Ovo Energy FIT payments for solar panels

Hissyfit71

Also transferred to Ovo. For some reason payments have never been prompt. Also when going through paperwork it seems I was never paid for the initial period after the transfer between 29 July 2022-14 September 2022. Currently with that period and the back log of payments I’m owed over £2000. No response other than we’re too busy to reply automated response. No help from online chat, company need investigating by MSE and regulator. Bunch of cowboys. Will switch once payments have been recovered.

ZYX262524

I was transferred to OVO for my FITS account on the 28/8/2023. I have not received any communications from the company since that date. I keep emailing them with meter readings, and have had no reply. I have phoned them twice, they have told me that my account is on hold and that they will sort it out and contact me. STILL NOTHING. My last FITS payment was in May 2023. I am hitting my head against a brick wall. They are holding my payments and will not respond to any form of communication. What can I do???? MARTIN, PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS COMPANY URGENTLY

JSHarris

You will have some time to wait yet, if my experience is typical.  Ovo are very, very slow to do anything with the FiT obligations they've inherited from SSE, in my experience.  Took them 7 months to make my first payment, now they are paying me about 4 months in arrears.  SSE used to pay within about 2 to 3 weeks of submitting the generation reading, but Ovo's policy is to pay within 3 months of the end of the FiT reading month.  For anyone whose FiT reading quarter started on the first day of that quarter (mine did) then they wait until the end of the first month in that quarter, then start processing payments.  They make the payment 3 months after they start processing them.

Their reason for this is that they say that SSE were paying out FiT payments before they received payment from the government, so were losing money by providing free credit to customers.  Now they are holding on to payments they receive for a few weeks, so the customer is the one bearing the delayed payment cost.  They are compliant with the way the FiT rules are worded, they are just gaming them to their best advantage.

QrizB

If OVO are slow in paying FIT earnings, you could think about switching to a different FIT provider.

Mine is with EON Next (no, not Octopus!) and they have been prompt payers. It arrives in my bank account within a week or two of me submitting my quarterly meter reading.

JSHarris

QrizB said:

If OVO are slow in paying FIT earnings, you could think about switching to a different FIT provider.

Definitely something I'm going to do soon, before the summer generation season.  From my correspondence with Ovo the impression I have is that they are trying to dissuade people from using them as their FiT provider.  They don't really have enough staff to deal with FiTs (and told me this directly - it's their standard reason for not replying for weeks).  I've seen no sign that they are getting any quicker at paying, and from what I've read many others that have been transferred from SSE to Ovo are reporting much the same.  Be good to get back to being paid within a few weeks of submitting a reading.  As I pointed out in one letter to them, they wouldn't accept me choosing not to pay an electricity bill for more than 3 months after a meter reading.

ZYX262524

Thanks for your feedback, my main concern is that they are not even replying to my emails or doing anything when I phone them. I estimate that they owe me around £1000 at the moment and they just keep delaying so that my payments go into the next accounting period. I will definitely be moving my account!!!

vic_sf49

EDF pay me my FIT money. I give a reading quarterly, on the first of the month, I get notification of my payment somewhere between 5-8th, and the money is in my bank two or three days later.

I'm switching the deemed part over to Octopus outgoing (in progress), so that will get paid based on metered readings.

But I'm leaving the other bit with EDF, even though I'm with Octopus for everything else. I like the way EDF do it. 

RayG

I have been battling with OVO regarding their deliberately delaying the payment of FIT amounts. I have complained to be told that OFGEN approve their delaying payments. My last payment was calculated and I was given a statement which says the payment will be made in 4 to 5 weeks from that date. In this day and age this is a ridiculous amount of time. I have complained to OVO and OFGEN OVO said it is company policy approved by the regulators. The regulators OFGEN say it hasn’t given any approval for delayed payments. So no where to go.

QrizB

RayG said:

So no where to go.

There's always their complaints process, then the Ombudsman.

If you'v already been to the Ombudsman, what was the outcome?

PZ19

Interesting article in the Sunday Telegraph today detailing OVO’s cash issues… they on a frantic cost cutting exercise, as they need to hold a lot of cash due to Ofgem rules.  Been few executive changes this week and private equity firm looking to offload its stake.  Definitely a story to keep an eye on