bill yourself.

They recorded me saying "yes". Do I now have a contract? A stray "yes" isn't enough to sign a valid contract, but some companies use it to push through dubious switches. If you notice you've been moved to another company, complain and use your right to cancel. We explain it in the phone "yes" scam.

Is the social tariff arranged over the phone? In Spain, the electricity social tariff (bono social) is applied for through the designated regulated-rate suppliers and requires paperwork; nobody "activates" it by calling you out of the blue and asking for your bank account. The same logic applies to energy support schemes elsewhere: if you think you qualify, look it up yourself through official channels.

How do I stop them calling me? You can ask the company calling you to stop using your data for marketing and, in Spain, sign up to the Lista Robinson (the national opt-out list for advertising); most countries have a similar do-not-call register. A caller ID app such as NoCall warns you before you answer when a number has already been reported by other users.

In short

If "your electricity or gas company" calls with an urgent discount or an imminent price rise, the rule is simple: don't give any details, don't say "I accept" and call the number on your bill yourself. Real offers are still there when you check them; fake ones vanish. And if the number seemed suspicious, report it in the spam number directory so other people can recognise it before they pick up.