Warmfront, JJ Crump and South Coast Insulation Services are being investigated over allegations they conspired to exploit the Energy Company Obligation 4 scheme by submitting claims for jobs where little or no work was carried out.
ECO4 is the government’s flagship energy efficiency programme aimed at cutting fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions.
SFO investigators, working with the National Crime Agency, arrested four people on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud during coordinated searches at six sites across the UK.
Officers searched four homes in Cannock, Wolverhampton, Chilworth and Southwell, along with commercial premises in Cannock and Killamarsh.
The watchdog has now launched a public appeal for information relating to ECO4 projects carried out between 2022 and 2024 by Cannock-based Warmfront, Sheffield-based JJ Crump and Fareham-based South Coast Insulation Services.
SFO director Graham McNulty said the scheme was meant to help households stay warm and cut bills, but investigators suspect in many cases little or no work was done. He said the agency was especially keen to hear from installers and assessors involved in the contracts.
The investigation forms part of Operation Henhouse, the UK-wide anti-fraud campaign. The SFO added that Warmfront was sold in 2024 and now trades under new management not connected to the investigation.
