OVO Energy debt PAYG meter

Chezzabelle2017

I am looking for some advice, ovo took over from SSE for our electric supply last year July. Two weeks ago I received an email saying I was in debt, I didn’t understand how this could happen on a pay as you go key meter as I have used a key meter since moving out of my parents house in 2007 and I have never been in debt before. 

I have called up twice to be told there is no debt on my account, today I spoke to someone else after emailing as I received more emails stating I was in debt. They have said I am in debt and it was from Aug 2023. They couldn’t give me anymore information on this debt but helped me complain. 

I don’t mind paying the debt if it’s ours but we have never stayed in the emergency money for long, only when the shop is shut or their machine is broken. 

I just don’t understand how the debt could have built up and they haven’t said anything until now. They don’t know why there is debt either and I have been told they can’t comment on how it has built up. 

Does anyone have an advice?? 

Phones4Chris

Yes, get them to produce written evidence of the debt and how it was accrued.
How much are they saying btw?
If they can't do that, add it to your "formal" complaint.

Chezzabelle2017

It’s almost £350, they can’t tell us how it was accrued. The last person we spoke to was help but still couldn’t give us anymore information apart from when the debt started (which was a month after the switch over). 

I received another email last night saying they are sending an account breakdown, we should receive it within 10days. 

SAC2334

The old style key prepayment meter menu  shows all the info since the meter was installed .You have to put the key in to see some of the pages such as debt and debt repay per week plan .
Once the key is in press the blue button to scroll through all the pages .Screen  " S "  and " T " are the ones of interest with S showing debt balance and T showing the weekly repay ammount .
Screen A will show debt by maybe a minus sign or the word debt .
Other screens to check are screen  E which shows how much has been credited since meter installed .
Screen H will show current meter reading  .F shows standing charges . 
These meters are used by different suppliers so they may vary . 

Chezzabelle2017

Thank you so much for the info, I didn’t realise that it showed the info since the meter was installed. I am now starting to wonder if there was a debt from the previous tenants and when they have taken dover they have found it. 

I know we haven’t used electricity that we haven’t paid for (which is what they were saying on the phone), we have used emergency credit but it’s taken straight back when I top up. 

I am still very confused by this all and it’s really stressing me out now. 

SAC2334

Chezzabelle2017 said:

Thank you so much for the info, I didn’t realise that it showed the info since the meter was installed. I am now starting to wonder if there was a debt from the previous tenants and when they have taken dover they have found it. 

I know we haven’t used electricity that we haven’t paid for (which is what they were saying on the phone), we have used emergency credit but it’s taken straight back when I top up. 

I am still very confused by this all and it’s really stressing me out now. 

It could also be a build up of standing charges between tenants when the building was empty..landlords are liable for this daily charge
 .You know your date of tenancy and you can easily work out what your daily charges have amounted too  .The daily rate varies and could be as high as 75 p a day for some regions .if you can find out your start reading you can work out exactly how much you have used in electricity since your tenancy began .The price of a kWh of electricity is also on one of the screens .
Prepayment electricity rates are now the lowest standard rates .standard variable rates for my region are 23.5 pence a kWh with a daily charge of 63 pence a day 

Chezzabelle2017

The house wasn’t empty and we have been living at the property for just over 10yrs but SSE never highlighted this debt. 

I am going to find out how much the charge is and go from there. 

Thank you so much 

Gerry1

Did you get your own 'clean' new key or card when you moved in?  If you inherited one from the previous user it could have had debt on it.

However, it seems unlikely that it would not have been reclaimed after 10 years.

Chezzabelle2017

They left us the key for meter. Maybe it’s not their debt I was just thinking of different ways how it got there. I just don’t understand how we have managed to get it as we top up regularly and hardly use the emergency credit. 

Chezzabelle2017

Does anyone know what I can do now? 

I still haven’t received my break down of how we got the debt and they are ignoring us now. Telling us they will contact us etc… 
this has been going on for almost a month now and we are getting nowhere and they have started taking the money for the debt off the meter even though we requested for it to stopped until they have provided us with information on how and where the debt has come from. 

I am not sleeping at night due to the stress and panicking that by using the electricity in the house we are somehow getting into further debt. 

tim_p

Chezzabelle2017 said:

They left us the key for meter. Maybe it’s not their debt I was just thinking of different ways how it got there. I just don’t understand how we have managed to get it as we top up regularly and hardly use the emergency credit. 

Surely “They left us the key” explains what’s going on here.