Ovo Energy Reviews: Give your feedback

aylesby · 5 March 2016 at 2:46PM

Been with Ovo and Fairerpower for two years. Off back to EDF as they are 6% cheaper plus £30 cash back. Managed my account exclusively online until recently as logging in has become a problem. They did not use my annual usage figures in their recent projections which I find unexplainable.

teddysmum · 5 March 2016 at 3:54PM

I was put off joining Ovo, as their software didn't work properly.

The website insisted that my gas usage (correctly quoted) was hugely over average, so it was unable to give a quotation.

In fact, my usage was below average, so I rang up, only to be told that the website was correct and that my usage was indeed way above average, even when I gave the oft quoted internet average for my type of property (3 bed semi).

A second call put me through to an older lady, who agreed that the abovementioned was nonsense.

She did a manual quotation, which agreed with a few pence of my own calculation, but the whole experience put me off joining.

beezageoff · 7 March 2016 at 4:29PM

Ive been with OVO for 2 months. Early days, but change over went smoothly and I have found them helpful and obliging when I contacted them about the change. Plus, Im saving £26 a month!!!
Would certainly recommend them.

teddysmum · 7 March 2016 at 7:08PM

beezageoff wrote: »

Ive been with OVO for 2 months. Early days, but change over went smoothly and I have found them helpful and obliging when I contacted them about the change. Plus, Im saving £26 a month!!!
Would certainly recommend them.

Your monthly direct debit is not necessarily an indication of saving, as you could find, after a few months that you have been underpaying to cover your bill. It is the standing charge and unit rate that matter.

victor2 · 8 March 2016 at 7:54AM

teddysmum wrote: »

Your monthly direct debit is not necessarily an indication of saving, as you could find, after a few months that you have been underpaying to cover your bill. It is the standing charge and unit rate that matter.

Even more than that, it's your actual usage that matters, allocated evenly over twelve months.

swatterscars · 2 May 2016 at 9:38PM

I have been with Ovo for 2 years, and decided to switch to save money. I switched supplier with a switch date of 26th April 2016. I am in credit with Ovo to the tune of over £300, and when I asked for a refund, was told that I would get a refund once the final bill had been produced. I have received the final gas bill, but I have been told by OVO that it could take 4 to 6 weeks to get the electricity reading validated. I find this ludicrous that it takes that long to get a final bill, and all the time they are holding onto my money. I have requested a partial refund, leaving in adequate funds to cover the final electricity bill, but they wont even do that. They are making interest on MY money, and why the hell should they. I need that money.

Has anyone else had this problem with OVO, and what did you do?

I feel that OVO are treating its customers unfairly, and should refund any credit when asked. Not very impressed with OVO, hence my switching.

Consumerist · 2 May 2016 at 11:36PM

swatterscars wrote: »

Has anyone else had this problem with OVO, and what did you do?

In my experience Ovo have been tyrants when I wanted to leave. Unfortunately the energy suppliers seem to hold all the cards when they owe you money.

I sent them a formal complaint by Recorded Delivery post. That gives them eight weeks to sort it out before you can refer it to the Ombudsman.

Not very satisfactory but it's about all that you can do to get their attention.

The lesson I learned was to keep credit balances with energy suppliers to the minimum possible and to challenge any exaggerated claims to overcharge on DDs.

Edit
You might want to consider copying your complaint via <Resolver> who keep a record of your communications with Ovo and build a file for you to send to the Ombudsman if it becomes necessary.

System · 3 May 2016 at 8:46AM

I did get over £200 back within 19 days of a transfer from Ovo earlier this year. I received an e-mail from Ovo 17 days AFTER my gas transfer had gone through telling me that a switch was in progress; 'Your new supplier should let you know your actual switch date (it’s usually about 12 weeks)'

I contacted Ovo and told that my supply was no longer with them. Ovo tried to dispute the fact that it was actually possible to transfer an IGT gas supply in 21 days from application to switch (and this was over the Christmas break). I contacted my new supplier and with 2 days the refund from Ovo was in my Bank.

Ovo was very good a couple of years ago, but the deal on the table would have to be very good to get me to go back to them

swatterscars · 3 May 2016 at 12:42PM

Hi, thanks Consumerist, taken on board. I have had confirmation from my new supplier that it was started on 26th April. Despite 2 emails to customer services requesting a refund, they will not answer yes or no. They give details of the validating process, or say that once the final electricity bill is validated, they will refund the money.

I have looked at the Energy Supply Services Licence, Section 27, and it clearly states that if a domestic customer is in credit, and asked for a refund, that the Licensee (i.e. OVO) should refund that money, unless they have a fair and reasonable reason not to, and they should give me that reason in writing. No where does it say that I cannot ask for a credit during the switching process.

I have today sent them a strongly worded email, quoting Section 27, and telling them that if I do not get a reply, or a refund I will be contacting Ofgem, and going through social media, and contacting the BBC programme "Moneybox" with Paul Lewis. I hope I will get somewhere, but why should I have to go to all this trouble to get MY money from them. I have always paid on time, been in credit, and given monthly meter readings, I have done all they asked, why cant they do what I ASK.

Will keep you all posted, but in the meantime, thank you to you who have replied, I have taken your info on board.

System · 3 May 2016 at 2:16PM

swatterscars wrote: »

Hi, thanks Consumerist, taken on board. I have had confirmation from my new supplier that it was started on 26th April.

It is unlikely that Ovo will have received validated closing readings yet. That said, with monthly billing they should have a pretty good idea about how much money could sensibly be refunded - as I am sure you do.

Ovo Energy Reviews: Give your feedback

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