Vulnerable neighbour charged £1154 for gas by SSE

Hargreaves1910

Well after I emailed a formal complaint I eventually received an acknowledgment just before Christmas. In the same email I was informed the account had now transferred to OVO, how convenient. Ovo have continued the tradition of entering fictitious readings on the account so I have also sent a formal complaint to them with another photo of the correct meter reading. Despite two emails there is still no response, what an absolute joke.

Their latest figures show he is £4000 in debt but their estimated reading is 2574 units over actual!

Mstty

Whatever you do make sure you keep a photo of the meter reading as close to when SSE account was switched to OVO.

Same with any readings supplied to OVO. Did they at least get a start reading from you on behalf of your neighbour to reconcile with SSE?

Gerry1

As your compliant was made on 22 November you can complain to the Ombudsman now.

SSE customer service was so bad that they agreed with Ofgem that complaints could be submitted to the Ombudsman after six weeks rather than the usual eight.

Hargreaves1910

This has now been going on for nine months and I have got absolutely nowhere. It is a disgrace, no matter what I try no one seems to be interested. I tried to complain to the ombudsman but they said they couldn't act because I am not the customer.

I am at my wits end and wish this whole thing would just go away. I have never known such incompetence, it is truly staggering. In a perverse way if I had just left him paying his £1000 bills none of this would be my problem. One slight light at the end of a ridiculously long tunnel is I have two phone numbers, one for Citizens Advice Energy Team and one for some one at the Ombudsman. All other options are very firmly shut!

OVO have carried on just where SSE left off, one estimated reading after another, they now say this poor gent owes £6000 plus in bills. I am seething but nearly every avenue of complaint or resolution is closed. I have sent a dozen emails complaining and half a dozen photos of the meter with dates and correct readings. All I get back are standard emails each one from a supposedly different person saying they will investigate, then nothing, unless I send another complaint and round we go again.

I will try the two phone numbers for Citizens Advice and the Ombudsman and if that gets nowhere I will wash my hands of it and leave it up to them. This is seriously stressing me out but I have my life to live as well.

brock_the_badger

Have you tried your local MP ? Sorting a problem like this is what they are paid for, hinting at contacting the press if they do not act usually gets things moving !

elsien

They are correct in that they can’t accept a complaint from you because you are not the customer. But there’s nothing to stop you from writing the complaint for him in his name and him signing and sending it. 

Has he had the letter telling him it’s eight weeks after the start of his complaint from the energy company yet? He needs that to go to the ombudsman.

GingerTim

Perhaps try the consumer champions team at The Guardian (consumer.champions@theguardian.com)

Here's a recent example of where they got SSE/OVO moving 

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/feb/20/im-disabled-and-sse-energy-left-me-without-central-heating-for-a-year

funny.money

GingerTim said:

Perhaps try the consumer champions team at The Guardian (consumer.champions@theguardian.com)

Here's a recent example of where they got SSE/OVO moving 

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/feb/20/im-disabled-and-sse-energy-left-me-without-central-heating-for-a-year

Perhaps you could just attach a link to this thread,  rather than you having to go through everything again. 

MikeJXE

Hargreaves1910 said:

This has now been going on for nine months and I have got absolutely nowhere. It is a disgrace, no matter what I try no one seems to be interested. I tried to complain to the ombudsman but they said they couldn't act because I am not the customer.

I am at my wits end and wish this whole thing would just go away. I have never known such incompetence, it is truly staggering. In a perverse way if I had just left him paying his £1000 bills none of this would be my problem. One slight light at the end of a ridiculously long tunnel is I have two phone numbers, one for Citizens Advice Energy Team and one for some one at the Ombudsman. All other options are very firmly shut!

OVO have carried on just where SSE left off, one estimated reading after another, they now say this poor gent owes £6000 plus in bills. I am seething but nearly every avenue of complaint or resolution is closed. I have sent a dozen emails complaining and half a dozen photos of the meter with dates and correct readings. All I get back are standard emails each one from a supposedly different person saying they will investigate, then nothing, unless I send another complaint and round we go again.

I will try the two phone numbers for Citizens Advice and the Ombudsman and if that gets nowhere I will wash my hands of it and leave it up to them. This is seriously stressing me out but I have my life to live as well.

At your wits end or not 

You have done right by the old guy and somehow/sometime you will be rewarded 

What goes around comes around works both ways 

Well done you, I applaud you 

Hargreaves1910

At long last I got through to a real live person at the Energy Ombudsman! I spoke via their chat option to a lovely understanding man who advised me of the correct options to take. He advised me to get my friend to write out a short note allowing me to represent him to the ombudsman and that will open the necessary doors. We did that yesterday and I forwarded a photo of it.

I now have a case number and have uploaded the photos I took of the meter that I forwarded previously to OVO. I uploaded another meter reading yesterday and immediately a message popped up "Oops! Are you sure this reading is correct?" to which I clicked yes it is correct. Their reply was "We are investigating". Tonight I will upload copies of all the emails I have sent to OVO trying to get some action. I might start sending meter readings every week to see if it will wake them up. Either way the complaint is now with the ombudsman and progressing.

Thanks to everyone for the help and encouragement you have all given me.