OVO Energy Prepayment Meter Outstanding Payments

SuperGasRacer

Hi everyone, 

I am after some advice and possibly opinions of what to make of this situation I find myself in.

Moved into a property coming up to two years ago with a ‘dumb’ prepayment meter. Simple key that you take to a pay point and top up. I actually liked it, as I live alone and it’s never been too much trouble. Last year in August, my SSE electricity account seemed to get transferred over along with my SSE Gas account to OVO Energy. Nothing changed, my Gas account was on a direct debit, that all changed fine and as for the electricity, I didn’t get anything like a new key, just carried on topping up as and when I needed to. 

Now my top up habits are pretty much, put £100 on the key, use it until it’s down to about £20, then do the same again. At no point since I’ve been there has anyone asked for a meter reading or have I been able to submit one. 

I just topped up last week or the week before with another £100 as I dipped below £20. All going well, amount goes in happy days. 

Today I receive an email from OVO stating I have an outstanding balance to pay in the region of £281.98 for energy used since last August. Apparently my meter was possibly in Non-disconnect mode while using electricity and I moved over, there was also apparently a period where I didn’t top up for over a month, this happens regularly as I top up about £100 and it lasts me a good few months. These where the reasons given on the phone to me for why I have an outstanding amount, neither of which really explain it. They apparently know how much electricity I have used over certain period from estimated ways, even though no one has ever taken a meter reading (the meter is in my property) and I have no way of submitting a meter reading.

So my question to the group, has anyone come across this before? How can they possibly say I owe them more when my key has constantly been in credit? They also state that when I moved from SSE to OVO there was already an outstanding balance on the account even though no one mentioned this? 

Help?