Residents in Kingsbridge and Salcombe are being urged to stay alert after fraudulent emails began circulating following the recent gas outage across the area.

The scam messages claim to offer compensation linked to the disruption, which began on Saturday 3 January after damage to the mains gas pipe in the area, and asks customers to click on a link.

Wales & West Utilities has confirmed the emails are not genuine and has stressed that it does not issue compensation offers via email links.

A spokesperson for Wales & West Utilities said: “We can confirm that these emails have not been issued by ourselves. If anyone in the area has concerns about correspondence they have received claiming to be from Wales & West Utilities, they should contact us by calling 0800 912 29 99.”

The warning comes amid widespread praise for Wales & West Utilities engineers, who worked long hours through some of the coldest days of winter to restore supplies and support affected residents and businesses. Councillors and community members have commended crews for their tireless efforts and clear communication throughout the incident.

According to energy regulator Ofgem, customers may be entitled to compensation for the unplanned and prolonged gas outage, but any compensation payments are arranged directly by the network operator and are usually issued automatically.

Customers who believe they may be eligible are advised to contact their network operator directly rather than respond to unsolicited messages.

Engineers are still visiting homes to safely reconnect gas supplies. Official engineers will always carry identification, which can be verified by calling 0800 316 0478.

Residents who receive suspicious emails are urged not to click on any links and to report them directly to Wales & West Utilities.