Direct Debit Increase BUT in credit

EnergyDespair

I moved in March so since then have had a direct debit with Ovo Energy. My highest usage month was £33, my Direct Debit is £51 (already after much arguing, it was £90). I am currently £91 in credit with them. They want to increase my Direct Debit to £65 a month. Even with the coming price increases, I don't want to do this as my usage is clearly low and if it does increase to over the amount I pay, I think they should take it from the credit. However, apparently the credit is only used if I have issues paying. So I want to cancel my DD and they can take next month's from the credit. That will ruin my credit score! They have agreed to £54 a month DD but I'm still annoyed that I'm overpaying while already in credit.

They said I will get the credit back at the end of my contract.

Is there any solution? Can I get them to return that £90 to me now? I find it unfair that they are holding my money hostage while increasing my monthly amount when it's not necessary.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

lisyloo

Ask if you can go onto variable direct debit.
this way you’ll get the discount but just pay your bills.
warning - they will be higher over winter.

can you post your annual usage, standing charge and unit rate from October?

TheMilkmansDad

are your DD's based on bills issued with actual meter reads?

as a general rule over the summer (low usage months) you should build u pa credit of perhaps 2 or 3 times the DD amount to cover winter (high usage months). so probably not a good idea asking for the credit back.

[Deleted User]

lisyloo said:

Ask if you can go onto variable direct debit.
this way you’ll get the discount but just pay your bills.
warning - they will be higher over winter.

can you post your annual usage, standing charge and unit rate from October?

I did this with EDF as the DD was getting silly with what they were asking for. Just means I can do my own budgeting and the money is resting in my account and not in theirs for 6 months earning them interest. The tariff and rates and still the same.

[Deleted User]

A few facts based on Ofgem’s typical consumer.

If in October 2021, I purchased X kWh of energy for £100 then the same X kWh will cost me £195 next week: a 95% increase in cost.

Before people decide to pay by variable DD (with very big payments due over the Winter months), it is worth sitting down and calculating an annual cost based on 12 month’s worth of energy used (kWh).

EssexHebridean

Who has told you that cancelling your Direct Debit will "ruin your credit score"? (Yes, to any DFW'ers reading here, I know that Credit Score is a made up construct anyway!) 

If switching to variable DD (although having said that I have a vague recollection that OVO might not offer this?) then for goodness sake make sure you budget properly for your energy costs - especially allowing that it appears that you haven't actually been through a winter in your current property as yet. 

pochase

EssexHebridean said:

Who has told you that cancelling your Direct Debit will "ruin your credit score"? (Yes, to any DFW'ers reading here, I know that Credit Score is a made up construct anyway!) 

If switching to variable DD (although having said that I have a vague recollection that OVO might not offer this?) then for goodness sake make sure you budget properly for your energy costs - especially allowing that it appears that you haven't actually been through a winter in your current property as yet. 

Correct, Ovo are not offering variable direct debit and are now even removing it for former SSE customers.

@EnergyDespair
You are not mentioning what you use for heating? Gas, Electricity or something else?

What was your usage for gas (if applicable) and electricity for the last 12 month?