Ovo Energy to hike prices and remove online discount - MSE News

Former_MSE_Callum

Ovo Energy customers on its standard tariff will see their prices rise by up to £135 a year, after it announced its second hike of the year...

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'Ovo Energy to hike prices and remove online discount'

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Offworld

Do any of these price \ fee \ discount changes apply to anyone on an OVO Fixed deal contract?

Dobbibill

The article says it's for the standard tariff called the 'Simpler Tariff'.

The firm will increase the price of its standard tariff - known as its Simpler Energy tariff - and remove the online discount it offers to customers from Wednesday 17 October.

neilmcl

Offworld wrote: »

Do any of these price \ fee \ discount changes apply to anyone on an OVO Fixed deal contract?

No, because as the name suggests you're tariff charges are "fixed".

Terry98

Offworld wrote: »

Do any of these price \ fee \ discount changes apply to anyone on an OVO Fixed deal contract?

They are replacing the Online Discount scheme with a new Self Service Reward on 1st October.

BarkingMad

Yes, the new online discount.


For dual fuel, if you leave or your tariff ends in the 3rd month of the quarter your discount will be £0 instead of £10 (£5 for the 2 months of the quarter).


It also seems as though if you contact them by any means - you will not get a discount.

[FONT=&quot]14.5[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]How will you apply the Self Service Reward Rules?[/FONT][FONT=&quot] We will apply the rules using our fair discretion at all times.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For example:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]'Self-serve'[/FONT][FONT=&quot] means that you use all online tools available such as My OVO, the OVO Energy app and OVO Help to manage your account instead of contacting us (by any means, including phone, email or social media), unless you want to make a complaint or you have an emergency.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]'Pay on time'[/FONT][FONT=&quot] means that you keep your direct debit active at all times during your contract.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]See OVO Help for more details.[/FONT]

Seems a bit over the top. No more good comments on Twitter. It seems strange that its called an "online" discount and email and social media (which are online services) are excluded from the contact methods.

pooch

BarkingMad wrote: »

Yes, the new online discount.


For dual fuel, if you leave or your tariff ends in the 3rd month of the quarter your discount will be £0 instead of £10 (£5 for the 2 months of the quarter).


It also seems as though if you contact them by any means - you will not get a discount.

[FONT=&quot]14.5[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]How will you apply the Self Service Reward Rules?[/FONT][FONT=&quot] We will apply the rules using our fair discretion at all times.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]For example:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]'Self-serve'[/FONT][FONT=&quot] means that you use all online tools available such as My OVO, the OVO Energy app and OVO Help to manage your account instead of contacting us (by any means, including phone, email or social media), unless you want to make a complaint or you have an emergency.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]'Pay on time'[/FONT][FONT=&quot] means that you keep your direct debit active at all times during your contract.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]See OVO Help for more details.[/FONT]

Seems a bit over the top. No more good comments on Twitter. It seems strange that its called an "online" discount and email and social media (which are online services) are excluded from the contact methods.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/09/ovo-self-serve/

pooch

We used Ovo when they first launched many years ago. (Edit: Actually we took the plunge in 2011, but they seemed to have launched back in 2009)

Were good value, had excellent customer service, and no restrictions on how to contact them.

Left them after one year because they became uncompetitive, and have been ever since for us. .

I did see they offered a cheaper (but still uncompetitive) tariff for only online manangement only, including online customer service. (which typically means they might eventually get around to answering you if/when they ever get a spare 5 mins off the phone)

As mentioned above, looks like they don't want anyone contacting Ovo again.
And they've just made their uncompetitive tariff even more uncompetitive.

Where did it all go wrong for this once promising newcomer to the market?

brewerdave

I was with OVO briefly in 2014 (~ 7 months). I seem to remember that they threatened then to remove the online discounts if you contacted them by phone or email excessively.

I had to contact them a few times over meter reads and tariffs -but they didn't actually remove the discounts.


Not sure whether they would count correcting an over-estimated meter reading as an "emergency"

dales1

These new terms DO apply to fixed-rate tariffs (like mine).

They sent me an email to say so.


My 2 year OVO fix expires near the end of September 2019.
I expected to receive almost £15 credit during that quarter.
After this change to my fix's conditions, I will receive Nothing (unless I take a new OVO fix).


What a swindle !


(PS I got this fix through MSE energy club.
MSE should fix it !!)

Terry98

dales1 wrote: »

(PS I got this fix through MSE energy club.
MSE should fix it !!)

'If you're unhappy with the changes, you can escape without paying its usual exit fees, provided you do so within 30 days of receiving email notification.'

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/09/ovo-self-serve/?_ga=2.218992665.1474173362.1537935909-2058926320.1537935908

However I do not think the Online Discount is included in MSE saving calculations. Most companies are withdrawing or tightening up on these 'perks' now.