“I was transferred to ovo from sse on 28.01.22 with a bill based on estimates and although I gave them meter readings the bill hasn't been updated since. I have been contacting ovo ever since and all I get is with the billing team. All the time frames given were broken to the point that now there stopped giving me time frames.
Received an email from ovo saying my direct debit will be increased from £94 to £240 and called, as per their Facebook team, the collections team, and was told the dd must increase to £240. I protested, the advisor put me on hold to speak with an "associate" and came back with £201. I said I can't afford to increase it to £201 and the highest I can go to is £120, I was asked if I am on benefits. I work full time! I was told then to contact step change.
The same advisor said that the bill has been updated online but I pointed out that the starting balance based on estimates is still showing.
Can ovo force me to increase the dd to whatever their "computer" says?
I feel I am hitting a brickwall whenever I try to resolve the billing issue or anything to do with my account with ovo.
The advisors are atrocious, they can't even help you to read your meters. I was advised to take a picture of the meter and send it to them. I had to resort to youtube to find out how to read my meters.
The advisor I spoke with yesterday could not explain why the billing online shows me being billed twice(the estimated one ADDED to the one with meter readings)
A complaint has been raised but don't have any hope it will be resolved.
My mental health is very fragile at the moment due to having a tragedy recently and I can't cope with ovo failing to help, demanding forcefully I increase my direct debit to an unaffordable amount. I feel I have no way out and I would be better off dead.
Thank you Ovo due to your incompetence and money grabbing techniques I reached my lowest yet again.
If someone in ovo has a conscience, but I doubt it”
“I was changed from Sse to Ovo, while trapped abroad by ill-health and hospitalisation for a long period of time. I usually take airbnb tenants now my kids have left home, but a rogue approved electrician who came to repair my door entry for my tenant, lied to me while I was ill abroad, insisted my fusebox was illegal as it was not metal, changed it and ruined it (beware of NICEIC - they approved this crook, who but for chance could have set fire to the flats above as well as mine and /or electrocuted my tenant who had to leave.) Having found that he has indeed ruined my fusebox, listing 70 faults in 27 categories, NICEIC insisted I bring him back to repair!!! Causing me PTSD.
As a result, my flat has been almost unoccupied for a long time, very little power has been used. I rang Ovo, explained, and asked for repayment into my bank. Pleasant customer service lady agreed, I was owed over £1,100 which I’d overpaid. As soon as I send meter readings she would have this updated and paid into my bank account. I got back to UK this week, sent meter readings today, told I am owed £1,122.70, and as it’s a large sum it will be paid into my bank account. The guy today tried to persuade me to have smart meters put in, but I’m too unwell to deal with this yet, and I’m replacing my dodgy gas boiler with electric, I won’t need a gas meter. His response? OVO WILL ONLY REURN £599 OF MY MONEY UNLESS I HAVE BOTH GAS AND ELECTRIC SMART METERS INSTALLED - they will then return the entire amount.
I asked where on Ovo literature this is written? He replied that his manager told him.
I am very ill, I’m desperately short of money, I’ve lost my tenant income due to a government approved crook, (Ukas accredit Niceic), the newly replaced meter was rushed leaving sockets not working and my EICR is ‘unsatisfactory’, I still can’t take tenants. I live here alone, and Ovo have effectively stolen over £500 of my money via a form of blackmail. How much lower can UK sink?”
“I was changed from Sse to Ovo, while trapped abroad by ill-health and hospitalisation for a long period of time. I usually take airbnb tenants now my kids have left home, but a rogue approved electrician who came to repair my door entry for my tenant, lied to me while I was ill abroad, insisted my fusebox was illegal as it was not metal, changed it and ruined it (beware of NICEIC - they approved this crook, who but for chance could have set fire to the flats above as well as mine and /or electrocuted my tenant who had to leave.) Having found that he has indeed ruined my fusebox, listing 70 faults in 27 categories, NICEIC insisted I bring him back to repair!!! Causing me PTSD.
As a result, my flat has been almost unoccupied for a long time, very little power has been used. I rang Ovo, explained, and asked for repayment into my bank. Pleasant customer service lady agreed, I was owed over £1,100 which I’d overpaid. As soon as I send meter readings she would have this updated and paid into my bank account. I got back to UK this week, sent meter readings today, told I am owed £1,122.70, and as it’s a large sum it will be paid into my bank account. The guy today tried to persuade me to have smart meters put in, but I’m too unwell to deal with this yet, and I’m replacing my dodgy gas boiler with electric, I won’t need a gas meter. His response? OVO WILL ONLY REURN £599 OF MY MONEY UNLESS I HAVE BOTH GAS AND ELECTRIC SMART METERS INSTALLED - they will then return the entire amount.
I asked where on Ovo literature this is written? He replied that his manager told him.
I am very ill, I’m desperately short of money, I’ve lost my tenant income due to a government approved crook, (Ukas accredit Niceic), the newly replaced meter was rushed leaving sockets not working and my EICR is ‘unsatisfactory’, I still can’t take tenants. I live here alone, and Ovo have effectively stolen over £500 of my money via a form of blackmail. How much lower can UK sink?”
“To anyone who’s thinking of going with OVO , AVOID them unless you have money to give away. SSE betrayed their existing costumers , as soon as I find a better deal I’m switching”
“Telephone help line blasted my ears with screeching, screaming "music" while I was on hold, then a recording to say they were very busy "at this time" (oh, sure). their online chat said someone would be available in one minute, but I waited 40 minutes. they insisted on my increasing my direct debit but had no knowledge of my usage, which has always been well below the direct debit. their section on under-use says to let them know (in other words, they won't automatically tell you), and you "may" get a refund! Ha! They are not getting my business any longer!”
“I have a direct debit originally with SSE
Got moved to OVO
Received email on many occasions.
Saying my bill was online to view.
It was never available
It would tell me that I owed £800
But they would not give me a breakdown of figures
Or could tell me what was owed on gas or electric.
This bill caused my partner to have a breakdown!!
I opened a complaint that would be looked into within 10 days
One month later I got an email
That’s totally irrelevant to the complaint
This company is terrible do not go near at all cost”
“If I could give a 0 I would. Since being transferred over from SSE it has been one issue after another. Firstly they had over £300 credit on my account which I asked to be transferred back to me. I got an email back saying it would affect my credit rating if I did not have the minimum monthly amount in my account - I went back and educated this person on how credit ratings work and also let them know that I would be seeking legal advise on how to recover my money. Credit was transferred within 5 days.
Next issue - I wanted to bring my monthly direct debit down as I was always in credit - this took a couple of months but finally got there.
Next issue - this weekend I got an email saying that after reviewing my account they would be raising my monthly direct debit from £116 to £174. I happen to be with my sister in law who has also been transferred from SSE - her bill is also being taken to £174. So how does this work - there is her and her husband in a 3 bedroom house and I am in a 4 bedroom house with just my husband. Neither of us has kids that live with her so looking forward to understanding how we will be using this amount of energy. However, I can keep my monthly bill down if I pay them over £600 upfront.
Next issue - I submitted a meter reading to an account that AGAIN is in a credit of over £100 and after the meter reading was submitted (leaving me still in credit) - I then get something coming up saying that I need to raise my direct debit to £181. Abosolute idiots
I have emailed them to let them know that should they take out the £174 next month I will be cancelling my direct debit and they can bill me monthly and I will pay that way. Apparently it will take at least 5 days for them to come back to me. Thought I would give them a call - I have been waiting on the line for the past 45 minutes so even calling is not easy.
I will certainly be looking into a new provider as soon as possible - a totally shambolic business”
“all was get a message in my on line acount saying bill is due please send a reading l send reading get the paper bill come l pay by cheque a few weeks later no trouble paid the last quarter up to feb 2022 now l keep geting sent estimated bills in the post l told the lady at the help line l pay `quarterly with a reading she did not understand bless her”
“My mum was conned into having her meter changed to a smart meter, lied to by the sales team in the Philippines. Conned !!!! the Fitter came and changed the meter, My mother is a pensioner and of not of best health let him in, the paperwork was only for the electric meter but was insistent that he had to do the gas meter s well. then to proceed to push his way around the house insisting he looked at the gas appliances, he then said he when he turned the gas meter off he would not turn her gas back on until she had all her appliances changed, luckily I was there, when I asked him his name he would not tell me, when I asked to see his badge he would not show me, I finally decided to put his equipment on the doorstep and told him to leave or I would call the police, this man lied and was trying to take advantage of an old age pensioner forcing her to have work done unnecessarily against her will by lying to her, It took me 5 hours to actually finally make a formal complaint as there are now no UK offices you can all to and all telephone lines are now call centres abroad. DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYTHING THIS COMPANY SAYS WHITHOUT CHECKING FACTS and do not let an engineer in if you are on your own, the mans picture vile sicko conman I took when he wouldn't tell me his name so if you see this man avoid at all costs, Then to be spiteful the vile engineer called the gas board to say we had a gas leak. which we didn't, Vile nasty sicko representing an equally uncaring company picking on vulnerable pensioners”
“I have been receiving estimated bills ever since covid started. This is despite the fact that I have submitted readings on many occasions. The estimated readings used for my bills vary hugely despite being based upon previous usage.
I have spent hours on the phone trying to raise this as a complaint and nothing has been done.”
“I accidentally gave the meter reading as 2179 instead of 1279 got charged hundreds of pounds more and no matter what i do they will not sort it out for me i also had a smart meter fitted with the final reading by the engineer tallying with mine plus sending them a screenshot of the old meter showing them my mistake i refused to pay by DD and am with holding payment until someone sorts it out i am not happy i did not want to move from SSE i had no choice”
“My complaint was ignored and Ovo have ruined my life. I was advised to take legal action but they claim not to have a legal team! SSE who are part of the same company do, but have no access to the Ovo accounts. I will be having legal documents delivered to the CEO Fitzpatrick's home address. Ovo goons won't defeat me.”
“OVO owe me a four-figure sum since December last year !
They totally ignore my emails which I believe is so that I will not have anything in print from them. They tell people to phone but of course a phone conversation can be denied.
I was never a huge fan of SSE but this OVO lot just plumb new depths of customer “service”.
My only recourse is in the small claims court where I should expect to get a judgement against them which might warn other unwary suppliers.”
“Used to love this company, had great customer service but over the last year has gone downhill. Can't ever get hold of anyone...been on phone line for over an hour and half today and given up. They have an option to give you a call back but they never do.”
“My fuel bills have tripled in price since being with OVO. When I called them we discussed me providing a reading instead of them sending me an automatic bill. Hasn't happened and probably will never happen. Shocking service, and yet still have money to splash out on advertisements and sponsors.”
“Absolutely DREADFUL account website. I've been transferred from SSE. They haven't even spelled my name right. As for the rest of the information - you can't access it. No old bills - just error messages.
I have received repeated emails to say I haven't submitted a meter reading for years [I've sent them a reply email.....].
So why have my direct debits been amended over the years? To account for changes in use due to my submitted meter readings, of course !! SSE were amazingly efficient by comparison. Up your game OVO. Or maybe you want to lose customers, not much revenue in it for you these days.....”
“We moved out of our property end of November submitted all this information with meter readings to then be told we had moved over to OVO 6 weeks later after numerous phone calls emails and live chats my account is still open still being billed. Not a good service at all being told the same thing each time!! We will close the account this never gets done, oh a error on the system, you need to contact SSE, lots of different excuses but still the account is open when we no longer live there. Worst company I have dealt with by far still none the wiser of how you get them to close an account.”
“After being moved over from SSE I logged on to my new account as requested, I subsequently submitted a meter reading which they instantly questioned as it was lower than they expected. After being contacted regarding this they said that the reading was significantly different from their migration reading,(for context approx £180) where did they get that I asked? no one came to read the meter and I did not submit one.? I've now sent yet another reading including a picture of the meter and they are going to let me know if I can raise a dispute! Gives one a warm feeling, (no pun intended) to know what a mistrusting supplier one has, never experienced this before or currently with any other energy supplier. Note to OVO, If you don't believe your customer send someone out to read it for you !! Yes enquire but in a more customer driven manner. Ironic really all this on a day when they have been heavily criticised on national TV and regulators for crass advertising in the current climate. I replied with yet a further reading to their email hello@ovoenergy.com with a goodbye@dissatisfiedcustomer.com”
