Joining the Citizen's Advice scam awareness campaign, OFTEC is urging householders to be aware of potential fraud and over-pricing tricks carried out by some dishonest doorstep callers.
Research from FraudSMART has revealed that 58% of people in Ireland feel more vulnerable to fraud now than they did in 2015.
It is recommended that when answering your door to any unexpected caller, to always take precautions so you don't miss a trick and protect your home from unwanted and unsafe risks. OFTEC is encouraging homeowners to 'look for the badge' to ensure technicians are registered to carry out work on their home.
David Blevings, OFTEC Ireland Manager, said, We recognise the importance of raising awareness of the concerning levels for scams carried out in homes across Ireland. With oil as the most popular source of heating in Irish homes, we aim to ensure that householders remain vigilant and not miss any underhanded tricks from unregistered technicians and installers. Any heating services carried out unprofessionally can be extremely unsafe.
We run a competent person registration service which certifies technicians and provides them with identity badges with the OFTEC logo on it, to prove the technicians' certification and membership. Our registered members in Ireland are all extremely professional and will do a safe, thorough job of servicing, repairing, upgrading or installing new heating systems.
To be OFTEC registered, technicians have demonstrated their competence through independent testing, have been inspected on-site and carry full insurance.
There are a large number of OFTEC registered technicians across Ireland, which are endorsed by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Householders can check through the organisation's website to find out if their installer is registered or to find a registered technician to price a job.
To find your nearest OFTEC registered technician, visit our Find a registered technician website.
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