A BUSINESS group in Weston has issued a warning to companies in the town not to fall foul of a potential utility audit scam.

Weston Business In Development (BID) group is reporting that a firm has approached several businesses in the town offering an energy audit to save them money.

The firm promises business owners it can find them very cheap rates for electricity and other utilities – often quoting unrealistically low prices – before asking for £100-200 cash up front.

The firm then seeks the business owner’s authority to approach energy companies on their behalf.

Martin Slade, BID spokesman, said that not only is service expensive and unnecessary, but that some businesses seemed to have trouble contacting the firm again once the money had been handed over.

He said: “They are not delivering on what they are promising. The fact that they get money, get firms’ authority and then try to get prices could be seen as an audit, but I don’t think they need to do that.

“It does appear that the service is not there, when companies try to chase it and find out what happened, they are getting strung along.

“Most people won’t part with their money up front but there is the odd vulnerable person that may fall foul.

“I think what they are doing is on the edge of the law. This is a case of buyer beware.”

Mr Slade added that the BID team has its own energy broker which helps members find low utility prices, and has already saved businesses more than £12,000.