OVO after the first 12 months

backfoot

rogcal wrote: »

As well as the very favourable fixed rate tariff, other aspects of what they claimed to do attracted me to them, one being the statement "bills calculated from actual meter readings".

As this is not the case, I have a right to question why they don't do as they said they would do and since they have removed the offending statement from their advertising literature, I feel somewhat vindicated by taking the action I did at the time.

The other points I've raised about OVO's customer services are based on fact and if it's bad I'll say so and if it's good I'll say so!

OVO have come good after a week or so of communications but the fact that I had to do it in the first place is irksome and time consuming.

If some people want to go through life accepting everything on face value and never speak up when things are not right that's their problem but not mine.

:rotfl:It's amusing to think that I wouldn't speak up over things that aren't right. Oh well,nice pop but unfounded.

There was a time when the most we got was a quarterly bill from the Utilities.In many many cases,these were based on estimates because meter readers couldn't get access etc.Eventually,things get corrected by obtaining the true read.

The trouble with that system, and it can and still does occur is that customers can get behind or ahead with their payments compared to consumption. Lots of payment difficulties accrue.

For the diligent, like you and me, we like to be on the ball. A reading once a month should keep it more than in line. OVO allow you input as many readings as you like so you can rest assurred that there will be no big shocks.

You aren't seriously suggesting that you can't live without having a few days estimated as part of a regular monthly billing cycle.The more readings you input the better the estimation of that day or two will become.

Please tell me you didn't really get upset about that?

backfoot

Terrylw1 wrote: »

Since Lowry Beck are a reading agent, they obviously don't know about your readings. If your Supplier decides to use your reads, they have to pass them on to a Data Collector so they get included in their pattern of your usage since that drives how Suppliers pay.

Lowri Beck were employed, I am told by OVO, to capture readings at the six month period of your contract. Presumably, to ensure customers were being billed on at least one firm reading during that period.

The point I made to them was, that it was an unproductive operation to do that if they ignored all us conscientious customers who input regular readings anyway.

Either there was a system/communication breakdown or their brief was too wide.It also pee's you off when your having your tea.Anyway as a good spirited customer, I hope I have reduced their cost base.

Sterling

rogical wrote: »

If some people want to go through life accepting everything on face value and never speak up when things are not right that's their problem but not mine.

Here we have a decent little company, trying to do the right thing. I suspect it took on a lot of new customers earlier this year, and when that happens, it can take time for a business to recruit and train extra customer care staff to cope with the additional load. This happened to TalkTalk as its business took off much faster than expected a few years ago.

I am prepared to show a little patience with any business that shows as much promise as OVO. Your question was answered by OVO eventually – and honestly. I really can’t see why you are still griping.

Terrylw1

backfoot wrote: »

Lowri Beck were employed, I am told by OVO, to capture readings at the six month period of your contract. Presumably, to ensure customers were being billed on at least one firm reading during that period.

The point I made to them was, that it was an unproductive operation to do that if they ignored all us conscientious customers who input regular readings anyway.

Either there was a system/communication breakdown or their brief was too wide.It also pee's you off when your having your tea.Anyway as a good spirited customer, I hope I have reduced their cost base.

That could be 2 issues then I guess:

1 - Your readings are not close enough to their cycle. This sounds unlikely from your posts.

2 - OVO are not sending your reading to the Data Collector.

If all LB are doing is calling for a reading off you, 2 isn't happening.

It works the same with all elec Suppliers, they have to pass on customer reads to allow Data Collectors to keep a good history as well.

Given OVO are new, it wouldn't surprise me if they have lots of industry compliance niggles to iron out. All the old Suppliers are still not solid after all these years!

rogcal

Backfoot and Terry.

Not upset nor griping just establishing the fact that principles matter to me and I shall defend my actions on here as long as my accusers continue to question them.

I'm off now as I'm spending to much time on the computer during the hours of darkness which requires I have light on and I don't want to increase my electricity consumption over and above my own estimates!:p

sofa-spud

Sterling wrote: »

In a nutshell, it appears that OVO calculates its customers DD’s twice a year; once in April, and again in November. By setting the DD’s according to the forthcoming season, the credit and debit balances are ironed out considerably, which is good for customers and OVO alike.

Here are OVO’s own words in answer to an FAQ on this point.

“We’ve reviewed your current account, and calculated your expected winter energy consumption -from November to April. From that amount we’ve deducted your current monthly Direct Debit payments, and also taken off any credit that you may currently have. The amount remaining determines whether we need to increase your Direct Debit. If it is a debit amount, we spilt this cost into equal payments each month – so you spread the cost over a larger period and don’t face a sudden large payment in the spring!”

Fair enough, but if OVO’s General Manager, Stephen Fitzpatrick reads this, I would strongly suggest that customers are told about this at the outset in its information pack (which is otherwise very good), and in a special section on the website, where it can be more readily found; preferably in plainer English too.

Interesting, I signed up recently and the switch finally happened 15th Oct. I had to get this very point clarified by them prior to the 'cooling off' period as I was concerned about how they had arrived at the DD figure they gave me in the joining info. I too had to exchange a few emails before I recieved a clear answer, the first being rather woolly...
As a new joiner my future DD amounts will be based on 'estimated' consumption for the past two years & will be supplied by npower. As this is for the last two years why should it be estimated rather than actual? I havent pursued this yet as I expect the data supplied by npower will be wrong anyway...:o When the time comes I will produce the billing evidence (if needed)
Having said this I am still happy to have left nopower:)

Terrylw1

Rogcal, I agree on their poor advertising statement.

What they probably meant was "we will use them in calculations, but if your reading date isn't inside a very tight window around your bill date, we won't show it as the closing read for the bill". It's a good hook to tell customers you will always use proper reads in your billing, however all the others do as well anyway. Unless the bill is produced up to that read, it's still an estimate and as accurate as all the others out there that use consumption calculators.

I'm sure thats why they have retracted it.

As long as everyone is getting reads in close to the billing date though, things should be accurate.

Terrylw1

sofa-spud wrote: »

As a new joiner my future DD amounts will be based on 'estimated' consumption for the past two years & will be supplied by npower. As this is for the last two years why should it be estimated rather than actual? I havent pursued this yet as I expect the data supplied by npower will be wrong anyway...:o When the time comes I will produce the billing evidence (if needed)

All Suppliers now have to pass the last 12 months of estimated annual consumption only when you change Supplier.

It's termed 'estimated' since they won't always have proper consumption if they don't get regular reads (remembering change of supply reads are still largely derived from estimates, not customer reads).

Ofgem brought this in about 4-5 years ago.

kayl1476

Im just starting my second year with OVO - hoping it wasnt the wrong decision.

I asked for my Direct Debit to be reduced as my monthly bills were only a third of my Direct Debit. They told me that with the winter coming, they needed two months worth of payments in my account - I had over 4 months and with a new baby, I need every spare penny. They promised a refund and it went back into my account last week.

I am going to keep a very close eye on my credit balance. I do have electric heating so my winter useage is very high.

rogcal

I'm glad you eventually got your refund and it appears to me as you are keeping a very close eye on how your account is being run.

I think that OVO have still got some way to go before they fully realise that many of us are very good at managing our energy consumption and accounts and as such should trust us to keep on top of things from a payment perspective without them having to increase DD payments out of all proportion to the reality of our actual consumption.

It's good that they have now introduced billing based on customers own readings and as long as all of us that subscribe to that scheme abide by the conditions and aren't tempted to submit false readings, I'm hopeful that it will still be in place in a years time.