OVO have lost my FIT account!?

I suspect the backlog of cases the ovo FIT/SEG teams are working on may mean any reply isn't quick… Same for the complaint team. 

It does sound like you are making progress though albeit slowly. 

This seems to mirror our experience pretty closely.

On 7th September we received a welcome letter from OVO stating that the move of our FIT account to OVO from SSE was complete and inviiting next meter readings in September.

On 19th September I emailed fits-reads@ovoenergy.com (as advised on the welcome email) with our geneation and export readings taken that day. I further asked to opt out of future export FIT payments as we were having an additional (separate) system installed the following day and would wish to apply for SEG payments with a different supplier. I asked for confirmation when this had been actioned. I also raised 2 further queries about the payment details they held for us and what extra info would be needed to continue with generation payments for the original system after the installation of the new.

Not having heard anything by early October, I rang the FIT help line, only to be told that the transfer from SSE was not yet complete so they could not find our record. I rang again on the  13th October, only to be told again that the transfer was not complete, and furthermore they could not find the email I had previously sent. The issue was escalated and I was given an escallation number. I was also asked to re-forward my previous email of 19th Sept, which I duly did.

I rang again on the 18th October when OVO were still unable to locate any information and could not even locate the welcome email they had sent us on 7th Sept! I forwarded this back to them. A couple of hours later I had an email from OVO detailing the payments that would be due based on the readings submitted on 19th Sept, indicating that they were being included in the September figures for submission ot OFGEM. As it was already well into October, this did not seem very convincing, especiall as I had previously been told that once the issues had been resolved, the figures would be submitted in December for payment next February. In the belief that the account had now been found, I therefore again phoned to query this point, only to be told that the account could still not be found. I was asked to again forward the email of 19th September, quoting the escalation number and summarising the actions I wanted to be taken, which I did. This was followed by an email from OVO on the 19th Oct, stating that they could not find the account and to provide my address and FIT/Account number, which again I did.

No further emails have been received from OVO, so I again telephoned today, only to be met with the familiar refrain that the account cannot be located, and that I should receive a ressponse from the “Back Office” within 4 to 6 weeks! If it takes 4-6 weeks to respond to an escalated call, OVO are clearly trading beyond their ability to provide an acceptable service, and in my view should be prohibited from taking on any new customers until they can remedy the situation. Heaven only knows how long a non-escalated call would take to resolve!

In the meantime, I am in limbo - I have applied for SEG payments from a different supplier, but am concerned that the whole process will fail unless OVO have confirmed I have opted out of FIT export payments and have updated the relevant database accordingly. I am currently considering whether I should complain to OFGEM or one of the consumer champions operating for a national newspaper.

Hi @DesB

Blimey that is a very painful experience. 

You can't complain to OFGEM, they are the regulator rather that the complaint handler for energy unfortunately. 

You can put in a formal complaint to ovo if you haven’t already. This is the process in case you didn't know. 

https://www.ovoenergy.com/feedback

There are also details on the complaint page about writing to the OVO CEO either about a complaint or more generally. 

8 weeks after your complaint you can ask the Energy Ombudsman for help

https://www.energyombudsman.org/

OVO have to follow rulings by the Energy Ombudsman. 

Have OVO responded @mshealey 

Thanks for the response! I have now submitted a formal complaint - let’s see if it has any effect!

Keep us posted @DesB, it sounds like a very frustrating experience!

So here I am again no further forward. Rang OVO again and our “high priority” case has not yet been looked at. They claim they have six weeks to deal with it from October 16th  (not sure why they aren’t dating it from September 19th which was our FIT submission date)  

I’ve tried complaining, OVO complaints procedure says they will set out for me how they plan to resolve my case and answer within two days.  Guess what, no plans or answers

In our email from SSE (received August) telling us of the change they stated we would have “no gap in payments”I don’t see how we can receive this quarter’s payment at all as they haven’t yet let us submit our numbers. 
I’ve got my fingers crossed that they get it sorted by December.

Meanwhile, we have a big hole in our budget which OVO don’t seem interested in at all.

Their customer service seems to be beyond appalling.  

Likewise, our complaint seems to have gone nowhere. Apart from the automated email sent out immediately I raised the complaint, there has been absolutely no contact or action - the two days quoted by OVO is a complete joke.

It is clear that as well as the OVO customer service system and escalation procedures being totally broken, the complaints procedure is as well!

Today I had a reply from the OVO FIT Team  I reproduce it below.

Hello, 

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately our read submission window is closed so we cannot add your reading. 

We accept readings in March, June, September and December. You can submit your reading/s to us between the first and last days of those months.

Kind regards, 

The FiT team

Advice anybody?

Any progress @DesB ?