Add ability for OVO Support Team to reset the Future Annual Consumption figures

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/my-account-140/estimated-annual-consumption-eac-what-this-means-and-how-it-affects-your-ovo-energy-account-8615#:~:text=The%20EAC%20is%20calculated%20using,accurate%20this%20figure%20will%20become.

Info on when they use EAC or not

@Jeffus  Thanks. Your Q1 mentioned confusion - I think we’ve successfully demonstrated it. Doesn’t Tim’s article describe the FAC shown on plans and the EYU shown on TILs? If not, where would I expect to see the EAC?

A search revealed lots of pages, official and otherwise, mentioning EAC. In most cases, they were referring to the Ofgem-mandated quantity, Estimated Annual Cost - a different animal altogether. 

I think I’ll just crawl back under my rock. 

particularly for the attention of Tim_OVO

I have just been referred to this entry by Jeffus who picked up my frustration on a separate entry.

I was directed to your tutorial (extract below) but can categorically say that the calculation is not operating as you set out (which would be a sensible and acceptable approach to adopt).

I do have a Smart Meter and before that reliably provided monthly meter readings throughout the time I have been with OVO (over three years) - yet despite that the forecast for my property - and more significantly the basis for your direct debit charges to me are based upon estimates that appear significantly out of date.

If as you suggest the EAC is specific to my property and is computed in line with an industry standard then it clearly is not a suitable basis for establishing the direct debit charges. I would accept the use of previous years usage, or better still last 12 months rolling average.

In the current environment where customers have had an increased awareness of energy costs and taken action to reduce their usage - continuing to charge them in line with a long term historical trend is not only incorrect but could be argued as being immoral.

@Jeffus you’ve been so wonderfully on point with bringing this idea together. Can you tell me if there’s a theme you’re seeing for what seem to be inaccurate future annual consumptions? 

i.e post migration / post smart meter installation?

Hi @Tim_OVO

I see 4 main cohorts personally. There may be others, and you could group in a variety of ways. 

1. SSE migration customers

2. Post smart meter installation or SMETS1 upgrades in a recent example. 

3. Customers who dramatically change their usage, e.g. new Solar

4. Customers who calculate their own usage pattern and compare it to the Future Annual Consumption. 

I would say the extreme cases have been cohort 1. This is what initially prompted the idea

Cohort 3 tends to be frustrating as the Future Annual Consumption isn't particularly quick at adjusting. 

Cohort 4, the size of the difference varies. Perhaps knowing exactly how the calculation is done wound help so  customers can re create it. I am not sure how you would keep all the customers happy all the time. Perhaps the DD amount should be able to be set slightly lower than currently online, with a suitable warning if customers do this, but OVO may prefer this remains via a call to collections. 

🙋‍♂️

My FAC froze on A&E at a value pretty close to the figure for the (electricity) consumption in the 365 days preceding migration on 27 February (the figure was1940; my records show 1938 for 27 Feb 2022 - 26 Feb 2023). Then, six weeks later, it suddenly shot up to 2903*, suspiciously close to that of OFGEM’s fictitious ‘average household’. It’s still stuck on that figure ten days later.

* Sniffing around as is my wont, I find that that figure is calculated to the nearest 100Wh, in my case
   Night usage 1276.0 + Day usage 1626.9 > Personal projection 2902.9kWh

Interesting Ofgem started formal compliance engagement with 12 supplier. OVO is still outstanding according to the last Ofgem update. 

It would be helpful if OVO published any final outcome at the end of the compliance engagement. 

"To date we have closed compliance engagement with Bulb, E.ON, Ecotricity, Green Energy UK, Octopus, Shell, TruEnergy, Utilita and Utility Warehouse. We continue to formally engage with Good Energy, Outfox the Market and Ovo to secure improvements or adequate reassurance of compliance."

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/direct-debit-market-compliance-review-progress-update