BOURNEMOUTH, England — John Beckett, the director behind two fraudulent home insulation companies, has been jailed for six years and six months after being found guilty of deceiving vulnerable customers nationwide.
Beckett, 41, from Canford Magna in Poole, was convicted at Bournemouth Crown Court on two counts of fraudulent trading. His firms—NRG Installs Ltd and The Insulate Group Ltd—turned over £8 million between 2017 and 2018 before shutting down.
The case followed a detailed police investigation that uncovered aggressive and dishonest sales tactics used by Beckett’s staff, who operated from a call centre in Hinton Road, Bournemouth. Officers identified 28 victims across the country.
According to investigators, employees used misleading sales scripts with false claims such as a 40% reduction in heating bills, age-related discounts that didn’t exist, and inconsistent pricing for the same products.
Beckett had previously been the subject of a 2018 BBC Rip Off Britain investigation, where he was filmed discussing tactics like rebranding his companies and feigning mental illness to avoid negative media coverage.
Detective Inspector Jamie Halford of Dorset Police said Beckett “persistently and systematically” encouraged deception and manipulation to exploit vulnerable individuals for profit. Some victims reportedly faced property sale issues due to unnecessary spray foam insulation.
The investigation involved coordination with Trading Standards and expert surveyors, building a case that ultimately led to Beckett’s conviction.
