That’s a bit strange! I’ve never known OVO to charge for that.

You might want to consider a Smart Meter upgrade for them though. It should avoid this kind of issue happening again.

Hi @deenahowells did the charge appear on their bill?

Hi, yes it appeared as “Site visit Two hour Time slot”

My parents live in a small block of flats, where the meters are housed in a cupboard inside the communal entrance. They were totally unaware of this visit, and were definitely not informed beforehand.

Hi @deenahowells Are they pensioners? 

Yes they are. My mum is caring for my dad also.

Hmm… That’s still rather strange!

I’d definitely recommend getting them on the Priority Service Register, since that should prevent further charges for any future meter reading visits, even if they don’t get a Smart Meter. You can do that via https://www.ovoenergy.com/register-for-priority-services

It might be worth disputing that charge as well.

Thank you for your reply and link.  I have sent an email of complaint, and asked for an explanation regarding the charge. I will definitely get them on the Priority Service Register too. Thanks again.

No worries.

It’s not much, but I’d like you to have this as well. I believe your parents may benefit from it.

https://ovoenergy.com/winter-support-delivery/sign-up .

It’s OVO’s Customer Support Package. There’s bound to be something it can offer, so it’s worth a shot!

That’s great. I will look into that as well. It’s the first time I’ve posted and I really appreciate the advice. Thank you so much. 

@deenahowells yep, definitely get them signed up as they are entitled as they are pensioners. They then get lots of things, including asking for free quarterly meter readings. 

Here is a list of the things in case you miss it. 

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/priority-services-register

Personally i have never heard of meter readings being charged anyway. I suggest you contact the OVO support team with your parents and ask OVO if they will remove the cost in this situation. 

It can be difficult to contact OVO sometimes. I often suggest if you struggle, send a private message via the OVO twitter or Facebook page. The OVO staff their have access to accounts. You would need to include the name, address, account number and date of birth of the account holder. Explain the situation and the fact they are pensioners etc and that they have now signed up to the priority service register. Ask for a refund and an explanation. They always get back in a day or 2, often much quicker in my experience. 

Worth a try i think, but up to you. Let us know how you get on and if we can help with further queries. 

You’ve been a huge help, and I will definitely let you know how I get on.   Gone are the days that you can call a company and submit your meter readings without waiting for ages, but this is how it is now! I’m trying to convince my parents to have smart meters installed, but that’s proving quite difficult at the moment. I’m new to facebook, but I will also send them a message through this route, as you’ve suggested.  
I appreciate all your help.

No worries. Glad we could help!

We’ll be here if you need us again. :)