Why am I still getting charged for gas? - My faulty gas meter was removed!

I had my gas meter removed by OVO in May  2022 ( free in case you’re interested, they said when removal was booked it would be £106 then said no charge just beforehand!) as changed to ASHP

still charging for gas supply despite hours on phone and chat line on 6-7 occasions, each time told it’s been escalated and sent to meter team or waiting for national database etc . Since early December my account has disappeared from app message says waiting for switch information takes up to 6 weeks and cannot access for readings or useage etc, been with I’ve here for 6-7 years,no switch.

eventually I wrote email to complaints couple of days ago , not expecting much no acknowledgement even.. it’s like Hotel California.. the experience is same as others on here , frustrating, concerning , Hopeless. Friendly , helpful people but totally unable to help so far . I also had a prepayment meter card sent to me 3 months ago for gas that I don’t use and a non existent meter.

also cannot switch now because of all the above, trapped!!

# been with OVO for 6-7 years# at this address 

Yesterday I received an email telling me that they’d had electricity and Gas meter readings that did not tally with my previous useage, please could I send photos of my meters. Not by me they haven’t!

1. I’ve not been able to submit any electricity readings for 3 months as my OVO app still says “ waiting for Switch information “

2. I haven’t had gas meter for 7-8 months now  

have sent photos of electric meter And absent Gas Meter yellow Tag.

maybe something is happening, though no reply or acknowledgement to Email formal complaint yet.

And have just received email acknowledgement of email complaint sent on 1/02/23 advising that they’re Very Busy !!

Or Maybe it is automated response to the photos of meters I’ve just sent… probably 

Hey @Jonpit,

Really sorry to hear this,

I’ll get Forum_Support to reach out, please keep and eye on your private messages.

Hope this helps. 

Hi Emmanuelle_OVO

thank you, Any help would be appreciated.

So, no further contact, except, having sent photographs of my electricity meter And absent gas meter yellow tags as requested one week ago . Today I got a call from OVO telling me that I needed to send meter readings because they’ve been relying on estimates ‘ for some time’ ie since I have had No access to OVO App or account in November and no request for readings by email plus Ovo’s still wanting readings from a gas meter that OVO removed on 13 May 2022.

*Edited by Mod*

Hey @Jonpit,

Sorry to hear you’re still having issues, that sounds like a really frustrating experience.

Forum_Support will be in touch this week. It sounds like it’s already been raised to the right team but there isn’t a timeframe for this to be sorted, you could try and get this resolved sooner by raising a complaint. 

Really hope this gets sorted for you as soon as possible. 

The response always seems to be to raise a complaint but the complaint process isn't fixing this problem. I saw a post this week suggesting OVO increase the number of customer service agents to help reduce waiting times. I would suggest OVO also need to improve the capability of the customer service agents so problems like this are actually fixed within a reasonable timescale.

I have ‘ raised a complaint’ some 10 days ago now but not yet had a response!

i believe I have to wait 8 weeks from above before I could contact the ombudsman!

i reiterate that the helpline staff and everyone I’ve spoken to or messaged at OVO have been amazing, calm and helpful, just that there’s a block in the system that doesn’t allow them to solve this problem.

needs some more work on software, metering or communications , maybe getting the national gas “ grid” to operate effectively.

is this another example of incompetent government systems, and body responsible ignoring our needs or is it just OVO systems?

I'm having a go at escalating the problem to some senior customer care people at OVO. Let's see if that gets us anywhere.

We had our gas meter removed and capped in June 2022.  Still not removed from our energy account.  In fact, the history of our account has disappeared as far as 2020 and we haven’t had any electricity billing since July 2022. We have gone through a winter of the highest energy costs in history without knowing what our bills will be. After many, many phone calls, emails and webchats, I have had to escalate the issue with the ombudsman. 

Just a tip, though, if you use the webchat, screenshot the dialogue as the transcript request process is also broken!

Welcome to the gang ☺️ and keep us updated on your progress.

My ombudsman complaint has come back to me for comment after OVO responded. Reading the internal comms that were attached to the complaint it's clear that OVO doesn't have a process for handling the removal of gas meters. The issue gets bounced from team to team then ignored until the customer complains again.

This is a problem that is only going to get worse as more people get rid of their gas appliances. I hope that OVO are looking at their processes and working out how to fix this, rather than ignoring it until the next customer comes along.

I have been assured today that it’s all sorted out!

will let you know.

if so Linda and Roy will deserve elevation.

My Latest email in response to HELP at OVO email telling me that they’ve got my bills wrong!

 

hi…
Bills are Still wrong, if you check you will find that I don’t have/ use any gas.

My Gas Meter was removed on 13 May 2022, by yourselves.

You continue to charge daily charge for Gas.

Numerous promises over the last 9 months to sort this out! 

Latest call on Friday 24 feb telling me it’s all done… it’s not.

I also do not have access to OVO app because you say you’re processing a Non-Existent Switch. 

I was Also told on Friday that this had been sorted out.. it’s Not.

Seems your computer systems and messages on system are Rubbish.

Please forward to …….. and ….., …….. said she’d phone on Monday.. she didn’t.

Account no……





Sent from space

It would be good if this issue was sorted before OVO launch a heat pump offering. 

Can you imagine the mayhem of 1000s of people trying to get their gas meter standing charges removed.

I am surprised OVO ever let these cases get to the Ombudsman. I would be quite embarrassed about the whole thing if i worked for OVO in this area. 

Good to know it is possible. 

That really doesn’t bode well, does it?  Are you any closer to a resolution? 

On the 21st of Dec 2022 we contacted OVO to inform them that we have converted to 100% electric and no longer need gas . Therefore wanted to cancel the contract. On the 30th Dec 2022 we received confirmation from OVO that the meter would be removed within 45 days. It has not yet been removed and OVO are still taking the Direct Debit of £23 per month from my bank account. We no longer consume any gas and therefore, do not understand why we are still being debited and are paying the service charge of £8.83 per month.

We have tried, unsuccessfully, to contact OVO by phone, email to the complaints department and chat line.

Out of desperation and frustration we have asked OVO if we should refer this matter to the Ombudsman and have had no reponse.

Below is how OVO claim to resolve issues:

“Let us know if you have an issue

Our expert team will try to resolve it straight away wherever possible. We’ll say sorry if we’ve made a mistake, explain what went wrong, and fix any issues.”

The desirable outcome would be for OVO to resolve this immediately by having the meter removed, stop taking our money and refund any money they have taken since we gave them notice.

If for whatever reason this is not possible we would be happy get in touch with anybody else who finds themselves in this unacceptable situation and go to the Ombudsman together.

If you want my advice I'd suggest you cancel the request for OVO to remove your meter. Then change supplier (I'd recommend Octopus) and get them to remove your meter. If you stick with OVO you'll end up in the same situation as those of us on the thread I've linked to... still paying the standing charge months later and with complaints raised with the ombudsman.

OVO boast 30,000 5 star Truspilot Reviews. Impressive.

However, I wonder what the other 99.4% of the 5 million UK customers think?

Two questions come to mind:

How many of their 5 million customers (and ex customers) are paying for gas and or electricity that they are no longer being supplied, 

How many are still paying a service charge for a meter that has either been removed or has still not been removed despite the customers best endeavours?

• We installed an ASHP so no longer needed Gas and having solar panel as well we were also not using gas during the summer months for hot water.
• Our gas supply was disconnected through Ovo in September 2022 at a cost of £160 taken from our online account which we pay by DD (gas & electricity).
• In December I received our statement and we had been charged for using Gas, estimated reading even though I gave a final reading (I also have a photograph of the removed meter).
• I call Ovo to inform them but as a long standing customer I am on their old system (Apollo) and so the automated account recognition to the call centre does not work and when connected to an agent I am then transferred, put on hold, transferred again until someone can eventually access my account.
• In December the service agent told me that there was nothing that they could do about the charges and that “a case” needed to be raised which would take 32 days to be responded to regarding my account charges for gas. I queried this and they were insistent, I highlighted that I would then be charged for gas again for the next month and the advice given by them was to cancel my DD payment. I ignored this as it would affect my credit rating but took a note of the case number raised.
• On the same day as the above I made a formal complaint to Ovo by email with the case number and account number clearly called out recapping the above and have never received a response.
• In January since I had heard nothing I raised this issue on the Ovo forum and quickly got replies that other customers had similar issues, after several posts an Ovo representative replied and said they would help.
• I then received a direct message (DM) from the Ovo representative stating that they would looking in to this, they asked for more information so I provide everything, cut and pasted the complaint emails into the chat. I was then contact by another representative stating that they would cancel my gas so no further charges would occur apart from the standing charge whilst they investigated and resolved the issue.
• Since then I have heard nothing back and have chased again last week as I received my latest statement where Ovo have charged myself another £257 for gas I have not used.
• I raised this by DM on the forum to the representative and informed them that I would be contacting 3rd parties but have heard nothing back.,
• My account also seems to now be locked in some way as I am unable to provide meter readings for electricity or reconfirm again my final gas meter reading either on the app or on a browser, chrome etc.

The irony is that I join Ovo nearly 10 years ago because of their great customer service when they were a small team based in Brighton.

Are there any small claims cases in progress with Ovo?