Trading Standards - Thermal Coating Scams

8th November 2025

As the colder weather approaches there has been an increase in reports of cold callers offering to apply a special thermal coating to roofs and property exteriors, saying it will save money on energy bills.

In some cases, they say their work will be partially funded by a government grant and that they have been contracted by the local council.

In one case, cold callers offered to line a roof and coat it with a paint that would supposedly provide a defence against frost.

The resident paid almost £2,000 and the scammers spent a couple of days working on the roof.

After they had left the resident discovered that the painting had been done to a very poor standard and that some slates and part of the guttering had been damaged. The trader agreed to come back to fix the issues, but failed to keep any appointments and eventually stopped answering the phone.

The resident asked an independent surveyor to check the roof and discovered that the paint which had been used would not provide any frost protection. The whole roof had to be repainted.

We asked a roofer who is part of Scotland's Approved Trader Directory to answer some frequently asked questions about roofing to help consumers make informed decisions and avoid scams.
Read the Q&A here: www.tsscot.co.uk/Roofing-QA.pdf

How to Avoid
Any unsolicited trader who offers to carry out work on your property must give you their business name and address.
Don't agree to let a cold caller start work straight away - do plenty of research into their company and, if something doesn't look right, don’t deal with them.

Rogue traders often imply that urgent work is required in order to pressure householders into making a decision quickly. Always take time to think before making a decision - don't agree to make any payments for goods or services on the spot.

Rather than dealing with cold callers, find trusted traders to carry out work on your property:
TrustMark is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme - businesses registered with them have been vetted to meet required standards and have made a commitment to good customer service:
www.trustmark.org.uk/find-a-tradesman

Businesses that are part of the CTSI’s Approved Code scheme have been vetted and have a commitment to consumer protection and raising standards:
www.tradingstandards.uk/consumer-help/find-an-approved-code-business

Find members of trade associations such as the Federation of Master Builders via the Trade Association Forum:
www.taforum.org/membership/member-directory

Competent person schemes are a way for tradespeople to prove their ability to carry out certain work to required standards, instead of you applying for building regulations approval. Schemes have insurance-backed warranties and complaints procedures if there’s a problem with the work:
www.competentperson.co.uk

All of the businesses listed on the Buy With Confidence website have been fully checked and vetted by a local authority Trading Standards service:
www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk
Sign up for Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Alerts to stay up to date with what is going on in your community: www.neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk

Report any suspicious behaviour to Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Report scams to Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or via scamwatch.scot.

Find out More
Police Scotland: www.scotland.police.uk/doorstep-crime-and-bogus-callers
Find traders in Scotland who have been vetted by Trading Standards: approvedtrader.scot
Trading Standards Scotland: www.tsscot.co.uk/priority-areas/doorstep-scammers