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Historic bills keep changing and random huge Balance Adjustment has appeared with no explanation

  • 21 September 2023
  • 116 replies
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116 replies

R
Rank

Not yet. My account is now on Billing Hold. So now I don't even get paper bills. I have made a complaint but just get told there is no time frame to sort this. I am an accounts manager and don't believe this is good practice. 

Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hey @Racheal,

 

I’m really sorry to hear this,

 

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

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
Jeffus
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Userlevel 7
Badge +2

Keep an eye here

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/inbox/overview

H
Rank

What does migrated debt or outstanding balance mean and how can I have either a debt or an outstanding balance when I have always been on a key meter and never been in debt until recently when I couldn't afford to top my meter and i was given some credit to top my meter up.

 

Blastoise186
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Userlevel 7
Badge +1

Hmm… You shouldn’t have a £000 debt like that.

Can you show me some photos real quick?

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
C
Rank

Hello,

I am desperately trying to get in touch with OVO about my August bill but can't get an answer from them. But maybe someone here will be able to help!

We have had a £500+ charge in August labelled as "balance transfer", anyone knows what it is?

Because it's a 'transfer' I imagine it's something to do with the SSE acquisition, but customer service kept telling me it was due to my meter readings (which doesn't make sense).

Blastoise186
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Userlevel 7
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Balance transfers are more likely than not related to a migrated balance that came over from SSE.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
C
Rank

Yes that's what we thought but I don't understand why customer services couldn't confirm that.

Also, I've read online that people received a letter explaining the extra charge, is that something we should have had? We weren't actually customer with SSE so I think they are trying to transfer the balance from the previous owners. The charge was added to the bill without any explanation 

Blastoise186
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Userlevel 7
Badge +1

I can’t access your account, so I can’t really help you with that I’m afraid. Try https://ovoenergy.com/feedback if you still need help.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
Jeffus
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Userlevel 7
Badge +2

Yes that's what we thought but I don't understand why customer services couldn't confirm that.

Also, I've read online that people received a letter explaining the extra charge, is that something we should have had? We weren't actually customer with SSE so I think they are trying to transfer the balance from the previous owners. The charge was added to the bill without any explanation 

@Cap

It is likely to be a standard meter reading dispute where the final meter reading the previous occupants summited were much lower than the reading you submitted. Obviously I can't be certain. 

A process should have been triggered by OVO to attempt to ascertain who is correct as part of your complaint. 

Just to warn you the process isn't quick in some cases. 

There are fairly regular posts about this on the forum. For example. 

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/switching-suppliers-and-moving-home-144/no-progress-in-meter-reading-dispute-poor-customer-support-15133

Just a thought. You have opened a couple of threads. It might be easier to get support on your overall issue if you just post in one thread. 

Abby_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 6

Hey @heidi41c 

 

Did you get to the bottom of the debt, or speak to the Support Team about this? Like Blastoise186 mentioned, the appearance of the debt like that doesn’t sound typical.

Location: Electric Avenue
L

Hi,

I've been with OVO since March of this year and transferred from SSE. Today I've gone into my account to find nearly 300.00 of my credit had been removed as a "balance adjustment " no explanation. 

Are they able to just do this. Surely it cant be to do with transfer as that was 9 months ago. 

Any advice on what to do now appreciated.

S
Rank

Hi been moved from ssevto ovo without being advised. Sse still taking direct debits and ovo have no record of my history with SSE and I was in credit for my gas. Now OVO have sent me a gas bill. I have called them but customer service completely useless all I was told I will need to set up a new account,.

Where's my payments I've been making to SSE First!!! I have have now moved suppliers thank goodness  

Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hey @Linzi Cooper,

 

Sorry for the issues you’re having,

 

This may be due to a read dispute, where the opening and closing meter readings were adjusted to be more in line with your usage. A re-bill from your previous supplier may have resulted in an arrears or ‘balance adjustment’ being transferred across.

 

The support team will be able to confirm what’s happened here. 

 

These topics may have some helpful advice:

 

 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hey @Shelby76,

 

I’m sorry to hear this,

 

Are you pay as you go or pay monthly? This should help me advise next steps. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
S
Rank

I was on pay monthly just received another bill for gas seriously !!! You've been having my money and I was in credit for gas

Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hey @Shelby76,

 

Unfortunately we don’t have access to your account here on the OVO Forum.

 

My assumption from what you’ve said, is that maybe your previous credit balance hasn’t yet been migrated across. Any direct debits made to your old supplier will get transferred across. The direct debit should also be moved across to OVO.

 

If you’re concerned, you could cancel the existing direct debit and re-instate it with OVO.

 

Our customer support agents have access to an archive where they should be able to see the old bills, balances and payments made to the old supplier.

 

I hope this helps. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
D
Rank

I’m at a bit of a loss after over 2 months trying to deal with customer service.

My first contact with them was after a ‘balance adjustment’ was added to my bill for over £1300.  There’s been no major change in our energy usage and it’s a small semi detatched house.  I am certain that this charge is an error, although it’s hard to establish as no-one can give any further information on how it was calculated..

I spent many calls being bounced between Ovo and SSE, no-one was able to give any further information or even confirm what the charge was for.  After 2 weeks or so of this I raised a complaint and was given a complaint number  and handler.  I thought this would move things forward but in the 2 months since I have received nothing following the first contact.  I have emailed numerous times: unanswered.  I’ve called the Ovo helpline and complaints helpline numerous times to chase things up.  First I was told wait 28 days, then that the complaint was closed, then that it was reopened.  Each time I’m promised someone will call me shortly but then nothing happens.  This morning I get a generic billing email saying the charge will start going out of my direct debit.

I assume I’m at the point where I have to escalate the complaint to the ombudsman but it seems crazy no-one is able to actually look into this on the part of Ovo.  I’m assuming further escalation will take time and in the meantime I do not want money taken out by direct debit for this erroneous charge.  Does anyone else have any experience of trying to deal with something like this?  If so, what helped in your case?

A
Rank

For the second time since migrating from SSE, my Ovo bill is wrong.  This time, instead of using the closing meter reading of the previous bill, they’ve used the opening reading of the previous bill.  How is this even possible, surely this is all automated…

So please - especially ex-SSE customers - check your bills.

Jeffus
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +2

Hi @andykelp 

I don't work for ovo, I am just a customer like you.

That does seem strange.

Would be worth checking online that ovo haven't reissued any of your old bills

Do you have a working smart meter?

Have you spoken to ovo about it yet?

M
Rank
Userlevel 2

I’m not sure I can take much more of this.  Ovo seem to go back and change my previous bills at random with totally fictitious meter readings.

 

I fought long and hard for 2 months to get a previous error corrected and was back to around £1800 in credit plus a £100 compensation and I thought I could relax.

 

Logged in on Friday and yet again they have altered previous bills and suddenly I am only £900 in credit.  What the hell is going on!   I have only been fully migrated since 13th August and have already had at least 6 mistakes made.  

 

I have never felt so stressed out dealing with a company.  

Jeffus
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +2

Hi @Maureen D 

Sorry to hear that, I am just a customer like you 

Vote for this if you haven't already 

 

A
Rank

Hi Jeffus. My meters (there are two as it’s THTC) are non-smart.  I’ve emailed Ovo this morning but I like your idea of rechecking the older bills which I’ll do later today.  Thank you.

M
Rank
Hello all.
 
In june/july this year, like many we were forcibly switched from SSE to OVO. at SSE we were in several hundreds of credit on the switch to ovo that seemed to have halfed. ovo said that was due to the final bill being paid. fast forward to today i've gone to check our usage given the cold weather and found that they adjusted my balance after that call and added a balance adjustment of £1000! why would they do that and what do i need to know to dispute this? being ona  fixed tarrif the bills never changed so I had no reason to check anything was out of the ordinary. can I challange this at all?
 
I'd be greatful for the help, as it seems like an unreasonable adujustment.
 
thank you.
M
Rank
Userlevel 2

Welcome to the club!  I have just spent 2 months in dispute eventually going to the Ombudsman to get it sorted out and a goodwill payment sent, and now they have done something similar again.

 

I honestly don’t know what they are playing at sadly.  Good luck with trying to sort it out.  Make sure you download every bill you can as they mysteriously disappear from their system and altered ones appear with no explanation.

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