Anyone else having a problem with OVO billing / Being Cut Off Randomly When Phoning? October 2022

fiscoking

Hi,

I was switched from SSE to OVO about 4 months ago. They've made a complete dogs dinner of the billing.

I provide meter readings every month and the printed bills that come through don't use the readings, but estimated ones instead  - way over estimated.

You try and call (0800 012 1232 - that's the freephone) and get cut off randomly. I'm not joking here. It takes 3 or 4 attempts to speak to someone. You spend hours in a queue on the phone to get to this stage. Thank heavens I found an 0800 number.

When you do get through the agents don't seem to have any authority to do anything other than put a note on your file.

The solution to any billing problem seems to be to try and book you in for a smart meter.....

Watch Out: They're now retrospectively changing the meter reading figures on previously paid bills..... lowering the meter figures - which has the impact of increasing usage on later bills. I have the printed bills to prove this as I still pay cash over the counter, but the agents seem clueless on how to fix it. Their computer bills for previous months are different to my printed ones. I'm not making this up.

Emailing with evidence just generates a CS telephone call, and you have to run though it all again.

I've been in this position before with other suppliers. The only solution is to send in a written complaint (recorded delivery) with every bill. Pay the bill. Do that 3 times to show you've given the supplier a reasonable chance to sort it out, then sue them in the small claims court for the money they owe, offering your letters & bills as evidence. At that point they put someone with a brain on the problem and it get resolved.

The 'other route' which involves the ombudsman takes too long. You'll either be 1000's out of pocket by the time they make a decision (waiting for deadlock letters, waiting to have your case reviewed etc..), or you'll end up with defaults on your credit file because you refused to pay an incorrect bill.

It's a shame it's got to this stage. You wonder why we have an Energy Ombudsman.

If anyone knows of a better method, please let me know.

Regards.

Jonboy_1984

I went through the move last year in my old property. what I did find is they ask for a meter reading and then estimate to take it up to midnight in the last day of the billing period, unlike SSE that just billed to the reading.

I then moved house and had a massive issue with SSE, firstly getting the existing prepayment meters working correctly and then moving over to credit billing. It took many hours on hold and many phone calls to resolve.

i googled the ovo CEO email address and sent a detailed, factual complaint about the time on hold and detailing everything that had gone wrong on their side frustrated me. They took a few days to get in touch, but someone took ownership of the issues and then provided a fair level of compensation for the hours wasted on the phone.

[Deleted User]

In the same comment, the OP appears to be complaining that they are using estimated bills based on readings that are too high, and also that they revise the estimates downwards when they recalculate based on actual?

Or have I misread the complaint?

fiscoking

Deleted_User said:

In the same comment, the OP appears to be complaining that they are using estimated bills based on readings that are too high, and also that they revise the estimates downwards when they recalculate based on actual?

Or have I misread the complaint?

The readings I'm giving are correct. I even take the reading on the billing date, and make sure the operator knows the reading is for xx of the month. When the bill arrives, the closing reading I've given is noted on the bill, but next to it is an estimated closing reading that is much higher - for the same day - the billing day..It's almost like they just don't believe the readings I'm giving.

The opening readings are also wrong for gas and electricity. They're less than the closing reading of the last paid bill...and when I ask how this can be, I'm presented with readings for the last bill that are different to the details on the same printed bill that I took down to bank to pay. If I hadn't saved the printed bill, I would have no evidence that they're making it up.

That's right, they're changing the details on a fully paid up historical bill, with opening, closing readings and amounts in GBP.

This has the effect of making the opening reading on a newer bill incorrect, which means the calculation is wrong (larger, as they're reducing the closing reading on older bills).

Not to worry. I have printed copies of all bills. Another month and I can go to court.

I just wondered if this was happening to anyone else.

[Deleted User]

Much more understandable explanation (at least to me), thanks.

Jonboy_1984

When they migrated me the timeline was as follows:

Monday submitted reading to SSE as normal.
Thursday opening bill appeared on both SSE as bill and OVO as migrated balance, ignoring reading and under-estimated by 30%.
Thursday to Monday tried updating reading but OVO website wouldn’t accept and SSE website said account has migrated, get lost
Monday pay estimated bill.

Following month estimated bill raised on OVO readings not accepted. Paid and sent complaint.

2 weeks later OVO website accepts meter reading.
1 day later updated bill shows in SSE portal.
1 week later updated SSE balance shows in OVO portal, accurate to within £1 of my calculations.
email compliant responded to.
paid balance up to date and was correct going forward.

Everything worked out ok it was just frustrating they ignored the first meter reading which was given when SSE had requested it….

Xinyue

fiscoking said:

Hi,

I was switched from SSE to OVO about 4 months ago. They've made a complete dogs dinner of the billing.

I provide meter readings every month and the printed bills that come through don't use the readings, but estimated ones instead  - way over estimated.

You try and call (0800 012 1232 - that's the freephone) and get cut off randomly. I'm not joking here. It takes 3 or 4 attempts to speak to someone. You spend hours in a queue on the phone to get to this stage. Thank heavens I found an 0800 number.

When you do get through the agents don't seem to have any authority to do anything other than put a note on your file.

The solution to any billing problem seems to be to try and book you in for a smart meter.....

Watch Out: They're now retrospectively changing the meter reading figures on previously paid bills..... lowering the meter figures - which has the impact of increasing usage on later bills. I have the printed bills to prove this as I still pay cash over the counter, but the agents seem clueless on how to fix it. Their computer bills for previous months are different to my printed ones. I'm not making this up.

Emailing with evidence just generates a CS telephone call, and you have to run though it all again.

I've been in this position before with other suppliers. The only solution is to send in a written complaint (recorded delivery) with every bill. Pay the bill. Do that 3 times to show you've given the supplier a reasonable chance to sort it out, then sue them in the small claims court for the money they owe, offering your letters & bills as evidence. At that point they put someone with a brain on the problem and it get resolved.

The 'other route' which involves the ombudsman takes too long. You'll either be 1000's out of pocket by the time they make a decision (waiting for deadlock letters, waiting to have your case reviewed etc..), or you'll end up with defaults on your credit file because you refused to pay an incorrect bill.

It's a shame it's got to this stage. You wonder why we have an Energy Ombudsman.

If anyone knows of a better method, please let me know.

Regards.

This is exactly what happened to me as well. SSE messed up with the meter reading and OVO refused to solve the problem. All the people I emailed or spoke with seem don't have brains. They cannot understand what I am talking about. The only solution they gave was to install a smart meter reading. So the wrong bill stays wrong and no refund for that. Have you sorted out this problem? How do we sue OVO?

[Deleted User]

Xinyue said:

fiscoking said:

Hi,

I was switched from SSE to OVO about 4 months ago. They've made a complete dogs dinner of the billing.

I provide meter readings every month and the printed bills that come through don't use the readings, but estimated ones instead  - way over estimated.

You try and call (0800 012 1232 - that's the freephone) and get cut off randomly. I'm not joking here. It takes 3 or 4 attempts to speak to someone. You spend hours in a queue on the phone to get to this stage. Thank heavens I found an 0800 number.

When you do get through the agents don't seem to have any authority to do anything other than put a note on your file.

The solution to any billing problem seems to be to try and book you in for a smart meter.....

Watch Out: They're now retrospectively changing the meter reading figures on previously paid bills..... lowering the meter figures - which has the impact of increasing usage on later bills. I have the printed bills to prove this as I still pay cash over the counter, but the agents seem clueless on how to fix it. Their computer bills for previous months are different to my printed ones. I'm not making this up.

Emailing with evidence just generates a CS telephone call, and you have to run though it all again.

I've been in this position before with other suppliers. The only solution is to send in a written complaint (recorded delivery) with every bill. Pay the bill. Do that 3 times to show you've given the supplier a reasonable chance to sort it out, then sue them in the small claims court for the money they owe, offering your letters & bills as evidence. At that point they put someone with a brain on the problem and it get resolved.

The 'other route' which involves the ombudsman takes too long. You'll either be 1000's out of pocket by the time they make a decision (waiting for deadlock letters, waiting to have your case reviewed etc..), or you'll end up with defaults on your credit file because you refused to pay an incorrect bill.

It's a shame it's got to this stage. You wonder why we have an Energy Ombudsman.

If anyone knows of a better method, please let me know.

Regards.

This is exactly what happened to me as well. SSE messed up with the meter reading and OVO refused to solve the problem. All the people I emailed or spoke with seem don't have brains. They cannot understand what I am talking about. The only solution they gave was to install a smart meter reading. So the wrong bill stays wrong and no refund for that. Have you sorted out this problem? How do we sue OVO?

A sensible person follows the supplier’s complaints procedure and does so in writing to provide an audit trail. After 8 weeks, or a Deadlock Letter, if you are still not happy you can escalate your complaint to The Energy Ombudsman. The Energy Ombudsman’s Decidion is binding on a supplier. 

If you can prove that you have been disadvantaged by a given amount in £s, then you can go to straight to a Small Claims Court. That said, is often better to have an Energy Ombudsman’s Decision in your favour before you do so.

ArbitraryRandom

I would recommend corresponding by email - to maintain an audit trail (especially if you have a history of taking things to small claims given emails are much easier and more reliable to use as evidence than recordings/call transcripts or account notes).

If you are finding that they respond to emails with (unwanted) phone calls then you have two options - withdraw their permission to contact you via phone (in your account preferences), or change your account telephone number to a fake one (in both cases you should note in your email that you wish a written/email response, not a phone call).  

I would also suggest you submit your meter readings online (you can see your bill update within about 15 minutes with your reading), and if you feel the need to send them directly - email a picture of the meter (again so you have a record of both the reading and when it was provided).