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Rank 1
May 21, 2022
Solved

Why did OVO financial support team contact me despite my recent payment?

  • May 21, 2022
  • 64 replies
  • 5757 views

I’m interested to hear from SSE former customers and if it resonates Ovo Energy customers.

I transferred from SSE mid January 2022. My billing cycle was quarterly and bills came not long after the billing period. My bill was paid by a direct payment.

At transfer Ovo Energy placed me on a monthly cycle running 13th of the month to the 12th of the following.

Upon transfer my bill fell at transfer and I paid SSE. The money was transferred to Ovo, however my previous billing and usage with SSE was and still is not visible.

For the period 13th March to the 12th April, I viewed my bill electronically I have smart meters and paid on the 13/4/22 shown on my bank statement as the 14/4/22. I paid modestly over the due amount and was in credit at the start of the billing period. A week later I received a bill from a Ovo indicating a debt.

This debt was imaginary as their system appeared not to acknowledge my payment, even though my account did. For that period and into the next. I was harassed by txt and email.

I tried to contact via chat, that system was not available, I tried to call excessive wait times. Eventually frustrated with their harassing communications. I left a trust pilot review and received some rather pointless communications through that platform. That my experience will be taken up with the billing team.

As the next billing period approached the most recent I paid Ovo on the date my bill appeared in my account. There was no notification that my bill had been issued. Instead I receive a rather harassing text message from collections for a debt that had been over due for more than a month. This was and is not the case.

It is likely I will formally complain through Ovo’s complaints process. They have eight weeks to address my complaint. After that it is the Energy Ombudsman…..all in from a consumer perspective it appears fruitless and time consuming. As there is a clear issue with Ovo’s billing process and procedure.

The other option is to transfer to British Gas.

Thanks for reading and commenting if you do.

 

Oh! a screenshot of my account is attached, yes I’m in debit by a few pounds, I’m in a billing period. Sorry wouldn’t allow the screenshot.

 

 

Best answer by Tim_OVO

Updated on 1706/25 by Emmanuelle_OVO:
 

What can our payment support team offer if I can’t pay my energy bill?

 

Our payment support team has supported lots of people in similar situations, and are trained to do so. 

Some of the ways they can help are:

  • They can create a payment plan that’s suitable for your financial situation. A payment plan can spread the cost of what’s outstanding, you can find out more about them here.
  • They can discuss what other payment schemes you may be eligible for. They can make sure you’re getting the support that’s available to you, such as benefit entitlement checks. 
  • Our team is also trained to give advice on energy debt, and discuss what help is available. 
  • They can show you where you can find free, independent advice.

For more financial support, call the team on 0800 069 9831. We’re open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-2pm.

 

What’s a payment plan & how does it work?

 

Using the information you give us, we’ll come up with a manageable payment plan. These payments can be made on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis. 

 

Some of the payment will go towards the outstanding balance and some of the payment will go towards your current usage. 
 

 

Thanks for flagging, @Kenyon graham 

 

 

For the period 13th March to the 12th April, I viewed my bill electronically I have smart meters and paid on the 13/4/22 shown on my bank statement as the 14/4/22. I paid modestly over the due amount and was in credit at the start of the billing period. A week later I received a bill from a Ovo indicating a debt.

This debt was imaginary as their system appeared not to acknowledge my payment, even though my account did. For that period and into the next. I was harassed by txt and email.

 

It’s very odd to see that the payment seems to have affected your balance, as shown in your screenshot, but hasn’t stopped collections activity for account debt. It may be worth contacting our Collections team by web chat, and by phone. Start a webchat conversations or or call with our Collections team here. Also you can see our page on payment support here.

 

64 replies

Newcomer
July 12, 2023

Can’t remember. 

Emmanuelle_OVO
Retired Moderator
Retired Moderator
July 13, 2023

Hey @Johnboy412000,

 

Sorry for the issues you’re having, 

 

What email address are you being contacted from? I’ll check if it’s an OVO email address or phishing.

 

If you pay on demand, it’s worth double checking you are also clearing any ‘balance bought forwards’ from the last statement. Pay on demand customers will need to do this within 14 days of receiving their bills. Payment reminder communications are sent after seven days of the bill. 

 

There is also the option to switch to direct debit:

 

 

Please pop back if you get to the bottom of it, as it may help other Community Members. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
Newcomer
July 13, 2023

Sorry I haven't still got the email but it wasn't OVO normal email now I come to think of it. It's happened before and I rang OVO that time and confirmed it was spam. I have saved the link to report any spams now. 

Newcomer
July 17, 2023

I am  partly to blame for this situation I’m in. I am number 12 and the bills should have be going to 12B. Anyway, I am with a very small energy company called Rebel Energy so when I received an ovo bill, I thought rebel energy was a subsidiary of OVO so I paid the bill. After a while, I realise this wasn’t the case and contacted ovo energy and explain the situation and haven’t really got anywhere. This was two years ago. I am now seeking a refund of £80 and finding it impossible to get ovo or anybody to understand this.

Blastoise186
Super User
Super User
July 17, 2023

Hmm… If this happened two years ago, then this could be tricky to resolve. I’ll ask a forum moderator for advice.

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Blastoise186
Super User
Super User
July 17, 2023

Ok, just an update. The forum volunteers (including myself) are still talking about this one out the back.

But at the moment, we think the easiest fix is to just get the money back from your neighbour if possible. If you wait too long to request a refund, it may not be possible, so we think this will save you the hassle. It’d certainly be faster and would avoid messing up your neighbour’s account.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
BPLightlog
Super User
Super User
July 17, 2023

Can I just check @A.J.Smith when did you first ask about a return of your payment?

Bring me Sunshine ~ E&E {Solar PV, Battery Storage, Hybrid EV, ASHP and Home Assistant automation}
Newcomer
July 17, 2023

Asking for a refund, probably was a couple of weeks after I realised it wasn’t my account. As far as I remember ovo, just kept passing me around to different departments and I do vaguely remember them telling me to send the bill to them.

My neighbour, who’s  account it belong to told me the bill was a settled. She was a bit vague and not want to interact too much with me about it. Of course sod’s Law she’s just had chemo and very unwell. So I’m not going to bother her with it certainly for the time being.

thanks everybody for the feedback.

Newcomer
July 17, 2023

Just another small point of the debt collection agency is been onto me about paying the outstanding debt of £255.95. And yet again for at least a second possibly third time I’ve told them it’s not my debt or account. So if they can still expect the debt to be settled, why cannot I expect a refund after this time?

Jeffus
Rank 20
Rank 20
July 17, 2023

Just another small point of the debt collection agency is been onto me about paying the outstanding debt of £255.95. And yet again for at least a second possibly third time I’ve told them it’s not my debt or account. So if they can still expect the debt to be settled, why cannot I expect a refund after this time?

Is this debt chasing for 12B where you have never lived?