Whaaat ?? That’s not very ‘OVO’ !!

Thank you for getting back to me. That’s helpful information.

Yes, I was quite taken aback by the whole thing to be honest!

Is it possible to be gaslighted by a company? 
 

made a complaint yesterday and spoke to someone in the resolutions team. Received a call today whilst at work (which I couldn’t answer) and then an email asking me to call the resolutions team to discuss the resolution to my complaint. Spent another hour on the phone tonight to be told I haven’t made a complaint. Huh?! 

Hey @KatyL 

I’m really sorry to hear about your recent calls with OVO and how they’ve made you feel. That’s definitely not the kind service we aim for and I want to help as much as I can to help get this sorted for you.

The best thing to do next will be to contact the number they’ve provided to you again if they did leave a number to contact, as this would suggest the complaint has been raised and escalated.

Otherwise, if they’ve not left a number for you to call back, I would suggest contacting our Support Team, and they can make sure that this is escalated correctly for you, part of your complaint can be that it wasn’t escalated correctly when you first requested it. As Jeffus mentioned, you can also go to the energy Ombudsman if your complaint hasn’t been resolved within 8 weeks, but hopefully we can get it resolved before then. Our Support team’s web messaging and WhatsApp opening hours will be:

• 8am - 6pm Monday to Friday 
• 9am - 2pm on Saturdays

 You can see all open contact channels via our Help Centre

We don’t have access to accounts here, so we wouldn’t be able to check for any complaints on the account. I would recommend asking for a note of the complaint reference number as well when you speak with someone.

Hi again @KatyL

So did they finally log a formal complaint when you spoke last night?

Did they give you a complaint case number?

Not a lot else i can suggest, probably worth highlighting your experience on the OVO Trustpilot site

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.ovoenergy.com

Thanks both for getting back to me. 
 

I spent an hour and a half last night talking to someone in Resolutions who said that because there is an issue with my account, complaints can’t actually be logged against it. He helped me to raise an “off…something” complaint and linked it to my account so it will eventually be linked to my account. I now have a number for my complaint. My account seems to be having issues with the migration process and is still stuck which means I’m getting no bills, no updates on charges and nobody can help because they can’t get into my account. Smart meters are now working and sending readings but still no bill info. 
 

in the meantime I’ve received a further call asking if they’ve resolved my complaint because they want to close it 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hey @KatyL , I hope you’ve had a good weekend.

I’m glad you’ve got a complaint logged and a note of the complaint reference now. I know it must be really frustrating to have to wait for the account to be sorted, but you are more than entitled to keep the complaint open until you know that your billing etc, is working for you as it should be.

Have they given you any timeframe to expect the account to be ‘unstuck’ by?

Hi @Abby_OVO 

they’ve said it could take up to 30 working days

Hi @KatyL 

If it does not get resolved in 30 days to your satisfaction. 

I would ask the Ombudsman to get  involved 8 weeks after you first raised a complaint. 

https://www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/energy

It is not your issue that OVO didn't log your complaint properly in the first place. 

OVO process and procedures don’t and you can’t get to speak with anyone!

Bought a new property where OVO is the electricity supplier and the previous owner left a debt. How you can leave a huge debt when it’s a pre-paymnet meeting I don’t undertand, but that’s another matter... 

Tried to take over the supply and get the debt cleared using website / web-chat / email but none of this achieved a result. 

Tried calling, but placed on hold for one hour and then cut-off.

How do I get the eletric switched on and how do I get the previous owner’s debt cleared?

This comment was left by an independent forum volunteer

This is actually quite common - and the problem is not OVO. You’re calling on a Monday, so it’s predictable that the lines of every energy supplier in the UK will be absolutely rammed to the max. Try again later in the week and it’ll be easier.

Please use Webchat for the fastest results.

You need to set up an account before you can do anything else - this will enable the debt to be wiped as it’s not yours, and in turn restore supply.

Sounds like he has already tried all options so not sure why you keep making excuses for Ovo’s shocking customer service.  
 

I went 30 years with SSE without the slightest problem and within 2 weeks of migration had 2 massive errors, one of which I have been fighting for 8 weeks coming up on Friday.  It’s shocking how many customers are having to resort to the Ombudsman before they seem to get any results.  
 

I rue the day SSE sold out to OVO 😪

On the other hand, I had massive problems with SSE for three years that OVO managed to fix within days. The massively overly-complicated phone tree was the least of those problems…

But one of the things OVO does have which barely any other supplier in the UK has - and SSE definitely never did have - is a community forum like this one. We’re able to come up with unique and creative solutions that go beyond the scope of what a regular support team does, or at the very least make you better off informed that can help you later.

If you’re having a problem, please, by all means create a thread on the forum and we’ll try to advise you as best we can. However, if you don’t tell us what your problem is, then unfortunately we haven’t invented a TARDIS yet and cannot predict your question. But as far as I can tell Maureen, you have posted a lot of comments on the forum, but have yet to post a question that I can find.

In actual fact, as a Forum Volunteer here, I have access to additional information that helps to tell the story from angles you might not think of. It’s all the angles combined that form my opinions.

Not everything you see in the news or on this forum tells the full story. Once you’ve been here for a couple of years, you start to learn the real story - that people might be happier than what you see publicly.

The biggest problem with a PAYG debt like this one is when the meter is left spinning for long periods during a void property - it gets into a debt state and digs deeper. That’s not OVO’s fault, that’s just because no-one’s feeding the meter!

As for SSE? I’ll echo the thing I’ve said a great many times on this forum. They wanted to quit the market since around 2017 and OVO was their second attempt at it. The deal with npower fell through in 2018 and got abandoned. Perhaps it was for the best that npower didn’t take it on…?

There are a number of ways of looking at energy supplier customer service. Here are a few. 

Which 

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/energy-companies/article/best-and-worst-energy-companies/which-energy-survey-results-ajqM43e6ycY8

Citizens Advice

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-a-better-energy-deal/compare-domestic-energy-suppliers-customer-service1/

Trustpilot, a few examples

4.2 https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.ovoenergy.com

4.8 https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/octopus.energy

4.5 https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk

4.4 https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/shellenergy.co.uk

4.3 https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.utilita.co.uk

4.2 https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/eonnext.com

4.2 https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.edfenergy.com

4.0 https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.scottishpower.co.uk

3.9 https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.britishgas.co.uk

Hey @PALG,

Really sorry to hear of the issues you’re having,

Have you been able to get through via web chat?

How to get in contact about my OVO Pay As You Go account

• The best way to get in touch with us is via chat here. Just click the green chat icon on the bottom right of your screen. We’re here to help anytime from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm on Saturday.
• Or call us on 0330 175 9669 during the same times.

If you’re with Boost

• Find answers or chat with Boost at boostpower.co.uk/help
• Or call them on 0330 102 7517.

We moved into our new house in July 2022, where OVO was the provider for the solar panels we bought with the house. 

We are now in November 2023, 18 MONTHS AFTER WE GOT THE HOUSE, and we still haven't been paid for our rebate. 

We have had endless conversations, both email and phone, with the latest excuse being the bank details were wrong. We resubmitted the bank details, and was advised it would be 5 days to receive the money, and we are 1.5 weeks past this date and still no rebate. 

What options do i have to request compensation and escalate the complaint further, as its super frustrating that I have to constantly chase for my money for over 18 months, with absolutely no resolution. 

Any help will be super helpful.

Hi @astaigm 

I’m really sorry to hear about all of this.

We don’t have access to accounts here at the Forum, so we’re unable to carry out account specific actions. 

Of course, it would be better if the team can resolve this without needing to action a complaint, but under these circumstances it’s understandable that you’d want to escalate a complaint in your case. You can do all of this here: https://www.ovoenergy.com/feedback.

Keep us updated with how you get on with this issue, it could be helpful for other users in similar circumstances.

Dear OVO Energy Forums,

I am facing an issue where I would like to transfer my FIT payments from OVO Energy to Octopus Energy.

I had a Tesla Powerwall fitted in June 2023, as per the requirements I emailed OVO Energy the schematic of my install, letting them know it did not impact my FIT payments / generation etc. as it’s a completely separated system, but it needs to be added to the CFR as per FIT licensee obligations.

I then initiated the process to move my FIT Payments from OVO to Octopus.

However, Octopus state that they cannot transfer the FIT payments because OVO have not added my Powerwall to the CFR.

I have been trying since June to have Ovo Energy add my Powerwall into the CFR so I can complete the FIT Transfer, but OVO do not seem capable of doing this.

I have an escalation ticket, I have a complaint number.  I phone once a week and each week, it’s the Back Office has it, and yet nothing is ever done.  I’m now out of pocket around £500 from lost export payments.

How can I get OVO to just add my Powerwall into the CFR, so I can be rid of them and have Octopus sort everything for me?

Thanks,

SJCBikes

Hi @sjcbikes unfortunately issues with FIT and SEG appear every week on the forum these days.

If it has been over 8 weeks since you submitted your complaint you can ask the Energy Ombudsman to help

https://www.energyombudsman.org/

Alternatively you could email the ovo CEO, include as much info as possible on your complaint. There is some info in the screenshot below. 

Raman-complaints@ovoenergy.com

8 months ago I sent SSE an up to date meter reading that was significant lower than their previous estimate.

As a result they sent me a refund to correct the balance. Meaning as of that point my readings, billinga and payments were all accurate. 

2 weeks later I got an email saying I was being moved on to a monthly direct debit - I didn't ask for this. I was happy to receive a quarterly bill and then pay it. But apparently this was no longer possible.

They set my direct debit at an amount I judged to be approximately double what it should be, but I wasn't concerned, I assumed I would build up a credit, then could reduce it.

They took 4 payments, then I was automatically migrated to OVO. 

After another 3 payments they have said I'm paying too much and are going to reduce the amount, to a figure closer what I anticipated.

Anyway, tonight I logged on to my account for the first time, expecting to see a credit of approx £500 or so. However it was less than half of this.

After attempting to decipher months of different bills, in different formats and layouts it appears that when the migration occured (not from me changing suppliers, it was their takeover/rebrand/whatever), they only transferred approx £30 credit, despite me paying up to that point nearly £300.

From what I can gather this is because in those initial 4 months (from 21 Feb to 06 June) I paid nearly £300 of direct debits, and they've assumed via estimated readings, I've used 144 units. (In spring / early summer) 

I've just done an actual reading and from 21 Feb to today 8th Nov I've only used 210 units.

Cynically I'm also dubious about the timing of it, the hugely over estimated period is when the unit price was significantly more expensive (nearly 40% more so) 9.78p opposed to 7.02p

How would I go about correcting this? - If the unit price wasnt so wildly different, I wouldn't be concerned because it would even itself out, but the incorrect over payments are during the significantly more expensive period, where to make it more insulting our gas usage was significantly less!

Any contact information or pointers to departments / email address wouls be greatly appreciated. 

Hi,

Your options can be found on https://ovoenergy.com/feedback for this. Please make sure to read the entire page carefully first as it explains the entire process. Just as a tip, try to avoid jumping the gun if you can - skipping stages won’t make things any faster.

Hey @Antman,

Sorry for the issues you’re having,

If the final meter reading on the closing statement from your previous supplier, and opening reading from OVO are out of line estimates you may be eligible for a read dispute:

• Meter Reading Disputes - What are they? F.A.Q.

Hi,

new to this forum,

glad I found it as having issues with ovo, or should I say Arthur Daleys cowboys.  

I’m pulling my hair out with this company ovo.
I was migrated from sse and was in credit by300 pounds after
Sending regular meter readings and direct debit payments, 
And have been with ovo  for about a year, in credit and sending readings each month,
On November this year moved back in with my parents to help save for a house and phoned ovo with my final readings,
There app said 700 pounds in credit and I look forward as it would help towards Xmas, 
A week later I checked the app and to my horror I was 5000 pound in debt.
I been on the phone everyday to ovo as this is causing me stress and they just say it because your not fully migrated yet,
But I have received an email saying I was,
You phone them and explain your problem and they put you on hold and after 45 mins,it rings off or get taken up by another customer service adviser and have to start again and they put you back on hold and then it ends call ,
You ring again and go round in circles, asking to speak to a manager, sorry manger don’t take calls..
Best we can do is put in a request for someone to phone you with 48 hours,
They never do and just fob you off.
They mentioned collection agent or balliffs and I was terrified.
The company are so so bad and wish I had never got transferred.
I put in a complain but not holding my breath.
It’s one of these company you want to drive down to their call centre and kick off.
I will carry on calling them but have to wait for six weeks before going to ombudsman,

Any advice…. Bryan 

Hi @Brybry44 ,

Your best bet in this case is the options found at https://ovoenergy.com/feedback .

Please review ALL the options on that page - don’t just go straight for the first one you see.