OVO Regulations

Hi ​@dannyduster ,

I need more details to help me figure this out. What is it exactly you’re looking for?

Your question as it stands is a little too generic meaning I can’t answer it right now. Please add some more details or consider reducing the scope so it’s easier to work with.

Thanks

As the account ​@dannyduster had been created today I'm wondering if it’s related to another very recent thread. Sorry for intruding on your reply ​@Blastoise186 but if there is any concern about adherence to any code of conduct / the way or manner a question has been answered then this should go direct to the complaints section in the Help menu. In that way the matter can be discussed fully and in private with OVO and any appropriate actions taken.

complaints

Yes, that too did cross my mind… I guess we’ll wait and see if this thread gets more activity.

If it doesn’t, we’ll just let it die.

Hi everyone. I am puzzled. OVO have a Code of Conduct that applies to anyone that represents OVO.

it says in there that to represent OVO everyone must comply with the Regulations. I was just wondering what Regulations they would be. 

If someone has already raised a similar question, would be grateful if you could link to it please.

I assumed as it applies to everyone so that would also include any Complaints, which as I understand it would require fairness and transparency and explanation of what Regulations they were complying with, before they could do a complaint. I think that is the same regulations that apply to OVOs Privacy Policy.

Thanks to everyone

Hmm… This is, unfortunately, one of those very edge-case questions that I’m not sure are in-scope for Forum Volunteers to answer. I’m happy to find out if we can answer it but that will take some time. It may be that I need to signpost you back to OVO Support so please keep that possibility in mind.

You’re still not giving us much to work with though. Are you just asking this as a general context, or are you asking it because something specific has happened?

If you have a specific issue, it may be better to tell us that so we can target our advice towards the root cause of your problem, rather than us making wild guesses that are almost certainly going to be wildly inaccurate.

At very least, please give us a better idea of what regulations you’re thinking of. OVO is bound by a bazillion of them and I’m afraid it’d take a TON of time for me to work out the entire stack which is time I don’t have. As a volunteer, I don’t get paid to be here so the time I give is at my own expense. That basically means I have to balance it carefully and can’t go diving down a rabbit warren for a potentially unsolvable question if there’s other ways I could be better using my time.

because it applies to every representative of OVO I suppose it has to be general. Nothing specific has happened, I just cant find out what it means, I only know that under the same Regs as the Privacy Policy there has to be fair and transparent communication, before anything else, which requires explanations of what Regulations are involved. 

I think it is mainly the GDPR, Ofgems Regulations, Equality Act and Complaints Regulations, kust not sure how the “complying” part actually works, or what happens if they dont, because logically they couldnt be “representing” OVO if they didnt comply.

I think there was something about them having to STOP doing anything else, which sounds like OVO take it really seriously to make sure they are properly represented.

It is the need to be fair and transparent before anything happens that CAB say is important.

Have obviously tried to get an answer from Customer Services but they seem to want me to tell them what Regulations they are supposed to know. Was hoping someone from the Forum could shed some light.

Ok… But I get the feeling you’ve asked this question before...?

Unfortunately, you’re asking a VERY complicated question that really gets tangled up with regards to legal stuff. I’m not sure we can answer this here without a lawyer somewhere getting upset.

The sheer volume of regulations at play here - and the size of them - means that I’d have to spend a ton of time doing research to prepare myself for any follow-up questions you might have. That’s kinda pushing the limits of what I’m capable of unfortunately.

Based on that, I think we may have to decline to answer this as Forum Volunteers and signpost you elsewhere, possibly back to OVO itself.

While I'm happy to ask the Forum Moderators if they can help figure out who to ask, given the very edge-case scope of your questions I can't promise we can answer this here at all.

If you're happy to reduce the scope of your question and/or tell us about a specific thing that caused you to ask about this, I might be able to solve that for you.

Afraid I am completely confused. It cant be a complicated question because OVO says that in order to represent OVO every agent must comply with the Regulations.

Just been looking at links from the ICO about everyone who processes data having to comply with the GDPR, same as everyone that drives a car has to comply with that legislation, but most of us are not lawyers and still have to know the rules of driving on the road.

OVO seems to say the same thing about its agents having to comply.

Really dont understand what is meant by “edge-case”.

How could anyone, including volunteers be able to give any advice unless it complied with the Regulations as that is what OVO would expect from its staff, and if anyone took what was said back to Customer Service they would still have to comply with the Regulations.

Perhaps the scope would be that OVO have a Privacy Policy that says that everyone has Rights, under the Regulations. Does anyone know what they are and how they are applied by OVO Customer Services.

Thats really the specific thing that started it, as I had to agree that I had read, and therefore understood, both the T&Cs and the Privacy Notice, and because I didnt and then found the Code of Conduct on the website, contacted Customer Services for clarification. I think I may have had trouble understanding them because they were overseas, but they suggested the Forum could explain in more detail than apparently they have time for.

Thanks again

Unfortunately, questions with such a wide scope and potential legal implications of this type can’t be answered by Forum Volunteers.

Sorry

Afraid I dont understand.

The Forum is OVOs. Anyone that represents OVO has to comply with the Regulations. I appreciate that wouldnt apply to general members but anyone that OVO raise to the position of a “Volunteer” will have the same responsibilities as anyone else that represents OVO.

The problem being obviously that any advice from a “volunteer” is not part of a sharing forum where everyone is equal, and there is no responsibility on accuracy, but that a “volunteer” is acting as a semi moderator, and OVO require “accuracy” as part of the Terms and conditions for the Forum

I believe that the simple fact that there is a set of T&Cs states that OVO are responsible for the contents of the Forum where it comes from anyone other than a members personal opinion. So if it comes from someone that OVO has escalated to a Volunteer OVO are responsible for the content that volunteer provides.

But it isnt a wide scope anyway as it is a very speicif requirement of OVOs Code of Conduct that applies to every single representative in every situation, and the only legal implications are those that OVO sets for all of its representatives anyway. 

I did mention that there analogy is that everyone that drives a car has to comply with those regulations, and as OVO is in a Regulated Industry must comply with all the relevant Regulations.

OVO Customer Services directed me to the Forum and that is stated on the website so OVO obviously expects its volunteers to behave accordingly.

Hey ​@dannyduster 

Would you be able to be more specific as to what it is you’re looking for? 

Our volunteers have tried their best to help you but you haven’t given them much else to go on I’m afraid. 

6.1 of our Forum Terms and Conditions; OVO reserves the right to review any text, images, audio-visual content and other data that you upload, post or make available on or via the Community (your “Content”) to determine whether the Content complies with these Terms of Use. Although the OVO Forum is moderated, we are under no obligation to you or any other person to oversee, monitor or moderate the forum and we may stop moderating the Forum at any time.

I’d recommend taking a read through our House Rules to refamiliarise yourself with them. The users on this Community who volunteer their time to help are not employees of OVO or affiliated with OVO, they give their own time to help others. OVO staff & representatives can be easily identified by having  ‘_OVO’ at the end of their name.

Thanks Abby for responding.

The context is the very question that i am trying to understand. 

OVO have a published Code of Conduct that applies to every representative of OVO.

The Forum belongs to OVO, and is the responsibility of OVO Energy, given that there are T&C set by OVO that have to be agreed with OVO.

I understand that the T&Cs say what you have quoted, but that in itself would seem to be a contradiction with OVO responsibilities of being responsible for the site. OVO direct Customers to the Forum and in doing so make it an official means of getting information, which OVO are responsible for.

Given that the T&Cs have to be agreed with OVO it should, I think must be possible to contact someone in OVO in respect of the contents of any Terms or Conditions, as they would be governed by Contract Law.

That wouldnt be the case in a general Forum but clearly is for OVO Forum.

I do appreciate the work that Volunteers put in, but I assume that one can only become a “volunteer” with OVOs approval, and therefore it would seem that volunteers would be classed as “representing” OVO, and therefore would have to be trained in some capacity by OVO, and therefore required to comply with the Code of Conduct.

I am a member of a couple of Forums where everyone is equal in the sense that everyones view is equal and the “Moderators” role is only to monitor language and behaviour but not content. The “house rules” are distinct from any content. But as OVO direct people to the Forum, for information, that information must be correct, or corrected by someone in OVO, given that it is OVOs official Forum.

Sorry if I havent explained that very well. It is not the content of the T&Cs, it is the fact that there are T&Cs that have to be agreed, with OVO that makes OVO responsible

OVOs Forum is distinctly different in that regard, setting it to belong to and be the responsibility of OVO, making OVO responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the content.

My question however is for members who have had perhaps experiences of how or if representatives of OVO comply with OVOs Code of Conduct.

I understand that a lot of OVO staff are employed overseas and in general, with no judgement on any individuals the standards are not always as high as they might be,

Doe anyone know what to do, who to raise anything with where the Code of Conduct has not been fully applied, as not everyone from overseas, those tha answer the phone in the first place seem to know or apply those requirements. 

As OVO require its Representatives to Stop if the cannot be treated a Representing, do we as Customers have any sort of Rights in those situations.

Anyone with any knowledge of this or experience would be most welcome to hear from.

Thanks

Does anyone have any experience or understanding of this?

​@dannyduster the OVO Code of Conduct can be found here.

If you’re ever in contact with a member of OVO Customer Services and are not happy with their conduct, then you would be within your rights to raise a complaint.

When it comes to the Forum, our Forum ‘volunteers’ would encompass anyone using the Forum that helped answer a question for another Forum user, as is the nature of a Forum, especially one like ours as it is open to everyone, not just OVO customers. Anyone is entitled to answer any question on the Forum, and everything is overseen by us as Forum Moderators. Nobody is a ‘Volunteer’ in the workplace use of the word ‘Volunteer’. Sometimes you may see the use of the word ‘volunteer’, but this just encompasses anyone who is helping anyone else, it does not mean that anyone using the Forum (aside from the moderators) is on OVO’s books as a ‘Volunteer’ or member of staff. I think the use of this word is what is causing confusion here. 

The Forum is open to anyone, and the only members of staff on the Forum are myself, three other Moderators and our Community Manager. Nobody else on the Forum is a representative of OVO.

Thanks,

Ben

Hi Ben. Think that it might be OVOs Code of Ethics that I was looking at. The one that talks about OVOs representatives having to comply with the Regulations and having to be Accountable to the Customer.

I have a copy of it somewhere. Perhaps, as both documents form part of everyones Contract they should be read together. Could you give me a link to the Code of Ethics so I can read it again.

Rather confused by the term “volunteer” as Blastoise186 indicates that they have direct access to the Moderators, whereas I do not, so they must have some sort of elevated position, which I assume is decided by OVO.

But as you are on the case, what do OVO mean, which I think must be in the Code of Ethics, sorry if I got that wrong, where it says that representatives of OVO must comply with the Regulations and must be Accountable to the Customer, with the implication that if they do not then they cannot be considered to represent OVO.

Appreciate the reference to the Complaints procedure but I thought, given that OVO have a Privacy Notice that every Customers first line of protection was via the rights of the GDPR, which obviously requires compliance with the Regulations via the Accountability Principle of the GDPR.

While the Code of Conduct does require agents to STOP (OVOs capitals not mine) the suggestion that the agent contacts the line manager would seem to be a contradiction of the Accountability Principle, given that no one can be Accountable for the information that someone else, such as a line manager might give them.

Thanks very much