I give meter readings each month, why is my bill still based on estimates?

Similar but different issue here. With other suppliers (gas or electricity) if a reading is sent late, then it is taken into account and the balance adjusted.

OK if OVO don’t do this, but why if I send in a reading one day late is there no message to say it won’t be recorded? Not even a warning that it’s too late.

Thanks for raising that issue @AlisonH - good point!

The new Billing System is still in it’s early days. Unlike many other Energy Suppliers, OVO have developed their own system. That means the programming team are still working on it and can add features.

Their first priority was to ensure that it fully complies with Ofgem’s guidelines, which it does.

So let’s ask the duty Moderator, @Eva_OVO, to see if your suggestion can be allocated a “ticket” and passed to the programmers in London.

We’ll record the reading, @AlisonH, but it won’t be recorded on your summary if one has already been generated. You’ll see the reading on your next month’s summary.

I don’t agree. I know I have been submitting readings, but the record still shows as Estimated. I have also raised this with the on-line chat and had the same answer. 

I will just have to make sure I submit absolutely on the day in future and take a screenshot. 

I believe I understand what you’re saying @AlisonH. Let me just repeat this back to you so I can be sure we’re on the same page:

If the submitted reading is just beyond the cut-off date/time then that month’s bill will be issued based on usage which is 100% estimated.

Let’s say that you then submit the following month’s reading in time. Since the Billing System only needs to note the cumulative total, there is no mention of the previous actual reading which you gave.

Am I correct so far?

Now @Eva_OVO (who is a Forum Moderator) states that “You’ll see the reading on your next month’s summary”.

Here's an example (from one of my gas bills in Sept last year) showing what Eva suggests you should see:

Now this is a particularly ‘silly’ Bill because my meters were part of a test being done by an OVO Engineer, and the estimate is therefore way out!

Nevertheless you can see that I should’ve provided a reading by 13th August, but I didn’t do so until two days later.  As a consequence my August Bill was entirely estimated.

My September Gas Bill therefore shows the late Customer Reading, and then yet another Estimate because I didn’t provide that September’s reading in time either.

Now if I turn to the electricity Bill for the same period I see this:

Never mind that this ran to 18th Sept instead of 13th. The important bit to notice is that there is no Customer Reading shown for 15th August, despite the fact that I submitted readings for both gas and electricity together online.

Is this what you are seeing?

I have had enuf of ovo. I send reading on the day reminder is received. So no excuse about estimates when units added by a heck of a lot, readings totally ignored and changed so that I am being charged for electricity I haven’t used and pay extra vat. Never had a problem with SE in all the years  I was with them now  billings are a mess.

Should have been enough. Don’t want to be cast as  uneducated 

Hi @kitkat ,

I’m really sorry for the trouble there. Could you get in touch with the support team in the morning to provide your actual meter readings? They’ll be able to override the system and get you an accurate bill. If you’ve used less energy than you’ve been charged for, you’ll also be able to get the excess payments refunded as well.

You didn’t mention whether you’re on the new billing system, as this might be a possible clue. I’m happy to help you with some advice though.

Thank you for replying and I certainly be phoning again if it is not constantly engaged again. My gripe is about the discrepancy in my meter readings and why they are not used and have a great mount of units added to them.