Ovo Energy IT issues - incorrect billing

pauline1966

I have just found out that since June last year (excluding November and December) Ovo Energy have not been charging me for electricity usage. I did keep an eye on my bills online and they tallied up with the paper bills I received each month but to be honest I did not notice I was only being charged the standing charge for electricity and nothing for usage - I only checked the bottom line. In February this year we were sitting with well over £500 in credit. I then received a bill saying we were over £350 in debit. I called them to query this and was advised that there had been an IT issue and that we were billed incorrectly for 10 months. Now when I look online all of the incorrect bills have been altered and now show usage charges for each of the months. So far I have rejected their offers of £25, and £50 for inconvenience and am about to refuse their latest offer of £75 as I have just found out about the Energy back billing rule which says I cant be charged for energy incorrectly billed over 12 months ago. Looking at my June bill - that alone is £118.  The amount they are charging for the missing months is £1200. Can anyone advise if there is anything else I can do and how do I know that they are charging me the correct amount. many thanks in advance

[Deleted User]

Just to be clear, if the Back Billing regulations are applied then the write off would be from the date that Ovo billed you correctly minus a year. For example, if the bill was raised today, then you would expect to be billed for the period 13 Jul 2020 through until 12 Jul 2021. 

Billing prior to this should be written off. That said, from what you say, Ovo has billed you correct for the standing charge so reasonably you cannot expect them to write this off. You also need to take into account that as you have been paying by direct debit these payments will also be taken into account. The aim of the Backbilling Code is to avoid bill shock - not compensate customers for poor customer service.

My advice: take the £75. I doubt that The EO would offer more if you escalated the complaint.

JJ_Egan

(ow do I know that they are charging me the correct amount. )

Your meter readings  that you gave OVO monthly .

pauline1966

Hi thanks so much so far, I didn't give them monthly readings as I have a smart meter. Their last correspondence said that if I wasn't happy with the £75 offered I can tell them what I would be happy with. 

MWT

pauline1966 said:

In February this year we were sitting with well over £500 in credit. I then received a bill saying we were over £350 in debit. I called them to query this and was advised that there had been an IT issue and that we were billed incorrectly for 10 months. Now when I look online all of the incorrect bills have been altered and now show usage charges for each of the months. So far I have rejected their offers of £25, and £50 for inconvenience and am about to refuse their latest offer of £75 as I have just found out about the Energy back billing rule which says I cant be charged for energy incorrectly billed over 12 months ago.

Not sure how you think the back-billing rules are going to help as it seems they corrected the problem within 12 months of the first incorrect bill...?

pauline1966

Hi, new bills were issued on 5 July so I'm hoping June would be written off. 

MWT

Assuming that 5th July was the earliest point at which they told you there had been a problem, the most you could expect to get written off is the difference between your actual June bill and the amount covered by the DD that you paid that month.

Odds are you'd get more by accepting the £75 they have offered...

The rules are not there to let you avoid paying for what you have used, they are there to cushion you from 'bill shock', but the Ombudsman considers that your DD is a payment, so it is only the additional amount above that which they consider should not be billed, the Ombudsman does not consider the loss of a credit you thought you had built up as a 'shock'...

Gerry1

MWT said:

The rules are not there to let you avoid paying for what you have used, they are there to cushion you from 'bill shock', but the Ombudsman considers that your DD is a payment, so it is only the additional amount above that which they consider should not be billed, the Ombudsman does not consider the loss of a credit you thought you had built up as a 'shock'...

Here's the relevant 'case law' which also happens to relate to Ovo.

Pauline won't win with back billing, but she has a good chance of asking for and getting £100.