Question reference: S6W-24860
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 26 January 2024
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Current status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 February 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional (a) advice and (b) support is available to anyone concerned that they have been the victim of a spray foam insulation scam, in light of reports from Trading Standards Scotland that it has seen a 42% rise in consumer complaints about insulation scams in the last year.
Answer
The regulation of consumer protection is reserved to the UK Government therefore the Scottish Government cannot take all the action it would like to do in this area. However, we recognise the importance of consumers being confident that any work carried out is done to a high standard.
On the matter of advice, we encourage anyone considering energy efficiency upgrades to seek expert advice from trusted sources, such as the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland service. We also fund support for consumers who have such concerns in the form of a Scotland-specific consumer advice service that provides clear, practical advice on all consumer issues, including scams prevention. Anyone seeking this kind of help should contact Advice Direct Scotland at https://consumeradvice.scot/ and also on 0808 164 6000.
Using installers such as TrustMark registered businesses is a requirement of accessing Scottish Government funding for energy efficiency work. By adopting these standards for our own schemes we hope to encourage a greater level of skills and competence in the industry more generally and foster a more secure sector that householders can be confident in regardless of how their work is funded.
The UK Government’s role extends to the ability to legislate in ways that can provide increasing protection for consumers against scams of all kinds, and which it would be expected to review in the face or emergence of specific instances or patterns which require a distinct or additional approach.