OVO wants money from me, although I moved more than two years ago.

SimonFF

I lived in my previous address until July 2023. I was initially with SSE (both gas and electrics), then I was automatically migrated to SSE. I was on PAYG, so I was obvious in credit.

A year later, I got an email from OVO stating:

I've had a look over your account and can confirm their is currently a credit balance present that needs to be returned to you of £60.85 exactly.

If you could respond to this email with the best forwarding address for yourself then we can get this sent out for you.

So I gave them my address and they sent me a cheque of £60 which I cashed.

Now, more than a year later, I got an itemised bill going from July 2023 to July 2024, with a negative balance of £46 to pay.

I wasn't there during that period. I have rung the OVo customer service twice and twice they put the phone down on me as soon as I started talking. I am currently waiting to speak to somebody on the webchat but nobody is answering.

The bills don't make sense. 

Short of making a complaint, what else can I do, considering there's no way to contact them?

In case of a complaint, would you use email or resolver.co.uk?

molerat

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/article/smart-meter-guides

I would write a clear and concise letter.  Did it with BG a few years back over a not owed sum and not heard anything since, I did have full documentary evidence to prove the exact amount they were asking for though.

marcia_

  I would have thought a complaint following their complaints policy would be the way to go. Trying to explain to a call handler reading from a script is tedious.?

Brie

Sounds like someone at OVO is trying to boost their call turnover rate by hanging up rather than dealing with their customers (used to have a colleague that did this, different company)

Yes - send a letter/email outlining that you left, they knew you had left and that as you didn't live there during that time you don't owe them.  Keep copies.  And tell them that you'd tried to ring and were repeatedly cut off.  They need to be aware of this too.

SimonFF

Brie said:

Sounds like someone at OVO is trying to boost their call turnover rate by hanging up rather than dealing with their customers (used to have a colleague that did this, different company)

Yes - send a letter/email outlining that you left, they knew you had left and that as you didn't live there during that time you don't owe them.  Keep copies.  And tell them that you'd tried to ring and were repeatedly cut off.  They need to be aware of this too.

Ok, I'll do. Do you suggest using email or a 3rd party service like Resolver?

Brie

Email should be fine.  They already have that and know you via that so just go with that.  Obviously keep copies of everything you have received from them or sent back - whether paper or email.  Just in case this needs to be escalated.  

SimonFF

Update: I was finally able to speak to the collection department in South Africa, and that was their reasoning: the refund they gave me last year was "a mistake". They refunded me too much and now, a year later, they want the money back.

I stood my ground and told the operator that, in my opinion, a refund is a sort of settlement, so they shouldn't "reverse" their refund, even only partially and I asked them to write the amount off.

She said she couldn't do that but she logged this as a complaint and somebody should be in touch in the next two working days.

Am I right in thinking that a refund cannot be reversed or should I just pay?

And, should I wait for them to contact me or just start my own complaint procedure?

elsien

I’d be asking for their calculations along with accompanying dates, at the very least, if they continue to push. 

If they’ve definitely logged it as a complaint there’s little point in you making another one. .

QrizB

If they have overpaid you, and they can prove it (proof which is unlikely to exist if you moved out before the billing period in question), they have six years to pursue it through the courts (five years in Scotland).

Were you renting? Do you still have contact details for your landlord/agent?

SimonFF

On another site, somebody suggested the £46 charges could be for an empty property. That is, they are trying to bill the actual owner (Birmingham City Council) but they found me as last tenant and they are taking it with me.

QrizB

^ Explain all that to OVO in your email and point them at Birmingham City Council.