When you move into a new property the usual process is to open an new account with the existing supplier.
You give the meter readings as they are when you move in. That cancels the existing account and ensures that you are not asked to pay for the supply before you moved in if you rent, or owned the property if you buy.

THEN you can switch supplier if that is what you want to do.

The two companies can then work out who owes what for what dates.

Did you actually do that?

Or did you just sign up with OVO as a new customer without contacting whoever was the existing supplier when you moved in?

To put it in other words - if you didn't tell the existing supplier that you had moved in they have no idea that they now have a new customer, and then if you didn't tell them that you were switching both companies will think that they are the only one supplying you.

It can all be sorted out, but you need to be clear about what hapened, and what you told each company, when it happened.

No I did not contact the previous supplier. How would I have known who that was? The property is an assisted living flat managed by a housing company. the housing company made me use this thing to setup all my bills:

https://www.asktili.com/

Any ideas what’s gone wrong and who’s to blame? This needs sorting asap because utilita are adding £30/week late payment fee so the debt  to them is increasing. Does it look like I have to retrieve all of the payments that I have made to ovo and pay utilita? I am absolutely not paying for my energy twice.

many thanks.

I’m afraid it rather looks as though Tili got things wrong, embarrassingly, although there may be something they asked you to do which you didn’t. Can you call up your account there and spot anything untoward? You could also contact Tili to find out what they did last year.

You say “as far as i was aware my energy bills were all paid ...”. That would imply that you’ve had bills (more likely statements of account, since you’ve been paying the same amount each month). Do you have a smart meter? Or does the housing management company see to all that, so you’ve never been asked to submit meter readings? 

You can’t be liable for anything to Utilita that applies to energy used more than twelve months before the date of their first bill. When did you first get a demand for payment from them?

I’ll see if I can access an account there then.  I so wish you could use bad language in these forums and chats.

https://www.asktili.com/  will not let me reset my password. It’s a piece of S service that is quick to take your money but is a ghost when you need help. Another score for late-stage-capitalism. The free market was a fun experiment but it is unsustainable.Give me Soviet-style nuclear reactors any day over having to deal with these jokers.

Contact Tili in the morning. Don’t swear at them - they’re much more likely to try and help if you’re calm and polite, however angry you’re feeling 

Hey @Frustrated AF, 

I agree with @Firedog, as it’s important to remember that anyone in a service role is just doing a job and trying to help. If you can contact them and explain what’s happened and what’s gone wrong, I’m sure they can look into this and investigate the issue. Please keep us updated after you’ve spoken with them and what they’re advising

So, I contacted that Tili thing by phone and they just said that they can’t do anything and I am to contact my letting agent which I did and they just say it’s a problem with Tili that I need to resolve. Why am I paying a direct debit every month for nothing but stress? I just want it to go to court now so that I can present all of my confirmation emails and evidence of monthly payments made. *removed by mod*

Hey @Frustrated AF,

This is just a reminder that we have our own house rules, and although you’re not directly using bad language, the intent is still there. We want to keep the Forum a safe and inviting space for all to come and get advice and support, so if you could take a moment to read over the rules below, it would be appreciated!

When you contacted Support to discuss your account, did you ask them to confirm the account balance? If you've been paying by DD each month towards the account, your account will be in credit. That's the next best place to start, as you need to understand where the money you've been paying has landed and if your account with OVO is in credit. According to the national database, if the supply has yet to be transferred from Utilita, then if there's a credit balance on your OVO account, you can ask to have this refunded and use this to pay the outstanding balance with Utilita. There are occasions when a supplier can object to a switch, and I'll leave an example of this below for you

You can find the contact details for our Support Team here.

Keep us updated on your progress. 

A quick update and a request for some advice:

I have spoken with https://www.asktili.com/   and my housing agent and they both agree that the home move digital-assistant thing failed to setup my energy supply correctly and I am to get a refund for all the payments I’ve made to Ovo and then I am to contact utilita and pay them whats owed and setup a direct debit going forward.

I have made 21 payments of £143 (£3003) How do I get this back and close my account with Ovo with the least resistance?

I have also ended the direct debit from my internet banking to stop anymore payments.

Many Thanks

It's good to hear that you have made some progress with your situation, and that Tili now acknowledge that they messed up your switch.

Mistakes do happen, and I guess that you were just unlucky, Tili generally do have very good ratings:
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/asktili.com

There again as we all know - if you want a job doing well then do it yourself.
And as the accounts are in your name then Tili be limited in what they can do now regarding refunds and the like.

Being practical to get things resolved -

Has OVO actually been charging you for usage? From what you say it sound as though they haven't.
So have you just been paying DD's to OVO that have now built up a £3k+ credit balance?
ie, What does your account balance at OVO say?

The answer to that could make a difference to what you have to do now.
(It OVO have been charging you for use then it wil be an ‘erroneous transfer of account’, if OVO haven’t been charging you then not).

I would also contact Utilita now and calmly and politely let them know what has happened, what is happening now, and that you will be paying them once you get the money back from OVO.
That should stop them escalating their outstanding billing to Debt Recovery action from a Debt Collection agency.

It might also be a good idea to make a gesture and set up a DD with Utilita now, one that doesn't yet include the debit repayment, to show them that you are willing to pay and just need time to sort the outstanding balance out.

As you have cancelled your Direct Debit to OVO then you should get an email asking you to set it up again and probably then a phone call asking the same thing, obviously you will decline and politely explain why not.

Whenever you have to deal with these kind of errors it is always best to hold your tongue no matter how angry you are.
Be calm and polite, it does get you a resolution much more quickly than shouting at people does.
Remember that they were not the ones who messed up, and they will be more willing to help sort things out again if they are not being shouted out.

A quick update. I have called Ovo and closed my account refund pending. The outcome is DONT USE TILI. I had just got out of hospital with a brain injury when i moved into my flat and i was steered towards using the tili service to setup all my bills etc. I followed the instructions and was left in a right mess.