SUSPECTED cases of fraud surrounding a controversial boiler grant scheme are to be discussed in secret by Powys councillors.

Members of the audit committee will be discussing a report by Somerset-based auditors SWAP into allegations of “widespread fraud” related to claims for financial assistance made through the Eco2 boiler grant scheme.

Powys Plumbing Group (PPG) highlighted their concerns to councillors back in January about how the boiler grant scheme was being abused on an almost routine basis.

They believe the next grant scheme, Eco3, could be even more susceptible to people making dodgy claims and have now made an official complaint to watchdog Ofgem.

The scheme is supposed to help vulnerable households living in fuel poverty cut their energy bills and reduce carbon emissions through energy saving measures such as installing insulation and new high-efficiency boilers.

Funded by energy companies, to qualify for the scheme, households should have an income of less than £21,000.

However PPG claims that households with an income of more than £60,000 have been receiving help.

They believe the council’s proposals for the Eco3 scheme would have “devastating consequences” for hundreds of businesses, their employees and the Powys economy if implemented in its current format.

In January, the  Health, Care and Housing Scrutiny Committee was due to look at a “proposition for the adoption of Eco3, the successor to Eco2, and provide recommendations to the Cabinet”.

But councillors who had received the letter decided to defer the issue and also asked for Eco3’s implementation to be postponed until the letter had been investigated.

The behind-closed-doors discussion will take place during a meeting of Powys council’s audit committee tomorrow (Thursday, May 9).

Audit firm SWAP were asked by PCC to investigate the claims earlier this year.

Explaining why this part of the meeting should be held in secret, Powys monitoring officer Clive Pinney said: “To make this information public would disclose information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

“These factors outweigh the public interest test in disclosing this information.”

A spokeswoman for Ofgem said: “As a matter of course we do not confirm or deny we have received information from any source in relation to an organisation.

“Furthermore we do not comment on any investigation we may be conducting.”