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No adjustment to my Fixed Price- What about the Energy Price Guarantee?

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Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hey @Neil Davidson,

 

There are a number of different ways to contact Support, as @Blastoise186 pointed out you could call, but if you’d prefer you can use web messenger.

 

 

Hope this helps. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
O
Rank

 Hi I suppose to be on Economy 7- simpler energy tariff from 1 October, can someone explain me why I’m still charged by my older tariffs? 
 

My bills are huge i am attaching screenshots of the last billing periods of my account i have called OVO  probably 10 times already since last month

I have written some emails, whatsapp messages.

They told me they would take care of the matter as of today I have a new billing period I see they are starting to charge me again for the old tariff. Thanks for help 

I’m thinking to

go to

Citizens advice or put a formal complaint I have enough!!
 

*Edited by Mod*

Blastoise186
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +1

Hi,

Your best option for this is https://ovoenergy.com/feedback . We can’t access your account from here so this can’t be fixed by a forum volunteer.

I’ve had to report your post because it contains personal info. Please be careful about posting an MPAN because it leaks your address instantly.

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

I am on a fixed deal for electric and gas. I haven’t heard from Ovo about the energy price guarantee and if I would be better to change to the standard variable rates. I have tried support via the online messaging system and a phone all but am not getting clear advice or potentially inaccurate advice. 

I have asked if I would be better off changing to the standard variable rate but have just been told generically most people will be better off but not if I would be specifically. I have asked what the standard variable rates for me would be but was only given electric rates not gas ones and I’m not sure if they were for my area or generic. 
I have also asked if I would have to pay the exit fees if I switch and if so can change back to my fixed deal later and was told by a service operator today that I would have to pay £60 penalty per fuel for exiting and can’t go back to my deal later. 
 

This doesn’t agree with the information on the Ovo website about the energy price guarantee so I asked that be checked and she came back to say that was the case. 


I am now very confused as I have not received any emails from Ovo and conflicting or unclear information from their support teams.  Does this mean I am not better off on standard variable even though the electric rates seem lower than my current deal,  so would have to pay exit fees to switch (which would wipe out any saving). Or am I being misadvised by  Ovo support? 

I am based in the South East.
My current deal rates are:

electric:

Day 40.16

night 27.33

Standing charge 45.97

gas:

unit rate 10.31

Standing charge 26.21

 

Thank you for any help.

 


 

Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hey @gyd1,

 

Sorry for the issues you’re having,

 

Support should be able to tell you the current variable rates in your region, so you can compare. You can choose to go onto the variable tariff without incurring exit fees.

 

It’s possible you’re in a small cohort of customers who are yet to be contacted in regards to the Energy Price Guarantee.

 

Have you recently migrated from SSE? When does your current tariff come to an end? Are you able to send a screenshot of your Online Account where it gives your plan details? 

 

Please make sure not to include any personal details in the screenshot 🙂

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
G
Rank

Thank you Emmanuelle. 
I’m afraid I don’t have much confidence in support having called this morning and been told I have to pay exit charges and cannot transfer back again.  And that was after I asked the support adviser to check as it says differently in Ovo’s website, and she queries it and said I would have to pay. 
 

I will try again and hope for someone more knowledgeable. 

I accept I may be in the cohort who haven’t been contacted yet, but would suggest if this is the case, Ovo update their website as this currently says all customers have been contacted by the end of October. This makes me, and probably others, assume we should have heard something by now. 


No I haven’t come from SSE, I have been with Ovo for about 7 or 8 years. 
My contract ends June 2024. My plan details are:

*Edited by Mod*

Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hello @gyd1,

 

I’ve edited your post to remove your screenshots as they contained your meter details.

 

But I’m surprised you haven’t already been contacted, given when your contract comes to an end and the duration of time you’ve been with OVO.

 

I’d advise calling Support about this on 0330 303 5063. If you don’t get the help you need, you can request to raise a Complaint. They should be able to A) tell you what the variable rates would be B) switch you onto a variable tariff without incurring exit fees.

 

Yes this was flagged by another Community Member. I’ve raised it internally, the issue with the misadvise on the website. There is a small number of customers yet to be contacted about the EPG and re-priced. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
G
Rank

Thank you very much, I will

follow your advice. 

G
Rank

Thank you. Just wanted to say I have spoken to support again and this time got  very helpful information that provided everything I needed to make a decision. 

J
Rank

We’ve got 2 properties, one where we live 99% of the time is on Simpler Energy at 34p per Electricity KWH, the other is on a 2 Year fixed I’ve been battling to move from, at 66p a day! The standing charge is 16p more a day. 
I’ve been on to OVO since the beginning of November and still nothing has been sorted out! 
What do you suggest?

R
Rank
Userlevel 1

If you have an online account with OVO you should be able to change plans online.

Not sure if you would have two online accounts, one for each property, or one account with both properties as I’ve never had more than one property being supplied with them, although when I moved both properties were online at the same time for a while.

If you don’t have an online account it would be worth registering and adding the details for both properties being supplied which should be straightforward (it was when I set up my account years ago). You may need the meter numbers for each.

Once set up you can change plans quite easily and you can also keep track of your usage, etc. I have changed from standard variable to fixed and back again in the past with just a few clicks of the mouse.

The only thing to watch will be that there is probably a fee for leaving your fixed rate plan early, probably £30, or £50, per fuel.

No doubt someone more knowledgeable than me will be along soon with more information or advice.

Unfortunately it would seem the advisers on the phone lines are inundated with calls, so things do get missed or lost. I have had varying results when calling so only do it when I have to, which is more often than I would like!

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Chris

 

Just looked at the online help:

OVO have temporarily suspended the fees.

They should have written to you about your options if you are on a fixed rate plan.

See here: https://www.ovoenergy.com/pricecap/ (about half-way down the page).

H
Rank
Userlevel 1

After trying since October to get a response from Ovo about my Fixed Plan, I gave up. Despite what the website said about them getting in touch I received nothing from Ovo.  2 online chats were completely useless,  2 phone calls, with the problem apparently having been reported to the billing team who would contact me, and still nothing heard. Third phone call offered a switch to the variable rate plan, backdated to October, so I decided to give up and make this switch. At least that happened perfectly. The switch has resulted in a much lower monthly charge at the moment. We’ll have to see what happens in April ...

Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hey @HexhamUser,

 

Sorry for the issues you’ve been having,

 

I’m glad to hear it’s now been resolved, but I’m sorry it took so long. If a case has been raised to our billing team they should backdate your billing to the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) from the 1st of October.

 

For some customers their prices will be rising in January due to the Price Cap increase and the government is increasing the EPG from £2,500 (for a typical household) to £3000 from the 1st of April 2023. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
J
Rank

I set up an account with OVO in August 2022. For some reason I was advised to sign up to a fixed rate plan (they sold it by advertising a false direct debit promise). This fixed rate plan has an electricity unit rate of 59.99p per kWh and a gas unit rate of 17.70p per kWh. This is compared to the energy price guarantee of 34.0p for electricity and 10.3p for gas. 
 

This on its own is a disgrace as they should never have advised to sign up to an extortionate rate in the first place. However I have since learnt that Ovo would automatically move fixed rate customers to the lower variable rate from 1st October. This has still not happened for me. I even paid £60 exit fee from my fixed rate plan which was taken from my bank account but never actioned. I have called OVO numerous times but I just get told to increase my direct debit!
 

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hey @Jamesbrailey90,

 

Really sorry to hear this, 

 

Your rates should be in line with the Energy Price Guarantee, other fixed rate customers were contacted in regards to this and their rates changed. It sounds like you may have been missed, it’s also unusual you were charged exit fees but your plan was never changed?

 

You shouldn’t have been charged at all.

 

Contact Support to change your rates and advise you were charged an exit fee. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
nealmurphy
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +2

@Jamesbrailey90  the EPG was only announced in the second week of September 2022, and so at the time of your renewal, and based on the information available at that time, it was a sensible approach to protect yourself with a fixed tariff with the knowledge that variable prices were due to increase in October and again in 2023.

 

J
Rank

@Emmanuelle_OVO - Thanks for your response. Do you know when the EPG will be backdated to? As I have overpaid every month.

Many thanks,
James

Emmanuelle_OVO
Rank
Userlevel 7

Hey @Jamesbrailey90,

 

If you weren’t notified about the option to reduce your rates to the EPG and your rates haven’t been reduced, they should be backdated to the 1st of October. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
J
Rank

I finally - after 2+ months of emails and phone calls, noticed at the beginning of this month I’d been put on Simpler Energy. 28p per KWH electricity as opposed to 67p!! I am convinced this was a. I sent the email preceding the price change to the complaints dept, and b. said I’d report them to Ofgem if I didn’t get a response within 7 working days…..

Jeffus
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +2

I finally - after 2+ months of emails and phone calls, noticed at the beginning of this month I’d been put on Simpler Energy. 28p per KWH electricity as opposed to 67p!! I am convinced this was a. I sent the email preceding the price change to the complaints dept, and b. said I’d report them to Ofgem if I didn’t get a response within 7 working days…..

@Jacko6625 make sure the rate has been back dated. You shouldn't be paying more than that since 1st October.

Just be aware that rates will likely go up on 1st April as the government starts to withdraw support, likely an increase of 20%

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