Ovo Energy Reviews: Give your feedback

fiesta04

Here is my experience, on leaving EDF for OVO on 21/4/14.


No problem with Gas.


Electric another story, paid EDF their final bill, for reading of 13422. This was also the reading that OVO started with. All seemed ok as my second monthly a/c was ok, but then strangely I was not able to see any readings for my Electricity. Then strangely another Final Bill from EDF, for 37 units so £4.17.


So phoned EDF to be told that OVO were going to use 13459 as opening figures. But that seemed odd as only 37 units.


So phoned OVO to be told " Yes that seems strange but we are having a lot of problems at this time "


Then had e-mail saying they are reducing my DD. So back on the phone and asked why, to be told " Your a/c is £280 in credit " . I explained that was my Electric was not being charged for although my last 2 readings are noted, to be told yes there is a problem with the a/c. They did agree to keep DD in place.


So, instead of arguing further with call centre, I will just sit back and enjoy the 3% interest rolling in.


F4

brewerdave

fiesta4 -what was the actual final electricity reading??ie the one you supplied OVO?
Further thought -don't suppose you had a meter reader visit just after you had supplied the meter reads? Could be that EDF have used his read rather than your supplied number.

System

brewerdave wrote: »

f Could be that EDF have used his read rather than your supplied number.

Shouldn't happen as the meter readings are 'checked' by a 3rd party. When I left EDF in April, my final readings were significantly different from the opening reads on MYOVO account. I raised a complaint and EDF admitted that the error was down to human error. as the final readings had been calculated manually. They then said that the did not agree with the 3rd party gas figure and should have appealed but failed to do so. They resolved the complaint by re-issuing the final bill with the readings used by Ovo.

It may, of course, be Ovo's fault as they have grown exponentially in the past few months. The important thing is that opening and final meter readings should be the same.

Source- Daily Telegraph

Ovo Energy has grown its customer base from 150,000 in October 2013 to about 400,000. Staff headcount has grown from 200 to more than 500.

OVO_Energy

Hi Fiesta04. When a new customer providers their opening reading, it goes through a validation process involving their previous provider and third parties. This process is a regulation that needs to be followed by all Energy suppliers. The third party validators have the right to change the reading given by the customer if it doesn't seem to fit in with their consumption figures.

This is when a read dispute occurs. When an estimate is used, a reading is agreed upon between your previous and new suppliers to ensure the customer is not paying more than they need too. It means that both the new supplier and the old supplier can agree to use the same reading which results in the billing being much more accurate.

We’re sorry to hear you had to go through the read dispute process and we’re happy it’s now been resolved. If we can help further, please send an email to socialmedia@ovoenergy.com.

Thanks, OVO

myleen_2

Hi I switched energy supplier through cheap energy club,My start date with ovo was 16th April 14.I paid by DD monthly. I realised after two months, my previous company First Utility were still collecting a DD monthly. This was cancelled at the bank.Then in August I received a letter from First Utility saying I was due them money. Assuming it was a mistake, I never replied.Then in sept they sent a debt collector to my home .They left a letter stating I had to pay them.I emailed ovo.They replied with could you send us your meter serial numbers.I then phoned them to be told they had taken over the wrong supply .I explained everything to them including the fact I had to pay the previous company over £400 They agreed to pay me £530 that I had paid them in 3 to 5 working days.That was on 26th of sept.They have not paid and I'm scared of getting bank charges if they don't pay it soon.has anyone any suggestions

Sterlingtimes

I wonder whether it is possible to get to the end of the 12 month contract and still not have the "READ DISPUTE" resolved.

It is a strange system where long term readings and usage patterns have been prefectly consistent over a long time front. It suggests that somewhere the industry is calling upon flawed data.

dirtmother

I'm just starting with WoodlandTrust Energy/Ovo and one factor in the move was the customer service... so far I am not exactly bowled over by it. It's been a tad slow to respond, difficult to get answers to my questions when they do (eg on the 25% DD hike for new customers at this time of year, very equivocal on whether, under predicted usage, the DD would then drop in the Spring), there was a technical problem submitting opening readings online, using different browsers and devices, no apology (or interest in sorting out the technical issue), didn't set up the right sort of contract (Economy 7). Generally does not make me feel at all confident.

kabads

I initially joined and then thought I could cancel during the 14 day cooling off period. So, I joined and then found a better deal and joined that company whilst writing to Ovo to let them know I wanted to cancel.

However, my next company couldn't let me apply as Ovo had placed a 'lock' on my application and had ignored the cooling off period. So, I was patient and then waited for the new company to take over. Ovo agreed that I shouldn't pay the exit fee. Then they passed on an estimated reading to my new company which was way over what I joined them on and had not used. They have since chased me for payment for this even though they recognise that the reading is in dispute. My last letter warned me to pay within 7 days or they would be passing me over to a debt collection agency. Livid! They acknowledged that they didn't place a block on my billing and should have. So far the service has been awful and I will never use again. Too much hassle on the phone - waiting 45 minutes to get through. Buyer beware!

Biscuit_Tin

kabads wrote: »

I initially joined and then thought I could cancel during the 14 day cooling off period. So, I joined and then found a better deal and joined that company whilst writing to Ovo to let them know I wanted to cancel.

However, my next company couldn't let me apply as Ovo had placed a 'lock' on my application and had ignored the cooling off period. So, I was patient and then waited for the new company to take over. Ovo agreed that I shouldn't pay the exit fee. Then they passed on an estimated reading to my new company which was way over what I joined them on and had not used. They have since chased me for payment for this even though they recognise that the reading is in dispute. My last letter warned me to pay within 7 days or they would be passing me over to a debt collection agency. Livid! They acknowledged that they didn't place a block on my billing and should have. So far the service has been awful and I will never use again. Too much hassle on the phone - waiting 45 minutes to get through. Buyer beware!

I'm sorry, but I'm strugglinmg to understand this and feel at best you are placing the blame on the wrong party.

When you apply to a new supplier, they don't even do anything with your application during the coolling off period (in case, like you, a the customer decides to cancel)

So I don't understand how Ovo could have 'locked' your energy account; any block would have been applied by your energy supplier at the time.

As you then decided to cancel yet the switch went ahead, you should have invoked the erroneous transfer charter. You'd have been best doing this with the then previous supplier, but either way Ovo can't bill you.

You need to take it up with your previous supplier to Ovo why your application to switch to a different supplier was ever blocked.

kabads

Biscuit_Tin wrote: »

I'm sorry, but I'm strugglinmg to understand this and feel at best you are placing the blame on the wrong party.

When you apply to a new supplier, they don't even do anything with your application during the coolling off period (in case, like you, a the customer decides to cancel)

So I don't understand how Ovo could have 'locked' your energy account; any block would have been applied by your energy supplier at the time.

As you then decided to cancel yet the switch went ahead, you should have invoked the erroneous transfer charter. You'd have been best doing this with the then previous supplier, but either way Ovo can't bill you.

You need to take it up with your previous supplier to Ovo why your application to switch to a different supplier was ever blocked.

Ovo convinced me that the switch was irreversible but admitted that it was erroneous. You are right, they didn't do anything with the application until the cooling period had ended - then they processed it, despite me asking them not to (within the closing period). Then, I went ahead thinking that they weren't doing anything (when they clearly were) and tried another supplier. The other supplier said that I had another application in the process with Ovo (they took my meter numbers) and that they couldn't do anything with them - they were the ones that alerted me that Ovo had processed my application - Ovo had sent me nothing.

Since then, it has been a complete nightmare with Ovo trying to get them to talk to each other. The collections department doesn't get informed by the customer services department that there is an ongong dispute over meter readings (they passed on a hugely inflated meter reading to my new supplier) - the collections department are chasing me for the money, even though my meter hasn't got to that reading yet. This has been going on since August and the meter dispute is taking far longer than I would have hoped for.