Scammers who present themselves as thermostat installers sent by EDF offer free equipment to their victims. This is a scam which aims to divert the State bonus.
New scam. While all homes must be equipped with a connected thermostat by January 1, 2027, scammers are already taking advantage of this to divert state aid, which can be up to 600 euros.
The criminals appear at their victim's home presenting themselves as agents sent by one of the companies signatory to the “Help in the connected control of room-by-room heating” charter. How do they act? What are their goals? RMC Conso explains the contours of this scam to you.
A free service
As underlined by a testimony reported by our colleagues from France Info, the crooks announce their visit by sticking up posters in the building or in the residence.
On the day of their arrival, they appear dressed in a uniform bearing the image of the company to which they claim to belong. “He was dressed all in EDF with a suitcase like someone who works there,” explains a victim.
To convince their prey, they play on the free nature of the installation. Scammers also promise annual energy savings of up to 30%. And it is only once the fake installer has left that the victims notice the malfunction of the installed device.
“The same evening, I heated it to 21°C and it rose to more than 25. There was a burning smell in the room and I had to turn everything off,” explains the tenant interviewed by France Info . About twenty of his neighbors found themselves in the same situation.
Pocket a bonus of several hundred euros
Scammers install these counterfeit equipment that endanger the lives of residents with one goal: to obtain the state bonus. The latter is allocated to all households who wish to equip themselves with a connected thermostat. Indeed, once the device is installed, the victims sign documents which allow the criminals to receive the subsidy directly.
For good reason, if aid can be granted to individuals in the event that they advance the installation costs, the professional can also deduct it from the amount to be paid at the time of invoicing. In this case, it is to him that the latter is attributed.
When it comes to this scam, the scammers don't charge anything since they are big winners. They install counterfeit thermostats that cost much less and they pocket state aid.
As a reminder, the financial boost proposed by the State will not be extended beyond December 31.
