Has anyone else had a continual ongoing battle with ovo to try and stop endless price increases? so far my 'fixed rate' dd payments have increased from £76 pcm to their current estimate of £293 pcm... for a small 3 bed semi!!! any suggestions about how to prevent my impending bankruptcy at the hands of ovo energy? TIA.
Solved
I feel like my Direct Debit Check In is totally unfair, why has it increased?
Best answer by Darran_OVO
Updated on 22/08/25 by Abby_OVO
How do Direct Debits work?
A Direct Debit is an automatic monthly payment set up with your bank or building society. You can choose which day you want the payment to go out each month, and your bank will sort the rest.
Once your Direct Debit is set up, you don’t need to do anything else to make your payments.
Why paying by Direct Debit is the best way to pay
Direct Debit is usually the simplest and cheapest way to pay for your energy. This is because:
-
You don’t have to remember to make payments each month – it’s all done automatically
-
You’ll get a cheaper rate if you’re on our variable Simpler Energy tariff
-
You’ll pay the same every month for your energy, which can help with budgeting
-
A Direct Debit spreads your energy costs evenly over the year, which means you’re less likely to have to pay more in winter
How does OVO work out my monthly Direct Debit?
The aim is to make sure you have credit for 1 month’s payment in your OVO account by the end of March. This is to help cover any change in your home energy use over the course of the year.
For new customers, this only comes into effect once you’ve reached March. When you first join, the aim is to make sure you have no balance left to pay after 1 year.
Why is my Direct Debit increasing when my balance is in credit?
It’s normal for a credit balance to build up in your energy account over summer, when energy use is usually lower. This credit can help pay for your energy in winter, when most homes use more. It helps you spread your energy costs over time.
Even if your energy account is in credit, sometimes your Direct Debit payments still need to increase.
This could be the case if we’ve worked out that your OVO account is likely to have a debt balance long term – based on how much energy your home is predicted to use.
You can always choose to get a credit refund if you prefer. Request one at any time in your online account, in our app, or over the phone. You just need to leave credit in there for 1 month’s payment. This is in line with our refund policy.
It’s important you have all the info, then you can decide what’s best for you.
-
If you request a refund online, sometimes we’ll need to confirm this over the phone. This is to make sure you have the details of how it’ll affect your energy account.
-
Getting a refund might mean your Direct Debit payments will need to increase, once your account has less credit in it.
How we check you’re paying the right amount
Your Direct Debit payment amount will be regularly reviewed to make sure it still covers your home’s energy use.
We’ll let you know if your Direct Debit amount needs to change to keep your energy account balance up to date.
For even more info on how our Direct Debits work, check out this short YouTube video.
Have we received your meter readings recently?
The more information we have about your usage patterns, the better we’re able to predict what you’ll use in future. If you haven’t already got one installed, we’d really recommend getting a Smart meter installed, which will automatically track what you’ve been using. If not be sure to remember to submit your meter readings at least monthly (you can submit these on the ‘Meter Readings’ page of your online account). This can really help your suggested Direct Debit amount become more accurate and avoid large increases to your Direct Debit amount in future.
Is there any support available if I’m struggling to pay for my energy?
If you’re worried about your payments changing or you can’t afford them, please speak to our team. We can make sure you get financial support that’s tailored to you and your situation. There are many options available for anyone who needs help. We have a dedicated Library section on the Forum all about the additional support available.
To get in touch with our team:
-
Sign up to our online tool at ovoenergy.com/payment-support and we can find the best plan for you.
-
Call us on 0800 069 9831. We’re open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
Updated on 22/08/25 by Abby_OVO
How do Direct Debits work?
A Direct Debit is an automatic monthly payment set up with your bank or building society. You can choose which day you want the payment to go out each month, and your bank will sort the rest.
Once your Direct Debit is set up, you don’t need to do anything else to make your payments.
Why paying by Direct Debit is the best way to pay
Direct Debit is usually the simplest and cheapest way to pay for your energy. This is because:
-
You don’t have to remember to make payments each month – it’s all done automatically
-
You’ll get a cheaper rate if you’re on our variable Simpler Energy tariff
-
You’ll pay the same every month for your energy, which can help with budgeting
-
A Direct Debit spreads your energy costs evenly over the year, which means you’re less likely to have to pay more in winter
How does OVO work out my monthly Direct Debit?
The aim is to make sure you have credit for 1 month’s payment in your OVO account by the end of March. This is to help cover any change in your home energy use over the course of the year.
For new customers, this only comes into effect once you’ve reached March. When you first join, the aim is to make sure you have no balance left to pay after 1 year.
Why is my Direct Debit increasing when my balance is in credit?
It’s normal for a credit balance to build up in your energy account over summer, when energy use is usually lower. This credit can help pay for your energy in winter, when most homes use more. It helps you spread your energy costs over time.
Even if your energy account is in credit, sometimes your Direct Debit payments still need to increase.
This could be the case if we’ve worked out that your OVO account is likely to have a debt balance long term – based on how much energy your home is predicted to use.
You can always choose to get a credit refund if you prefer. Request one at any time in your online account, in our app, or over the phone. You just need to leave credit in there for 1 month’s payment. This is in line with our refund policy.
It’s important you have all the info, then you can decide what’s best for you.
-
If you request a refund online, sometimes we’ll need to confirm this over the phone. This is to make sure you have the details of how it’ll affect your energy account.
-
Getting a refund might mean your Direct Debit payments will need to increase, once your account has less credit in it.
How we check you’re paying the right amount
Your Direct Debit payment amount will be regularly reviewed to make sure it still covers your home’s energy use.
We’ll let you know if your Direct Debit amount needs to change to keep your energy account balance up to date.
For even more info on how our Direct Debits work, check out this short YouTube video.
Have we received your meter readings recently?
The more information we have about your usage patterns, the better we’re able to predict what you’ll use in future. If you haven’t already got one installed, we’d really recommend getting a Smart meter installed, which will automatically track what you’ve been using. If not be sure to remember to submit your meter readings at least monthly (you can submit these on the ‘Meter Readings’ page of your online account). This can really help your suggested Direct Debit amount become more accurate and avoid large increases to your Direct Debit amount in future.
Is there any support available if I’m struggling to pay for my energy?
If you’re worried about your payments changing or you can’t afford them, please speak to our team. We can make sure you get financial support that’s tailored to you and your situation. There are many options available for anyone who needs help. We have a dedicated Library section on the Forum all about the additional support available.
To get in touch with our team:
-
Sign up to our online tool at ovoenergy.com/payment-support and we can find the best plan for you.
-
Call us on 0800 069 9831. We’re open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
HI Darren,
I have a smart meter. I would very much like it to be checked.
Thanks for your response,
Vicky
I have a smart meter. I would very much like it to be checked.
Thanks for your response,
Vicky
Hey
It's good to hear you have a Smart Meter, as that should have been sending us readings each month so we've been able to record what you've been using.
As I mentioned Direct Debit increases are usually due to the amount you are paying per month, not actually covering what you are using so if you can check your account, that will help us narrow down what's going on.
Darran
Victsandy
I live in a medium sized 3 bedroom semi with storage radiators for heating and no gas appliances.
My monthly Direct debit is £164 and I am advised to increase this to £205 so your recommended increase does seem excessive, Unless you have a lot of debt with OVO.
Or you are on a variable tariff.
I asked "My Ovo" several times by email and phone why the Direct Debit requirements varied with monthly regularity and eventually received this reply;
"Thank you for taking the time to email us today and thank you for taking the time to speak over the phone. As discussed, the meter read issue will be looked at and resolved after the engineer has been out and has done some tests. In regards to the Direct Debit, My OVO will always give you a recommended Direct Debit amount that will change all the time based on your balance, the time of year + weather conditions etc, it is however just a recommendation, If your payments are drastically too low at any point we will email you asking you to have a look at your payments. "
I suggest you take and keep regular meter readings so that you can work out a pattern to you electricity usage and then will be able to make predictions about future usage.
Also check your Usage Charts for previous months to see what pattern they may indicate.
Then work out what you think future costs will be.
I live in a medium sized 3 bedroom semi with storage radiators for heating and no gas appliances.
My monthly Direct debit is £164 and I am advised to increase this to £205 so your recommended increase does seem excessive, Unless you have a lot of debt with OVO.
Or you are on a variable tariff.
I asked "My Ovo" several times by email and phone why the Direct Debit requirements varied with monthly regularity and eventually received this reply;
"Thank you for taking the time to email us today and thank you for taking the time to speak over the phone. As discussed, the meter read issue will be looked at and resolved after the engineer has been out and has done some tests. In regards to the Direct Debit, My OVO will always give you a recommended Direct Debit amount that will change all the time based on your balance, the time of year + weather conditions etc, it is however just a recommendation, If your payments are drastically too low at any point we will email you asking you to have a look at your payments. "
I suggest you take and keep regular meter readings so that you can work out a pattern to you electricity usage and then will be able to make predictions about future usage.
Also check your Usage Charts for previous months to see what pattern they may indicate.
Then work out what you think future costs will be.
+5Just looking back this is the contents of the welcome email i received from Ovo.
Putting aside any prior knowledge of how energy bills work.
There are quite a few mentions of "fixed".
It doesn't actually say there will be any review over the 12 months based on actual energy consumption which may cause the direct debits to go up and down. There may be further info in the attachments that came with the email, but i didn't look at them at the time, and important information should really be in the email itself rather than in any attachment small print.
It is interesting as my mum was on a fixed cost energy plan for several years, irrespective of the amount of energy she actually used. A few providers offered these plans for a few years. I haven't seen anything like that since then.
I was aware the direct debits could change based on energy use so i didn't notice the ovo wording.
Just MHO, the email is very poorly worded. Not everyone would be able to deduce the direct debit was variable based on usage over the 12 months if they didn't have prior knowledge about how the plan works and the meaning of fixed. It may seem like common sense, but the variable nature of the direct debit should really be made obvious in the email
--------------
Welcome to OVO Energy
OVO Energy Logo
Account Number: xxxx
Your journey to zero carbon starts now
Hi xxxx
Thank you for choosing OVO.
We’re on a mission to fight the climate crisis using green energy and technology all with the help of members like you.
Ready? Let’s go!
Your switch at a glance
Your plan: Better Smart
You're getting: 100% renewable electricity as standard and a carbon-busting tree planted in your name every year
Your start date: xxxxx
Your first Direct Debit: £xx on xxxxx
Important check
Now’s the time to make sure we have the right meter details for your home. If they’re wrong even by 1 digit we could end up switching the wrong person.
MPAN for electricity
Xxxxxx
MPRN for gas
Xxxxx
Please check that these numbers match yours by looking at the top of an old bill (you won’t find them on your meters). If they don’t, please call us right away.
Your plan
Better Smart
£xxxx a year inc. VAT
£xx a month
Fixed for 12 months
Electricity
Gas
Unit rate:
Xxxxp/kWh
Xxxxxp/kWh
Standing charge:
Xxxxxp/da
Xxxxp/da
Plan length:
Fixed for 12 months
End Date:
Xxxx
Xxxxx
Exit fees:
£xx
£xx
The unit rates and standing charges in this table include 5% VAT. See our terms and conditions.
We’ve attached your Plan Overview and Tariff Information, so you can read all the details. If you spot something that doesn’t look quite right, please call us within 7 working days.
What next?
Today - Sign up to your account
Just sign up to your account online with your email address and create a password.
Your switch progress
We’ll drop you an email to let you know how the switch is going.
Xxx – Opening meter readings
We’ll ask for your first meter readings.
Xxx – Your start date
We’ll begin powering your home and take your first Direct Debit (either on this day or the next available working day).
Your year of energy
We’ve estimated your energy use over the next 12 months and what it will cost you on Better Smart.
Electricity
Gas
XxxkWh
XxxkWh
Xxx
Xxx
Estimates include VAT but exclude any add-ons, discounts and the Warm Home Discount, if you’re eligible.
Direct Debit
We work out your Direct Debit amount by dividing the cost of the energy we think you’ll use in a year by 12. That means your Direct Debit will be £xx a month.
?
If your Direct Debit payments fail on Simpler Energy, or you or your bank cancels them, you’ll start paying the higher On Demand rates instead. We’ll let you know before this happens, to give you the chance to set up the Direct Debit again and avoid paying more.
Priority Services Register (PSR)
If you or someone in your household needs extra support for medical reasons or otherwise there’s lots we can do to help. From giving notice about planned power cuts, to creating large-print or braille bills.
Find out more about PSR.
Get your questions answered
You’ve got lots of ways to do that:
Chat to us via our online chat (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-1pm)
Check out our online Help pages
Or ask other members on the OVO Forum
If you can't find what you're looking for online, just give us a call on 0330 303 5063 (Monday to Friday 8am-6pm).
Megawatts of love
The OVO Team
Footer
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Linkedin
Update contact preferences Contact us
2021 OVO Energy Limited.
OVO Energy Ltd. 1 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6ED. Registered in England and Wales No. 06890795. VAT No. 100119879.
OVO Energy is a FIT licensee. We are a signatory of the Ofgem-approved Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice (SMICoP). You can find out more here or contact us to get a copy in the post.
This email was sent to xxxx and is intended for that recipient. It may include confidential or sensitive information, so only share with permission. If you don't think it was intended for you, please contact us, and hit delete.
You've been sent this as you've chosen to receive our updates.
Would be better if OVO put the energy (pardon the pun) into providing the customer with clear terms and conditions of their contracts rather than providingchoochy forums to complain about them
+5Would be better if OVO put the energy (pardon the pun) into providing the customer with clear terms and conditions of their contracts rather than providingchoochy forums to complain about them
I never read the detailed terms and conditions and only skim read the email and checked the meter IDs. So i can't honestly say anything about the terms and conditions either way.
I do agree the email is poorly worded, obviously i don't know what you actually received from OVO.
I may not agree with everything posted on this forum, but i do find it useful background info myself and there are many posters (both ovo employees and customers like ourselves) who i find very informative and helpful.
Glad to hear that you’re finding this community helpful,
Whilst we might not always get things right, by allowing a space for issues to be raised publicly, we can take this feedback on board and hopefully provide advice for others who might have similar issues in future.
I totally appreciate the confusion surrounding the term ‘fixed’ when referring to your plan,
Direct Debit |
| We work out your Direct Debit amount by dividing the cost of the energy we think you’ll use in a year by 12. That means your Direct Debit will be £44 a month. |
| We’ll run regular Direct Debit reviews to make sure this amount matches your energy use. This is to protect you from paying too little and building up debt. Or having to pay a lump sum of debt in the future. |
+5Glad to hear that you’re finding this community helpful,
Whilst we might not always get things right, by allowing a space for issues to be raised publicly, we can take this feedback on board and hopefully provide advice for others who might have similar issues in future.
I totally appreciate the confusion surrounding the term ‘fixed’ when referring to your plan,
Direct Debit |
| We work out your Direct Debit amount by dividing the cost of the energy we think you’ll use in a year by 12. That means your Direct Debit will be £44 a month. |
| We’ll run regular Direct Debit reviews to make sure this amount matches your energy use. This is to protect you from paying too little and building up debt. Or having to pay a lump sum of debt in the future. |
I think that helps, but i think it would also benefit from a statement just after this. Rightly or wrongly some people may not get down to the updated statement. Something more explicit that says your direct debit payments are not fixed and may go up or down depending on how much energy you actually use.
It is still too easy for a cohort of the population to misunderstand i personally think. I suspect my disabled brother may misunderstand if he looked at it for example. And i am not sure my adopted brother would pick up the statement you have changed.
-----------
Your plan
Better Smart
£xxxx a year inc. VAT
£xx a month
Fixed for 12 months
Thank you for such thoughtful and considered feedback,
I think you’ve raised a really important point and I’m going to make sure this one is passed on to the team behind these communications.
Removing the complexity of the energy industry and making your energy account easier to manage and understand is a vital in our journey to Plan Zero, so getting things right from the very first email we send is key.
As always it’s so nice to see this community providing a space for these discussions - keep up the great valuable contributions! 
Hi
Can you have a look at this chart and let me know if there’s any bars above the £138 figure?
https://account.ovoenergy.com/payments/direct-debit/calculator
Here’s mine:
hi I had an email today saying my payments were going from 170 a month to 454 a month there's no way ican afford it spoke online she wasn't really bothered said they could give me a cut off which led tp 404 a month which I still can't afford my bills are never over 250 a month so why should I pay all that I haven't got a smart metre and don't want one I read my metres every month can anybody advise me what to do
so now OVO have finally got my smart meter readings sorted out, they reckon that I need to increase my DD from 60 to 81 or I’ll owe them £350+ by the end of my current deal.
I’m on a 3 year fix from December 2021 so my unit price will be the same. Their estimates suggest that between 1st May and 31st October in each year, my bills for the 6 months will be c£480. Last year for the same period, they were £150!! and, if I add todays DD to the credit balance they’re showing, they currently owe me £220.
Useless system IMHO, no wonder some people are getting ridiculous DD hikes
+5Hi
I don't work for OVO, i am just a customer like you.
One option you have is to call the OVO Collections team and ask them to freeze your current direct debit for 3 months, you can request another freeze after the 3 months is up.
0800 0699 831
A few people have successfully done that to resolve anomalies.
By then hopefully the OVO system will get closer to tracking your specific usage pattern. For me it is pretty close, but for some it isn't quite so good.
Hope that helps.
Phoned OVO with a terrible attitude and unhelpful service agent. Circumstances
We pay by direct debit.
We cannot afford 479 a month.
We can afford 350 a month.
Only one wage coming in.
Wife type 1 diabetic
Daughter epilepsy
We do not want a prepayment meter
We are on the Priority list.
We are asking for a payment plan as really struggling and we could miss mortgage payments.
We spoke to OVO and explained Circumstances and we could also pay 10 a week to reduce. OVO guy not interested and said NO.....not wanting to help us.
Making us pressured into cancelling our direct debit.
I’m so sorry this has happened to you.
It is absolutely unacceptable that they are not prepared to help you. Sadly I think it all depends on who you get at the end of the phone as to how helpful they are.
My experience with OVO hasn’t been great and I was really worrying, I felt it was all too much.
I reached out to this forum and they helped ease my concerns.
I still haven’t managed to get hold of anyone from OVO I was 273rd in the queue yesterday !!!
Can you manually adjust your DD ? At least then you are back in control until you manage to speak to someone more interested in helping you.
Good luck.
+4Hey
Sorry for the issues you’re having,
You say ‘sort your readings out’ this suggests there was an issue with your readings. So it may be that your estimated annual consumption is too high, which would affect the direct debit calculation:
If you’re EAC is too high, as
Hope this helps.
+4Hey
Sorry for the issues you’ve had, that sounds like a stressful situation to be in.
If you contact our Collections Team they’ll be able to sort out an affordable re-payment plan with you.
Other support available for customers who may be struggling with their bills:
Customer support package and where to apply.
What to do if I can’t afford my energy bills?
Hope this helps
GO online and amend you DD amount manually
Kinda impossible when they lock you into a certain minimum payment which they’re likely already at. “the only way is up” with these companies and your money.
+5Tried that just now, got an idiot who cut me off when I asked her to listen to me.
The DD hike is based on December and January usage - it’s cold and I have electric heating!! My easter to October bills last year were £25 per month, I pay £60 and I’m currently £218 in credit.
If OVO try to up my DD to £81 I’ll pay my bills by card each month.
I’ll try again this evening and see if I get someone who understands English a bit better.
I know it is tempting to cancel your DD.
But you will definitely end up paying more.
You will loose your fixed rate and be put on a higher tariff.
+8Have you contacted the Collections team
Log in to the OVO Forum
No account yet? Create an account
Enter your E-mail address. We'll send you an e-mail with instructions to reset your password.
Contact us
Tips & advice
Resources
For business
OVO Energy Ltd, registered office 1 Rivergate Temple Quay Bristol, BS1 6ED, company no. 06890795 registered in England and Wales.
OVO (S) Gas Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 02716495) at 1 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6ED.
OVO (S) Gas Limited is part of OVO Group Ltd