OVO last meter read incorrect

LeeB1985

Hi Everyone,

Back in March 2023 I moved into my new flat. it was on the 28th March to be exact. I had already done my research and found that OVO supplied the property. I quickly sorted out the switch to Shell as I've used them before. 

it took me a while to locate the meters as my letting agency didn't know either which meant i couldn't give shell my first meter reading until mid April. To my surprise OVO have given them a meter read which to me seems a bit fishy. 

The switch completed on the 29th March a day after gaining access to the flat. Shell then took a meter reading on the 31st March which according to OVOs on target reading meant I had used over 305KWH in two days. Best of it I was not properly living in the flat until a week after the 28th. I have already disputed the reading with Shell but OVO denied it. The problem arises when I ask my lettings agent for the readings taken after the last tenant moved out, to my amazement they did not take one.

What can I do about the obvious error in the readings? it works out at Paying over £100 for two days of phantom use energy. 

I'm stuck as I cant get a start meter read as it does not exist.

My thinking is that OVO had been chasing the previous tenant for payment and obviously could not get hold of them. They then reverted to addressing all bill letters for periods before I rented the property to current occupier which now means myself. This meant I could then see what was happening. I've spoken to OVO and all they say is to open an account with them to see if I owe them any of the previous debt. Its totally obvious that I don't, and have the tenancy agreement to back it up. Why would I need to open an account in this way just to possibly have the debt pushed onto me. 

thanks

GingerTim

When you move into a new home you automatically become a customer of the incumbent supplier, and the procedure is that you provide them with a reading taken on the day you move in and open an account. After that you can then initiate a switch away - I fear the confusion here has partially arisen from missing the first step.

[Deleted User]

LeeB1985 said:

Hi Everyone,

Back in March 2023 I moved into my new flat. it was on the 28th March to be exact. I had already done my research and found that OVO supplied the property. I quickly sorted out the switch to Shell as I've used them before. 

it took me a while to locate the meters as my letting agency didn't know either which meant i couldn't give shell my first meter reading until mid April. To my surprise OVO have given them a meter read which to me seems a bit fishy. 

The switch completed on the 29th March a day after gaining access to the flat. Shell then took a meter reading on the 31st March which according to OVOs on target reading meant I had used over 305KWH in two days. Best of it I was not properly living in the flat until a week after the 28th. I have already disputed the reading with Shell but OVO denied it. The problem arises when I ask my lettings agent for the readings taken after the last tenant moved out, to my amazement they did not take one.

What can I do about the obvious error in the readings? it works out at Paying over £100 for two days of phantom use energy. 

I'm stuck as I cant get a start meter read as it does not exist.

My thinking is that OVO had been chasing the previous tenant for payment and obviously could not get hold of them. They then reverted to addressing all bill letters for periods before I rented the property to current occupier which now means myself. This meant I could then see what was happening. I've spoken to OVO and all they say is to open an account with them to see if I owe them any of the previous debt. Its totally obvious that I don't, and have the tenancy agreement to back it up. Why would I need to open an account in this way just to possibly have the debt pushed onto me. 

thanks

You are a bit stuck without evidence of a start meter reading. When a gaining supplier asks for an opening reading it goes through an industry estimate process. Both suppliers then have to use the industry estimate to open and close your accounts.

https://octopus.energy/blog/secret-life-opening-meter-reading/

If the estimated reading is different from the one that you provided you can ask either supplier for an Agreed Readings Disputes subject to the limits below:

Your reading must have a difference of more than 250 electricity units (kWh) for an electricity reading, or a difference of 39 imperial gas units (you'll see ft3 on the meter) or 125 metric gas units (you'll see m3 on the meter) for a gas reading.

LeeB1985

I was asking for the meter location once in the property but to no avail. I then got in touch with the building owners who took a while to get back to me. The meter in question is a smart meter and OVO have debt letters with readings up to a few days before I took possession of the property. This would in a way defeat people having to give physical readings once they move in wouldn't it? I switched before moving in and it completed on the day after I moved in. Am I missing something here or is it not simple to see that unless I was a college or massive business then a 2 bed flat using over 300kwh in two days is a bit off? best of it throughout the months since noticing this I've been pressed to use even close to 150khw in a month. As for opening an account with OVO at the start, I don't agree, I wouldn't have used any of their energy and joining Shell meant I was not switching but just joining and they would sort it out? my argument is ok I might owe OVO for a days energy use of a property I wasn't fully using but to owe £100+ for two days energy is totally wrong. OVO obviously give an incorrect reading as why would it jump by 300kwh ibn two days after Shell read the smart meter?

QrizB

The moment you took possession of the property you became an OVO customer.

If your tenancy commenced on the 28th of March, your relationship with OVO also started then.

If it's a smart meter then OVO should be able to pull a meter reading for that day. This might even be what they have done.

[Deleted User]

LeeB1985 said:

I was asking for the meter location once in the property but to no avail. I then got in touch with the building owners who took a while to get back to me. The meter in question is a smart meter and OVO have debt letters with readings up to a few days before I took possession of the property. This would in a way defeat people having to give physical readings once they move in wouldn't it? I switched before moving in and it completed on the day after I moved in. Am I missing something here or is it not simple to see that unless I was a college or massive business then a 2 bed flat using over 300kwh in two days is a bit off? best of it throughout the months since noticing this I've been pressed to use even close to 150khw in a month. As for opening an account with OVO at the start, I don't agree, I wouldn't have used any of their energy and joining Shell meant I was not switching but just joining and they would sort it out? my argument is ok I might owe OVO for a days energy use of a property I wasn't fully using but to owe £100+ for two days energy is totally wrong. OVO obviously give an incorrect reading as why would it jump by 300kwh ibn two days after Shell read the smart meter?

Yes and no. Are the meters actually working in smart mode? 

Only the designated supplier has access to smart meter readings but it is the new supplier’s metering agent that calculates the switch reading: in your case, Shell not Ovo.  Once the new supplier has taken over the supply, it then has access to your smart meter. Ask for an ARD and suggest that  your supplier pulls the meter reading for the first day that it was on supply. Smart meters retain import data for 13 months.

wakeupalarm

LeeB1985 said:

I've spoken to OVO and all they say is to open an account with them to see if I owe them any of the previous debt. Its totally obvious that I don't, and have the tenancy agreement to back it up. Why would I need to open an account in this way just to possibly have the debt pushed onto me. 

As for opening an account with OVO at the start, I don't agree, I wouldn't have used any of their energy and joining Shell meant I was not switching but just joining and they would sort it out? my argument is ok I might owe OVO for a days energy use of a property I wasn't fully using but to owe £100+ for two days energy is totally wrong. 

It will only end in tears.

[Deleted User]

Hi.

LeeB1985 said:

Hi Everyone,

Back in March 2023 I moved into my new flat. it was on the 28th March to be exact. I had already done my research and found that OVO supplied the property. I quickly sorted out the switch to Shell as I've used them before.

it doesn't work like that 'quickly', as already said you contact the previous supplier to the property, once registered, then you can switch.

LeeB1985

if that were the case how did the switch happen if I needed to register?

LeeB1985

Dolor said:

LeeB1985 said:

I was asking for the meter location once in the property but to no avail. I then got in touch with the building owners who took a while to get back to me. The meter in question is a smart meter and OVO have debt letters with readings up to a few days before I took possession of the property. This would in a way defeat people having to give physical readings once they move in wouldn't it? I switched before moving in and it completed on the day after I moved in. Am I missing something here or is it not simple to see that unless I was a college or massive business then a 2 bed flat using over 300kwh in two days is a bit off? best of it throughout the months since noticing this I've been pressed to use even close to 150khw in a month. As for opening an account with OVO at the start, I don't agree, I wouldn't have used any of their energy and joining Shell meant I was not switching but just joining and they would sort it out? my argument is ok I might owe OVO for a days energy use of a property I wasn't fully using but to owe £100+ for two days energy is totally wrong. OVO obviously give an incorrect reading as why would it jump by 300kwh ibn two days after Shell read the smart meter?

Yes and no. Are the meters actually working in smart mode? 

Only the designated supplier has access to smart meter readings but it is the new supplier’s metering agent that calculates the switch reading: in your case, Shell not Ovo.  Once the new supplier has taken over the supply, it then has access to your smart meter. Ask for an ARD and suggest that  your supplier pulls the meter reading for the first day that it was on supply. Smart meters retain import data for 13 months.

I will check, Shell had access to the meter on the 31st so only 4 days after moving in and took a reading. So in my eyes that reading is the closest match to the actual move in reading surely? OVO said reading was roughly 7300 whilst Shell saw it on the 31st at 7515.

LeeB1985

wakeupalarm said:

LeeB1985 said:

I've spoken to OVO and all they say is to open an account with them to see if I owe them any of the previous debt. Its totally obvious that I don't, and have the tenancy agreement to back it up. Why would I need to open an account in this way just to possibly have the debt pushed onto me. 

As for opening an account with OVO at the start, I don't agree, I wouldn't have used any of their energy and joining Shell meant I was not switching but just joining and they would sort it out? my argument is ok I might owe OVO for a days energy use of a property I wasn't fully using but to owe £100+ for two days energy is totally wrong. 

It will only end in tears.

ha ha thanks for that :P