Monthly direct debit reduced drastically - is that usual?

Hey @paulgarb,

We will regularly reduce Direct Debits if we’ve calculated that they’re too high, and building up a large surplus. You can always put the Direct Debit back up again via your online account or app if you’d prefer the higher amount.

Your surplus credit would have been used to calculate your direct debit amount, any surplus usage will come out of this amount each month. Your direct debit would be based on your estimated annual consumption, you can find out more about this topic here:

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.

How do we update Estimated Annual Consumption?

Whenever a new reading is submitted to the energy industry, a new EAC is calculated for us to use.

If your EAC is incorrect, you should keep sending us regular readings. As the EAC is calculated based on the entire reading history of an electricity supply (MPAN), submitting regular readings over a period of time will gradually change the EAC until it matches the member's usage. The better alternative is to get a smart meter.

There are some exceptions where we may amend the EAC in other ways (e.g. when there has been a sudden and large increase/decrease in the EAC that doesn't match the most recent readings) but these wouldn't be applied without supporting readings.

We can't contact the industry to say we want the EAC amended, so all we can do is ensure the readings are correct on an account. If you’re not sure about how we’ve calculated your Direct Debit, the best thing to do is ensure we have accurate meter readings, and book a smart meter exchange.