OVO Reopended My Account

djc599

Hello!

OVO energy closed my account when I moved out of a property and then reopened it the same day and are billing me for it.

They are an absolute nightmare to contact or communicate with and I've had about five different responses ranging from its been closed to we can't close it until you've sent us proof you no longer live there.

My tenancy agreement for current property didn't start from the move out date so that isn't considered proof.

I don't live there and not sure how to convince these people.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Many thanks 

t0rt0ise

You can't prove that you don't live there, you can only prove where you do live. As long as you informed them that you were moving out, they have all the information they need. Open a formal complaint.

grn99

Hopefully you took a meter reading(s) and ideally a photo of the meter read(s) on the day you moved out and the account was fully settled or has been since. If it was me and they weren't coming up with a sensible answer as to why or, just closing the account then I'd e-mail a formal complaint and cc in their CEO stephen.fitzpatrick@ovoenergy.com so his office is aware. That at least gets the ball rolling and the clock ticking on the complaint.

QrizB

A quick clarification, please:

djc599 said:

OVO energy closed my account when I moved out of a property and then reopened it the same day and are billing me for it.
My tenancy agreement for current property didn't start from the move out date so that isn't considered proof.

You talk about the day you moved out. Is that also the day your tenancy ended, and the property reverted to the landlord / agent / new tenant? Or did you move out prior to your tenancy ending?

djc599

QrizB said:

A quick clarification, please:

djc599 said:

OVO energy closed my account when I moved out of a property and then reopened it the same day and are billing me for it.
My tenancy agreement for current property didn't start from the move out date so that isn't considered proof.

You talk about the day you moved out. Is that also the day your tenancy ended, and the property reverted to the landlord / agent / new tenant? Or did you move out prior to your tenancy ending?

This was the day I moved out and my tenancy ended. I have contacted the agency and awaiting a response from them.

djc599

Hello!

UPDATE:

Having opened a formal complaint and it being 'acknowledged' by Stephen Fitzpatrick's team, I have had the following update.

They have asked me for proof I do not live there. I provided them with proof of payment and they rejected it, saying that it needed to be a screenshot of the bank statement showing the amount of the final bill. I'm not sure why they can't see who made the payment at their end? Anyway sent them that. They also rejected by checkout report as it does not show my name... so I sent them the email I was sent by the office the day after we moved out stating that the checkout had now been completed. However, they are also querying this as it does not state my name, however it was sent to my email address.

I can prove I like elsewhere of course, but I didn't move into this property until recently and was in temporary accommodation until then.

I just really dislike the way they've taken my complaint and opened an investigation into essentially making me prove I don't live somewhere. My complaint is about how they've continued to harass me since.

I'm being made to feel like I'm not doing enough to clear my name!

I am so frustrated I tried the energy ombudsman and they advised me to ask for a deadlock letter. This request was ignored..

Shall I just wait and see? They can't actually make me pay for somewhere I haven't lived....? Surely the owner of the property knows who lives there??

Thank you so much

dunstonh

I just really dislike the way they've taken my complaint and opened an investigation into essentially making me prove I don't live somewhere. My complaint is about how they've continued to harass me since.

You have raised a complaint that is effectively asking them to investigate the issues.  For them to get to the bottom of it, they need to run questions and get evidence from you as well.

I'm being made to feel like I'm not doing enough to clear my name!

When you left the property, did you contact them to give them your final meter readings?      How they are acting suggests you didn't or there is a significant difference in the readings you gave vs the readings the landlord would have used.

djc599

dunstonh said:

I just really dislike the way they've taken my complaint and opened an investigation into essentially making me prove I don't live somewhere. My complaint is about how they've continued to harass me since.

You have raised a complaint that is effectively asking them to investigate the issues.  For them to get to the bottom of it, they need to run questions and get evidence from you as well.

I'm being made to feel like I'm not doing enough to clear my name!

When you left the property, did you contact them to give them your final meter readings?      How they are acting suggests you didn't or there is a significant difference in the readings you gave vs the readings the landlord would have used.

I'm just frustrated as I think they are making this more difficult that it needs to be. They are an energy company and they must know who owns the property. That person will know who lives there?

Yes I did give them readings. And I paid the final bill. And I received confirmation of this. The communication is worded such that I have not sufficiently satisfied their demands. But I do not live there.

Am I over-simplifying this? 

Thank you for your response.

MikeJXE

I know the feeling, I'm with OVO wrote to CEO recorded letter, emails to customer services. No replies that was a month ago 

[Deleted User]

djc599 said:

dunstonh said:

I just really dislike the way they've taken my complaint and opened an investigation into essentially making me prove I don't live somewhere. My complaint is about how they've continued to harass me since.

You have raised a complaint that is effectively asking them to investigate the issues.  For them to get to the bottom of it, they need to run questions and get evidence from you as well.

I'm being made to feel like I'm not doing enough to clear my name!

When you left the property, did you contact them to give them your final meter readings?      How they are acting suggests you didn't or there is a significant difference in the readings you gave vs the readings the landlord would have used.

I'm just frustrated as I think they are making this more difficult that it needs to be. They are an energy company and they must know who owns the property. That person will know who lives there?

Yes I did give them readings. And I paid the final bill. And I received confirmation of this. The communication is worded such that I have not sufficiently satisfied their demands. But I do not live there.

Am I over-simplifying this? 

Thank you for your response.

Why should an energy company know who owns a property?  They deliver a service there, nothing more.

djc599

MikeJXE said:

I know the feeling, I'm with OVO wrote to CEO recorded letter, emails to customer services. No replies that was a month ago 

They literally don't stop.