Underestimated usage - does this fall under Ofgem's back-billing rules?

Doesn’t make sense to me. How can you be in such alot of credit surely you should have been contacted for a meter reading rather than estimates that they claim are incorrect. Giving you the view you had money on a/c Confusing to say the least. 

That’s very confusing , Do you know the dates and readings hat the meter was read during last year ?

It is their responsibility to read the meter regularly . Was there an issue with access ?

when was the smart meter installed .

Hi Steve,

               Sorry to hear that this situation has arisen, as Chris mentioned above I am also surprised that you were so much in credit, OVO estimates my future usage and advised me to lower my direct Debits from £115 per month to £95, I am also in credit by £538 at the moment.

What I'm also find strange is that OVO are not honoring the credit you built up and will only back date by 12 months, this is completely wrong in my opinion, using the ovo app I can see my previous bills dating back to 2022 and OVO know every unit i have used and have always tried to lower my Direct Debits.

I would complain to OVO retention's and ask to speak to some one that actually knows your grievance and grill them to get it sorted, other wise put the pressure using Ofgem,

OVO have always looked after me and I'm very happy,

I hope you sort it.

Hey ​@SteveBerning, 

Welcome to the community! 

For a healthy account, we typically advise customers to maintain one to two months' worth of credit. As for the issues with your specific account, it's best to contact our Support Team (Support Team) as they can provide detailed information on the reasons behind any emails you might have received. There are numerous potential factors involved.

We’ve had similar threads to yours previously that might shed some light on your situation:

I hope you get things sorted soon!

I built up credit for a number of reasons, one being you can’t simply withdraw it on the App. 
Also there has been so much uncertainty on energy prices, it wasn’t doing any harm. I also remember OVO making a big thing on the interest earned when in credit.

i am reading the terms of the gas and electric licenses that ban back billing.

It refers to only being allowed to seek to recover charges in the 12 months before. So what they have done is taken credit from my account to recover charges beyond 12 months. That is in direct breach of the license. What is on my account is surely irrelevant

It’s not as simple as that - the Back Billing rules are pretty complicated but the TL;DR is that they ONLY trigger if OVO never attempted to bill you in the first place. If any attempts were made i.e. a bill was issued, then chasing for it is fair game.

It just says unbilled energy. The consultation paper ‘…..more than 12 months prior to the error being detected and a CORRECTED bill being issued. so an incorrect bill can have been issued.

furthemore OVO themselves acknowledged the rules do apply by saying they can’t take a small amount in excess of my payments.

Re-posted, see below

Yes says complied with 21. BA 1 which roughly says

must only do so in respect of units which could reasonably be considered to have been consumed in the 12 months preceding the date the recovery action was taken. So if they take action now, can only go back 12 months. 
 

That suggests it is making sure they behave reasonably for money owed in the 12 month window

EDIT - I thought the above hadn’t posted so here is a fuller version, which explains better why the 12 months doesn’t apply in cases where a Direct Debit was in payment.

As said the conditions on the ‘Prohibition’ of backbilling are pretty complicated, and there are ‘Exceptions’ to the commonly stated 12 months.

In particular as you were paying by Direct Debit at the time that the debt was incurred then the prohibition should not apply.

(PS. I have looked into this very thoroughly in the recent past when I had my own backbilling dispute with a supplier).

Backbilling is covered in Condition 21BA of the “Standard conditions of electricity supply licence”.

Here’s the Ofgem Consolidated version:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-03/Electricity%20Supply%20Standard%20Consolidated%20Licence%20Conditions%20-%20Current.pdf

Note the exemption Condition 21BA.2, in particular 21BA.2(b) which states:

Exceptions to prohibition

21BA.2 Paragraph 21BA.1 does not apply in the following circumstances:

(a) ...

(b) the licensee or any Representative, has taken a charge recovery action
      following the date this condition took effect in a manner which complied
      with paragraph 21BA.1 and, due to non-payment are continuing
      to take steps to obtain payment for the same units of electricity and, where
      applicable, the same amounts in respect of a Standing Charge or other type
      of supply charge;

… continues

A Direct Debit being in payment at the time that the back billing relates to constitutes such compliant ‘charge recovery action’
ie. They did take charge recovery action at the time, recovery in the form of the DD,  but didn’t recover enough.
That being the case then, where a DD was in payment at the time, the company is entitled/allowed to back bill for more than 12 months.