High estimated bills but the property is empty?

We had the exact same issue, charged 5X using estimated readings for NULL consumption while away.

We have a smart meter, which was publishing normally to the national database throughout the time in question.

This is what became obvious in the 5 months we were arguing with OVO:

1) OVO customer care team cannot do anything about this

2) The agents here only write generic things, they cannot do anything about this either

3) We could access our own data consumption through this website: https://data.n3rgy.com/home, which publishes power consumption from the NATIONAL DATABASE, every single day, to the hour (for smart meters).

But get this, OVO said that THEY could not get these data from the national database, which is why they "had to" charge using estimates.

4) OVO's "estimates" reflected 5 TIMES MORE the consumption of the NATIONAL AVERAGE CONSUMPTION that they publish in their OWN website (https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/how-much-electricity-does-a-home-use), basically around 500 pounds consumption for a normal 2 person household. This is a joke of course!

5) We raised the case with the energy ombudsman, who retrieved actual database readings and forced OVO to use them.

6) Our case was a bit more complex, as half of our readings were with SSE, and the two companies kept sendings us back and forth, such that to avoid using actual readings on the SSE's end. So even though they were forced by the ombudsman to correct the readings on the OVO side, they kept "estimating" readings on the SSE side, always resulting in 500 pound consumption.

7) We kept raising this and sending our evidence to the ombudsman team and their complaints team over months. I am talking about dozens of emails and several phonecalls, no exaggeration here. 

At all this time, we were harassed almost daily by their credit team, and occasionally an outside debt collector team!

8)  Eventually a "special agent" picked up our case. The special agent took into account our evidence of zero consumption, and corrected our bill, 5 moths later, after countless hours of trying to contact OVO, and after being harassed dozens of times by the credit team and debt collectors!

I strongly urge everyone to leave OVO for a competitor, as we did right after the first inflated bill, as this might be the only way for them to actually get this feedback and start treating their customers with respect, instead of using inexcusable tactics to rip them off!!! 

I’m afraid posts like that don’t perform well here. A lot of people don’t search the forum before posting, so your urges will probably go unnoticed by most folks.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/21/ofgem-orders-ovo-energy-to-improve-customer-service-serious-concerns-complaints

You could also post on Trustpilot if you haven't already @vanagnost 

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

@Jeffus thank you for sharing the article, I am glad to hear that finally somebody stepped up to advocate for the customers! Such practices are immoral to paying customers!

So i have been renting a property, do to issues ive never stayed there and am now returning it to landlord.

ovo have been estimating the gas usage as the smart meter wasnt working (nice of them to tell me) so the electricity usage is super low, and the gas is “normal”

there has been no one there, no heating on, no gas usage aside form a few times when someone hos been in there for plumbers etc to come round and the copy paste customer support just keeps spouting of but your account says this.

is there any way to get this rectified other than sending it to a judge as im not paying £200 for energy for a place no one has spent a night in and doesnt even have a fridge in it

Hi @mark2410 , you don’t say how long this was for. You could update the reading to actual (take or get a reading from the smart meter) which could help. 
Additionally there will be the standing charge to pay of course. 

As already said, the way to get an estimated usage corrected is to send a meter reading of the actual usage.

If you will be leaving the property (giving it back to the landlord)  then you should take photos of both the Gas and Electricity meter readings on the day that your tenancy ends, that’s your proof of what they said at the end of your tenancy and so what actual usage you are liable to pay for.

PS. If you move out before the tenancy ends then you are still legally liable for any usage and the standing charges from when you move out until the tenancy actually ends, that’s the way tenancy law works.
(Unless of course the landlord changes the accounts into his name before the tenancy end, in which case you are liable up to that change of account).

almost 2 months in total.  hits exactly 2 months tomorrow.

frankly im not sure what used that amount of electricity, but it at least seems plausible. the gas does not.