Energy scams are surging ahead of tomorrow's price cap announcement: how to spot one and what to do

Tomorrow, Ofgem announces the energy price cap for July to September 2026, and most analysts expect it to rise. Every time there is big energy news, fraudsters run the same playbook: a wave of convincing fake messages claiming to be from Ofgem or the government, offering rebates, refunds or cheaper tariffs, designed to steal your bank details or personal information.

It happened during every major price cap change in 2022, 2023 and 2024. It is happening again now. Action Fraud has received a significant increase in reports of energy-related scams in the run-up to the Ofgem July price cap announcement, with fraudsters sending convincing text messages and emails claiming to offer early access to cheaper tariffs, energy bill rebates, or government energy support payments.

Knowing exactly what these messages look like and what to do if one lands in your inbox is the most useful thing you can have going into this week.

What do energy scams actually look like?

The messages vary in detail but follow the same pattern every time.

Text messages typically claim you are eligible for a government energy rebate and ask you to click a link to claim it. The link leads to a fake website designed to look like an official Ofgem or government portal, where you are asked to enter your bank account details to receive the payment.

Emails use Ofgem's logo, colours and branding to look authentic. They typically tell you that you are eligible for a payment of between £200 and £500 and ask you to apply before a deadline. The link in the email goes to a fake website that asks for your name, date of birth, address and bank details. Which? investigated one such site and found it proceeded through several stages of data capture before attempting to set up a direct debit.

Phone calls also happen, where someone claims to be from your local council or energy supplier and asks for your card details to process a rebate payment.

The common thread across all of these is the promise of money you have not applied for, a sense of urgency, and a request for bank or personal details.

How to spot an energy scam

These are the specific red flags to look for in any energy-related message:

• Ofgem never contacts customers directly. Any text, email or call claiming to be from Ofgem about your energy account, a rebate, or a new tariff is not from Ofgem. The regulator communicates through your energy supplier, not directly with you

• Any genuine energy support payment is applied automatically to your account or meter. You never need to apply for it, submit your bank details, or click a link to receive it

• A deadline to claim creates false urgency and is a consistent scam tactic. Legitimate government schemes do not expire within hours or days of the message arriving

• Check the sender's email address carefully, not just the display name. Scam emails often use addresses like ofgem.rebate-scheme.co.uk or similar convincing-looking but unofficial domains

• Links in scam messages often contain words like "rebate", "energy", "support" or "ofgem" to look legitimate, but the domain itself will not be gov.uk or ofgem.gov.uk

• If a phone call asks you to confirm bank details, card numbers or your full address to process a payment, hang up. No legitimate organisation needs to collect bank details by phone to send you money

What to do if you receive a suspicious message

Do not click any links, call any numbers in the message, or provide any information in response.

• If it arrived by text, forward it to 7726. This is a free reporting service that alerts mobile networks to scam numbers

• If it arrived by email, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk, which is the government's Suspicious Email Reporting Service

• If you are unsure whether a communication about your energy account is genuine, go directly to your supplier's website using the address you already know, or call them on the number printed on your bill

What to do if you have already responded to a scam

If you have clicked a link, entered personal details, or shared bank information, act immediately.

• Call your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card. Tell them what happened and ask them to protect your account. Under the Payment Services Regulations your bank must refund unauthorised transactions, and acting quickly gives you the strongest possible position

• Change the password on any account associated with the email address you used

• Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at actionfraud.police.uk. This creates a record of the fraud and supports any subsequent claim or investigation

• Check your credit report using one of the three free services - Experian, Equifax or TransUnion - over the coming weeks. If someone has used your details to apply for credit in your name, this is how you find out

The honest reassurance

Falling for a scam is not a sign of carelessness or naivety. These messages are professionally designed, use official branding, and are timed deliberately to land when you are already thinking about your energy bills. The people behind them are skilled and systematic.

What protects you is not being suspicious of everything, but knowing the one rule that never changes: no legitimate organisation will ever ask for your bank details to send you money. If a message is asking for anything in return for a payment or rebate, it is not real.

Useful contacts

Report a scam text: forward to 7726

• Report a scam email: report@phishing.gov.uk

• Report fraud: Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040

• Check your energy supplier's genuine contact details: ofgem.gov.uk/check-if-energy-switching-service-meets-our-standards