OVO - Would you expect a meter reading in these circumstances?

thenudeone

My parents are completing the sale of their house shortly. They have already moved out into sheltered accommodation, and the house is unoccupied, unfurnished, and completely empty.

OVO have refused to read the meter around the date of the sale by either collecting keys from the estate agent or using keys held in an external key safe at the property.

Why won't they read the meter under these circumstances?

If they don't trust their meter reading contractors, why are they putting them into people's houses?

There is less likely to be an allegation made against their contractors in these circumstances than if they read the meter in an an occupied house with someone present, IMO

System

Energy companies do not read meters on the change of house occupancy. To protect your parents, someone needs to read the meters on the day of legal completion. When these Meter readings are passed to OVO, they will raise a final bill. The new owner/occupier will be on a Deemed Contract with OVO from the date of legal completion with the closing meter readings as their starting reads.

Personally, having moved house many times, I would leave a copy of the meter readings in the house and take a photo of the meters to avoid any future arguments. Sadly, arguments happen occasionally if the new occupier fails to contact the energy company when they move in.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

If the sale hasn't completed, you therefore still have access, so go and read the meters yourself?

Energy companies only have to read the meters once every 2 years, and have neither the inclination nor the resources to do it much more often than that.

lvf

As above, take the reads yourself, and also photos if possible. As mentioned, the resources can get quite stretched so a change of tenancy account is not a justifiable reason to have a special read organised.

OVO will take the reads from you and use these as the closing reads. Providing you have photographic evidence of these reads, there cannot be any dispute if the landlord/estate agent tries to give higher reads to make you/your parents pay more.

rgtr

OVO have cut their costs by asking the customer to read their meters as and when.

you get further discounts for ding it all on line, and even more by agreeing not to telephone them.

utility warehouse are NOT to be recommended - AVOID at all costs. as a landlord one reads the meters on exit. then they demand £200 deposit or they will put in prepayment meters - thats plain bullying. tyhen they read the meters [correctly] and then make ludicrous "estimates" and the bill FAILS to state the tariff. when one applies corrected readings less the dual fuel discount they owe me money ...

asked for a tariff and they send one which is DIFFERENT and higher to the one used in their erroneous bill .... of course this shower are n-power in disguise i think. NO their web site does NOT publish tariffs.

had hassle with british gas, and with others. the ONLY straight form is OVO.

get with them.

System

rgtr wrote: »

OVO have cut their costs by asking the customer to read their meters as and when.

Not entirely true. OFGEM regulations only require energy suppliers (with the exception of BG) to read meters (usually linked to a meter inspection) at least once every two years. Between times, suppliers set their own rules. Ovo offers monthly statements or, if the customer prefers, statements on demand at least two weeks apart. For statements on demand, the meter must be read by the customer at least once every 90 days.

FWiW, I have been with OVO for 8 months and my electricity meter was inspected yesterday, and gas meter inspected today.

thenudeone

Unfortunately I am some distance away so reading them myself isn't feasible.
I have asked whether the estate agent can take readings.

I had understood (perhaps wronglky) that utility companies HAD to read meters when they have been given reasonable notice of a forthcoming change of occupation.

Otherwise how can they possibly take court action to recover any outstanding bills, when the only evidence they have of the usage comes from someone (i.e. the new householder) who has a vested interest in giving an inflated reading for the outgoing householder?

System

They have their ways. Let's say the new occupier added 2000 kWhs of electric usage to the meter readings that he gave to OVO. Assuming OVO didn't smell a rat at this stage, they would raise a final bill based on the given readings. Your parents would cry 'foul' and a re-assessment based on past usage patterns would be made. All this hassle can be prevented if the outgoing and incoming occupiers pass on accurate meter readings. Come what may, the energy company will pursue one or both parties for payment given that the energy has been consumed as shown by the meter readings.