OVO Energy - Appalling Treatment

[Deleted User]

CSI_Yorkshire said:

Dolor said:

CSI_Yorkshire said:

Dolor said:

CSI_Yorkshire said:

Qyburn said:

CSI_Yorkshire said:

That's the bit to focus on, although exit readings from previous occupiers aren't a thing -  

Whenever we've moved the supplier has asked for an exit reading, and it made sense to provide it so there's no question of paying for the next occupier's electricity. 

There's no harm in them, but the change of occupier process doesn't use them as far as I am aware, even as a check or backup. It's driven by the incoming occupier, which is why it gets messed up when people don't give one or try and switch before moving.

Suppliers are required under Licence Conditions to use any meter reading provided to it by a customer. My wife and I have moved home 23 times and on each occasion we have provided an exit meter reading. We have always received a Final Bill a couple of days later.

And then when there's an opening read from the incoming occupier, the final bill gets re-issued with a different charge.  Might not have happened to you, but it frequently does.  So your exit meter reading often doesn't matter at all - it's just creating an interim bill that might or might not get changed.

I agree that suppliers have the right to change Final Bills. What I am contesting is the claim that the change of occupancy process doesn’t use a reading provided by the outgoing owner/tenant. I have never had a revised Final Bill. 

You frequently describe the change of occupancy process here.  I might be remembering it wrong, but I don't recall a lot of emphasis on exit readings in the description.

I have had a revised Final Bill on nearly 50% of my house moves.  But as we both know, personal experience is really just anecdotes.

I haven’t a clue what you are talking about. Most supplier websites have something like this about moving home:

‘If you decide not to take us with you, that’s cool, but we'll be sad to see you go. Just drop us an email with the details below and we'll close your account:

1. Your move out date
2. Closing meter readings
3. The name and contact details of the new person moving into your property, if possible

You can expect a final bill 7-10 days after you’ve moved out.’

Problems occur when someone doesn’t provide a meter reading when moving out. The new occupant then finds him/herself in a dispute when the first bill arrives and they end up be billed for energy used by the previous occupier. 

That said, I always leave the new occupier with details of the meter readings that I provided to the supplier on moving out. I would never let an agent get involved in the process.