OVO – 3 years of billing errors, 2 Ombudsman rulings ignored, now contradictory repayment demands

EdinEnergyUser

Hi all,

I’m looking for help because I’ve been stuck in a multi‑year dispute with OVO Energy that still isn’t resolved, even after two Ombudsman rulings in my favour (June 2024 and May 2025). OVO continue to bill me incorrectly, add new charges, and contradict their own written agreements.

Summary of the situation

• OVO billed me incorrectly for years
• They put me on the wrong tariff (single rate instead of Economy 7)
• An engineer confirmed the tariff was wrong
• The Ombudsman ordered a full rebill from July 2023
• OVO installed a smart meter incorrectly, leaving me with no heating for months
• After the smart meter was installed, my usage dropped dramatically — suggesting the old meter was faulty or billing was wrong
• OVO added new charges after issuing a deadlock letter
• They continue collections activity during an active dispute

Contradictory repayment demands

On 13 January 2026, OVO emailed me a formal repayment plan confirming:

• £175 per month
• Total £1,191.96
• Clear start and end dates

I am already paying £175/month.

A week later, a Customer Resolution Specialist emailed saying:

• £175 “does not reflect the payment plans offered”
• Minimum payment is £359–£451
• My “monthly consumption” is £312 (not supported by smart meter data)
• Collections activity is justified

This directly contradicts their own written plan and mirrors behaviour the Ombudsman criticised in 2025.

Impact

This has been going on since 2023. I’ve had:

• No heating for months
• Constant stress
• Conflicting information
• New charges added after deadlock
• Inability to switch supplier due to disputed debt

I’ve followed every process correctly, but OVO continue to mishandle my account.

What I’m asking

I’m looking for advice on how to finally get this resolved.I’m asking the Ombudsman to:

• Remove the disputed debt
• Allow me to leave OVO with a zero balance
• Correct the account using smart meter data
• Address the period I had no heating

I have full evidence: both Ombudsman decisions, usage graphs, emails, screenshots, and billing history.

Any guidance from the MSE team or forum experts would be hugely appreciated.

Rhyddid2026

No advice, but just wanted to say I was in a similar situation with them a few years ago. Not quite so bad as I wasn't without heating but I was arguing with them for about 2 years on and off, and had to get the ombudsman involved. It was hell.

They sent me wrong bills, tried to threaten me with court action for not paying their made up figures, and continuously changed their minds about everything. I set up a standing order and cancelled the direct debit as they kept increasing it by massive amounts without telling me, leaving me unable to pay other bills.

They fit a smart meter for the electricity but not the gas meter, but then called me aggressively for months saying I had to have a gas smart meter and would be billed for wasting the engineers time. Even though I let him in and it was him that said he couldn't fit the smart meter to my 40 year old gas meter which was also too far from the electric meter.

Can you leave them anyway so at least you are not getting further into dispute with them or having to pay them more?

Leaving them was the best thing I've ever done. The matter was resolved within about a month or two of leaving them (with the help of the ombudsman).

gpman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6653783/ovo-3-years-of-billing-errors-2-ombudsman-rulings-ignored-now-contradictory-repayment-demands

Sounds like you may need to start a new complaint with your supplier. Try to frame your complaint/hoped for outcome in such a way that the supplier cannot keep repeating the same error, if that is what you think is happening.

As you presumably know, based upon your experience with the ombudsman service to date, the EO will not assist you in getting a resolution until you have followed the supplier's complaint procedure in full.

Have you considered the possibility that as you claim to have had no heating for months following the installation of a new smart meter, that may be the reason why your consumption had dropped since, rather than jumping to the non-evidenced conclusion that your old meter was inaccurate?

EdinEnergyUser

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81869829#Comment_81869829

I can’t leave them without paying £2000+ upfront. I would love nothing more than to never deal with them again but I am up against a wall