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Can OVO back-bill me further than 12 months due to errors?

  • 4 August 2023
  • 19 replies
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B
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Hi everyone,

Getting desperate for help now.  Ovo have last month billed me almost £3000 for a 3 month period back in 2020.  I have a separate final bill received back in 2020 which shows as paid, in fact it actually shows a credit balance.

They are now persistently threatening me and chasing for the £3000 which I clearly don’t owe them.

I have phoned multiple times, I have emailed them as per their complaints procedure (on 18 July) I have also whatsap’d them.  

I’ve had no response to my email; when I phone they say it will be sorted; in whats app they give up.

How on earth do I get the complaints team or frankly anyone at Ovo to actually address this issue please?

Thank you for any advice..

 

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Best answer by BPLightlog 4 August 2023, 14:29

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BPLightlog
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Updated on 16/08/23 by Abby_OVO

 

What is a back-bill?

 

We send a back-bill, or ‘catch-up’ bill, when we haven’t charged correctly for energy use. This can be through inaccurate bills or not being billed at all. Back-bills can be for any amount, and may be a result of:

  • Technical or human error on the member's account which has meant that a statement hasn’t been received within the regular timescale
  •  A customer has provided a reading that is higher than previous estimated readings used on their statements.
  • Mismatch between the data OVO holds and the actual setup of the meter for example crossed meters, or if a customer had a meter exchange which wasn’t updated before the switched to us

 

What is a Back-bill Write Off? 

 

Where we've issued a back-bill for usage over 12 months old, not covered by payments made at the time and the reason for the delay in this billing is not the customer's fault, we'll apply a write-off. This back-bill write-off will be a credit applied to the account to cover the difference between the updated usage and the payments made at the time.

The main situations where we'll write off usage prior to 12 months ago are: 

  • We haven't billed the customer
  • We've billed an account but not for all usage at the property i.e. only one fuel was billed
  • We've billed the customer inaccurately due to a technical or administrative error

 

See below for Ofgem’s official recommendations on back-billing from BPLightlog.

This is the Ofgem information regarding back-billing https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/check-energy-back-billing-rules

 

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hey @Beverly24,

 

Really sorry to hear this,

 

I’ll get Forum_Support to reach out. Please keep an eye on your private messages.

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
T
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Hi all

Long story

had a smart meter installed august 21. Never worked. As no signal to meter. Ovo never resolved. 
checking account and noticed no consumption being charged. Informed Ovo. They were aware billing has stopped and trying to resolve (Feb 22) .

Nov 22 - still no resolve  

keep checking app, providing manual meter readings, paying the amount as instructed by Ovo app  

1/8/23 - account is in credit by £1000+
7/8/23 - receive bill for over £4,400  account in debit. Checked all bills. Tarif changed from 37p to 76p - should be on 37p (2 year fix and protect until April 24).

 

does anyone know how this is possible? Have tried to resolve over webchat but they can’t help. All the bills I have received from May 2020 all have a generated date of 8/8/23.

 

please help/offer advice. I think Ovo are trying to resolve back dates bills over 12 months old can they do this? Can they change my tariff to resolve this??

 


 

Jeffus
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Hi @tesh1981

Sorry to hear that shocking experience. No issue should take since August 2021 to resolve. Blimey that is 2 years!

I will flag one of the ovo moderators to see if they have any comments before I post some comments. 

T
Rank

Hi @tesh1981

Sorry to hear that shocking experience. No issue should take since August 2021 to resolve. Blimey that is 2 years!

I will flag one of the ovo moderators to see if they have any comments before I post some comments. 

Thanks Jeffus. 

BPLightlog
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 …
All the bills I have received from May 2020 all have a generated date of 8/8/23.


 

Unfortunately whenever you open a bill, it shows the current date so unless you save a copy locally it will not give you a definitive date of posting. 
If like some of us you think that’s not right, there’s an idea posted on the subject

 

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
T
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Hi. 
that’s the thing - I have had a bill showing consumption usage since May 2020

T
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Hi. 
that’s the thing - I have had a bill showing consumption usage since May 2020

Sorry that’s “haven’t had a bill…”

BPLightlog
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Hi. 
that’s the thing - I have had a bill showing consumption usage since May 2020

Sorry that’s “haven’t had a bill…”

There are Ofgem rules on back-billing

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/check-energy-back-billing-rules

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
T
Rank

Thank you for that. I did read up on that. But playing devils advocate here - I think Ovo have changed my tariff (doubled it) to counteract the fact they haven’t charged for consumption for the year 21-22. For this year the bill is £4,400. Isn’t the price cap supposed to stop prevent this? 

BPLightlog
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Thank you for that. I did read up on that. But playing devils advocate here - I think Ovo have changed my tariff (doubled it) to counteract the fact they haven’t charged for consumption for the year 21-22. For this year the bill is £4,400. Isn’t the price cap supposed to stop prevent this? 

Put the price cap to one side for now (that’s based on tariffs not total cost), if you have a fixed tariff, they can’t change that arbitrarily 

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
T
Rank

I am (or was) on a 2 year fix and protect which ends April 24 at 37.45p now it’s shot up to 76.41p. 
 


 

T
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BPLightlog
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Ok - it’s good that you still have your original info. They have to use this. If Jeffus has tagged a moderator, let’s see what they suggest. 
 

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Abby_OVO
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Hey @tesh1981 

 

Sorry to hear about all of this, let me have our Forum Support reach out to you to see what they can do to help with this.

 

Look out for a PM here from the team soon: https://forum.ovoenergy.com/inbox/overview 

 

Location: Electric Avenue
C
Rank

Hi there

my dad is 77 and lives by himself on an island. He has went downhill and has been in and out of hospital and is now in a nursing home closer to me. 
I have been sorting out all his bills which he kept up to date but just realised he had never set up a direct debit for his electricity as he would always go into bank monthly when bills came in. 
I have just realised he never got a bill from ovo in over a year so has paid nothing. They have just sent a bill after my husband phoned them with every bill since January this year as I recently paid oct22-dec 22 when it came in last month. 
he has racked up a bill of over £2000. I know he has used this but had the bills came in monthly he would have kept on top of it. Is there anything  can do about this or has anyone been in this situation?

I am just angry they never sent any bills or came out for an actual reading.

Jeffus
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Sorry to hear that. 

1. Did he use to receive paper bills in the post and these stopped for some reason? 

2. Was he one of the people who were transferred from sse to ovo? 

3. Do you know if he was signed up for the priority service register and meter readings? 

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/article/priority-services-register

You could look at the back billing rules to see if they apply. 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-energy-back-billing-rules

B
Rank

Hi there - I wonder if any mods can help.

I have sent numerous emails to complaints at OVO but have not received a response.  I am being chased (backbilled) for energy usage in 2022 despite not receiving the final bill until over a year later (Mar 24).

It is now being passed to a debt collection agency so I’m likely to have to contact the energy Ombudsman to ask for a deadlock.

I have supplied a link to this very thread on all communications I have sent and asked to be contacted via email only as the documentation may be needed that can’t be elicited from phone calls.

OVO appear to have plenty of capacity to chase the debt but zero time to resolve the complaint.

I wonder if this forum might be of better service.

Cheers,

Ben.

ChristopherS_OVO
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Hey @bendyb, 

 

I’m really sorry for the issues you’ve been experiencing trying to get a response, that’s definitely not the experience we want for our customers.

 

I’m going to have our Forum_Support team reach out to you so they can look into this further.

 

Look out for a private message here soon: https://forum.ovoenergy.com/inbox/overview.

 

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