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I'm being moved from SSE to OVO: just had my quarterly statement from SSE, why do I need to submit another reading for another bill?

  • 20 August 2021
  • 8 replies
  • 2808 views
B
Rank

Totally confused by this have just had a bill in from the old SSE which was quarterly and i will pay on the 1 st sept but i have just been informed i have to give another meter reading by 29th august!!!! and another bill will appear  this is really going to be difficult to pay 2 bills  i am on a low wage and budget carefully so that i do not get into debt - i had no choice going to OVO it just changed when i logged into my SSE account  -,try asking before doing this !!!! then i read through some of the forum and you get charged for emailing or phoning  really am struggling to understand this system  any help /advice on how to navigate or contact OVO without being charged would be gratefully received

 

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Best answer by Tim_OVO 21 August 2021, 11:14

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Blastoise186
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Hi @bartwell , welcome to the OVO Forum. I’m Blastoise186, one of the forum volunteers who helps out around here. Just so you know, I can’t access your account or make any changes and this is a public forum, so please don’t share personal info here.

It sounds like you’ve recently migrated over from SEE to OVO, welcome! I’ve been informed about this for a while and have been researching it in recent months. I can help with advising you very easily. You should have been contacted prior to your account moving over, so I’m not sure if you just missed the email or letter by any chance?

The first thing to know is that your credit balance with SSE will be migrated to OVO automatically, but it may take a little time. I recommend paying the SSE bill for now to get that one out of the way and then working on the OVO bill afterwards. The SSE one is the higher priority right now so that your old account can be closed down properly.

Your credit balance should be topped up within the next couple of weeks and should hopefully be enough to get you started. OVO bills you Monthly rather than Quarterly, so this will also help as well - but as long as you keep paying on-time and are paying the correct amounts each month, you are very unlikely to fall into debt with OVO. We can offer advice right here on the forum if you’re struggling though. Simply let us know and we’ll point you in the right direction.

With that being said, I’d like to also invite you to check out the Warm Home Discount that OVO offers, as I get the feeling you might qualify under the Broader Group. You can pre-register interest right over here.

Also, I think you’ll be pleased to know that the old Self Service Reward is no longer a thing and OVO no longer charges you for contacting the Support Team. There’s some old references still on the forum but you can safely ignore them. I’m going to try and help @Tim_OVO and @Jess_OVO track down as many of those as I can and hopefully get them all updated. Sorry for any confusion there! If you spot any more of those, please do feel free to let us know and we’ll make sure they’re fixed.

Your contact options are as follows:

  • This forum! :)
  • Phone: 0345 0260 712
  • Email: hello@ovoenergy.com 
  • Live Chat: Right this way and click the pink button when it appears.
  • OVO’s Social Media (primarily Facebook/Twitter)

All of these are free options, with the only cost being to make a phone call to an 03 number at most - which is just the same cost as any regular 01 or 02 number. The Self Service Reward was discontinued a couple of years ago because OVO decided that it didn’t work as well as expected and wanted to give everyone a better deal across the board, rather than just people who did everything as self-service. If you’ve just recently joined, the Self Service Reward and its obligations will definitely not apply to you.

If you need a hand with anything else, please feel free to ask. This forum never closes and we’re always around to give you a hand.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
Tim_OVO
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Userlevel 7

Updated on 08/08/22 by Tim_OVO:

 

Hi @bartwell - good question this. 

 

It sounds like you’ve had your usual quarterly bill from SSE, and you’ve been advised about your move to OVO Energy on the 29th August. We’ve made some FAQs on this here, below I’ve outlined which ones are specific to your question:

 

Why are SSE customers moving to OVO Energy? 

 

Since launching in 2009, we’ve welcomed over a million members, planted over a million trees and set our sights on helping save the planet. The more people who have access to our products and services, the more people we can help to save energy and reduce their impact on the planet.

By moving our SSE customers to OVO Energy, we can bring together the very best of what we do.

 

 

What happens if there’s money left in my SSE account?

 

If your account is in credit, the money will be transferred to your new OVO Energy account. And if you have a balance to pay, this will also be transferred.

 

 

Do I need to give opening meter readings to OVO?

 

The great thing about this move is that there’s nothing you need to do. We’ll be moving your meter information over from your SSE account. So you won't need to give us an opening reading.


Once you’re settled in with OVO, you can help keep your account in good shape by adding readings to your online account. The more readings we have, the more accurate your bills are. Or just get a smart meter to send your meter readings for you.

Haven't activated your online account? Just enter your email address here to get started.

 

 

How will I get my bills when I’m with OVO?

 

At OVO we like to keep things simple. We'll send you a bill every month or every three months, which will cover your energy use for the last billing period. We’ll let you know how often you can expect to receive your bill before you move to OVO.

If we supply you with gas and electricity, we’ll combine both into one simple bill, so you’ll be able to see each, side by side. This is different to your SSE bills, where you might be used to receiving separate quarterly bills for your gas and electricity.

If you haven't activated your online account yet, just head here to get started.

To see more about your bills, have a look around our handy guide here.

 

I used to billed quarterly with SSE - will that change? 

 

All quarterly billed SSE customers who join OVO will be switched to monthly billing, which means that instead of receiving four bills over the year (one every three months), you will receive a new bill generated each month based on your actual or estimated energy usage. 
 

Keeping tabs on energy usage and paying for it couldn’t be easier. Our customers have told us that they appreciate this method, as monthly billing prompts them to provide more regular meter readings and means that your monthly bill is more manageable than being billed for a quarter's worth of consumption in one go.  

 

We want to offer the best services to help our customers manage their energy usage based on accurate information spread out over the full year. 

 

We know from customers that monthly billing can help them with budgeting and to avoid spikes and bill shocks through being unaware of the amount they use, particularly over the colder winter months. 

 

The energy market has been turbulent for some time, with the Ofgem price cap being reviewed twice a year (soon to be four times a year) and wholesale gas prices increasing significantly in recent months. Monthly billing also allows us to monitor our members' usage and intervene sooner rather than later if they are experiencing difficulties. 

 

 

Hopefully that’s helped you in knowing you don’t need to do anything. As you’ve mentioned making a payment on the 1st September, it might be worth holding off on that, as that’s the time your account will be switched over. But if you’d prefer to pay this as usual, that will be fine. Any credit leftover will be moved to your OVO account. You won’t be left out of pocket or asked to make payments to OVO soon after switching. For more information, see the rest of the FAQs here.

 

As our Plan Zero Hero, Blastoise called out, the Self Service reward is no longer active. We’ll make sure any left over comments about that on the forum are removed. A great shout to register your interest in the Warm Home Discount as well!

 

If you want further help, advice and support, check out your options below:

 

If you’ve got any questions about your move to OVO Energy we’ve got you covered. You can:

  • Have a look at our Help Section either on the website or in your online account
  • Dive into over a thousand topics and join the conversation on the community-powered OVO Forum
  • Talk to us on our online chat here
  • Email us at hello@ovoenergy.com
  • Give us a call and speak to one of our friendly team on 0345 0260 712.

 

Welcome to OVO!

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
J
Rank

I notice with OVO they keep estimating the bills. I would  like OVO to so the same as SSE did and email me every 3 months to supply a meter reading and then email me to let me know when the bill is made out so I can pay it. 

Blastoise186
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Userlevel 7
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Hi @Johnboy412000 ,

I’m afraid quarterly billing is no longer available with most suppliers - including OVO. It’s ultimately better for cashflow for both you and OVO to be billed monthly as well.

Please make sure to submit meter readings each month - if you’ve set up MyOVO, you will get reminders and the OVO Energy app can issue them as well. Bills will be sent by email unless you ask for paper bills.

Might be worth considering a smart meter though, to avoid further estimated bills and make things easier. :)

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

I’m afraid quarterly billing is no longer available with most suppliers - including OVO. It’s ultimately better for cashflow for both you and OVO to be billed monthly as well.

Please make sure to submit meter readings each month - if you’ve set up MyOVO, you will get reminders and the OVO Energy app can issue them as well. Bills will be sent by email unless you ask for paper bills.

Might be worth considering a smart meter though, to avoid further estimated bills and make things easier. :)

 

Thanks for that but I’d rather do it quarterly and if OVO object to that I’ll change supplier. As for a smart meter I would not entertain one they are not accurate. 

R
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Userlevel 3

My 83 year-old father is refusing to have smart meters from Scottish Power and British Gas. He still gets his bills quarterly and gets me to pay them online. I find monthly payments better for budgeting but each to their own.

Blastoise186
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Userlevel 7
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In that case, the support team would be best placed to advise on 0345 0260 712.

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

I am having the same issue with ovo. because they estimate me way over the top when i enter the correct reads which is lower than their estimations they wont accept the reads and just bill me what they like.

I was an SSE customer for around 15+ years with never an issue and within the first quarter i have had nothing but issues with ovo, who i was passed over to from SSE with no choice.

Can someone come out and read my meters because im not paying over inflated reads and to say i have 14 days to pay is ridiculous. I am sure there is a law or something about ripping customers off.

As far as i am concerned i have done my bit by entering accurate up to date meter reads so if your system is designed in such a way as to not accept those reads then i am affraid that is ovo’s problem and not mine. I don’t have the time to fix your business, im too busy running my own  so i would greatly appreciate you accepting my reads online or send someone out to read them. And before you tell me to have a not so smart meter installed you can forget that, don’t need one and don’t want one.

Thanks.

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