Anyone else being forced to change their direct debit due to 'impending debt'?Apparently OVO don't think my current direct debit level will cover the final amount owing for the year, so they've already sent me two letters from their Collections Department, talking about 'how much debt' they think I will have if I don't rectify my payment. Bear in mind I haven't missed a payment and have been pretty good at giving monthly readings, so I'm not in 'debt', as they so succinctly put it, they just think I will be, despite the 'shortfall' being quite manageable.OK, so I acquiesce to this veiled threat from Collections and attempt to increase my direct debit payment. But it turns out I can't choose what that level is, they decide based on what they think I'm going to owe.This would be great, however their projections for what they think my overall useage will be have been found to be wildly inaccurate.OVO, I'm a grown-ass man, I think I should be allowed to decide whether I think I need to change my direct debit payment and to which level - or, conversely, receive a bill at the end of the year to cover any shortfall - it should be my choice.Undoubtedly you will come back and regale us with the usual corporate flannel - 'well we do this to protect the customer form big bills', 'we've only got your best interests at heart', 'some people don't like being surprised by a big bill at the end of the year'.I've got to say, I switched from British Gas for a similar reason (and received a massive payment at the end for their continued incompetence regarding estimated bills), but my experience thus far has not been much better, which is a damning endictment given the corporate ineptitude that British Gas display daily.As an aside, the app is still rubbish. You've been trying to fix the thing for months now, to no avail. Maybe funnel some resources in to interface management as opposed to haranguing customers for mythical debt.

Updated 06/10/23 by Emmanuelle_OVOHow Direct Debits workA Direct Debit is an automatic monthly payment set up with your bank or building society. It means you can choose which day you want the payment to go out each month, and your bank will sort the rest.Once a Direct Debit is set up, you don’t need to do anything else.It’s often the best way to make regular payments, such as your energy bill.Why paying by Direct Debit is the best way to payDirect Debit is usually the best way to pay bills because:you get a cheaper rate if you’re on our variable Simpler Energy planyou don’t have to think about it – it’s all done automatically each monthyou don’t need to worry about forgetting or missing a paymentit can help you budget as you know how much is going out of your account each month and whenit spreads your year’s energy costs evenly over 12 monthsHow we work out your payment amountTo work out your monthly Direct Debit amount, we:look at your energy use to date and how much you’re likely to use until 31 March, or the end of your contract if you’re on a fixed plantake into account your current balance and any other costs such as the standing charge and any add-ons you havedivide the amount by the number of payments left until 31 March, or the end of your contract, and that gives us your monthly amountOur aim is to make sure you don’t build up unexpected debt by the end of winter, or the end of your contract if you're on a fixed plan.Why your Direct Debit amount might be different to your bill amountHow much energy you use can change from month to month, so your actual bill might be a different amount to your Direct Debit amount.But we make sure you’re paying the right amount each month to cover your whole year’s energy use, spread out over 12 monthly payments.Why meter readings are importantYou can make sure your Direct Debit amount stays at the right level by giving us regular meter readings – once a month is best.How we work out your Direct Debit amount when you join usIf you’re new to OVO, we work out your Direct Debit amount to cover your expected energy use over the next 12 months. We base it on your past year’s energy use if you know it.If we don’t know it, we’ll ask you about your property and how many people live there, then we’ll base it on the average data for your type of household.After 2 months we check in to make sure the amount you’re paying is right for your actual energy use. Your Direct Debit amount might then need to go up or down.How often we check you’re paying the right amountWe review your Direct Debit every 3 months to make sure you are not paying too much or too little for the energy you’re using.We let you know if your Direct Debit amount needs to change to keep you on track.When your payment amount might changeYour payments might need to go up or down if something changes, such as:your energy use goes up or downthe price of energy goes up or down – if you’re on a standard variable tariffyou change which energy plan you’re onyou missed a payment or recently requested a refundyou’ve chosen an add-on, such as Greener Energy or OVO FoundationIf your Direct Debit is too high or too low, then we’ll let you know we’re going to have to change the amount.If your balance is in creditIt’s good for your balance to be in a bit of credit as it acts like a pot of money to cover when your energy use is higher.For example, you’re likely to build up credit in the summer months when energy use is lower, but you might need to tap into your credit in the colder and darker winter months when energy use can be much higher.We check you’re paying the right monthly amount so your balance stays on track for the whole year.Even if your balance is in credit, it might be that we still need to increase your monthly payments. This would be if we’ve worked out what your energy use is likely to be and that your balance is likely to go below zero by the 31 March or end of your plan.If your balance goes below zeroIf your balance goes below zero, we’ll let you know if your monthly Direct Debit amount needs to go up.If you’re struggling to pay your bills, we can work it out together – sign up to our payment support tool.Setting up or changing a Direct DebitYou can set up, change the amount or date of your Direct Debit by logging into your online account and following these steps:Go to HomeSelect Set up your Direct DebitChoose which day you’d like us to collect your payment each month. This can be any date from the 1st to the 28thEnter your Direct Debit amount. You can use our Direct Debit calculator to get an accurate prediction of what you should pay each monthPut in your details, including your full name, sort code and bank account numberSelect NextCheck the details you’ve entered are correctSelect Confirm paymentsWe’ll send you an email within 3 working days to let you know it’s all set up.Find out how to set up or change a Direct Debit in the app.Check out our Direct Debit “check in” processhereor watch the video below for more info on the direct debit review process for fixed plans:You can check your current Direct Debit amount and adjust this if needed on the ‘Payments’ page of youronline accountor OVO app (download forAndroidoriOS)-Exact appearance may varyThere’s also some really helpful advice here in understanding the calculation we carry out when checking your Direct Debit amount -Exact appearance may varyIs there any support available if I’m struggling to pay for my energy?There is help available if you’re struggling to pay your energy bills – both from us here at OVO Energy and from government schemes and charities as well. There are many ways we can help – such as setting up a payment plan for you, which spreads the cost of your energy to make it more manageable. If you want to find out about payment plans, you canrequest one online here– we’ll take you through what you need to do, and ask you for some details. Our dedicated team is also specially trained to support you. They can make sure you’re receiving any financial assistance from the government that you’re eligible for, and take you through payment support schemes that are available.You can find out more about these schemes and where to seek free,independent advice right here.

Why am I being forced to change my Direct Debit?

A

AngryOVOCust
Carbon Cutter****
19 replies
1 year ago
5 October 2022

@Blastoise186

Anyone can request that exemption with a good reason. OVO doesn’t have to accept, but it’ll always be considered on a case-by-case basis.

That is not what the Call Centre is doing. If you ask to have your Direct Debit frozen the immediate response is “we cannot do that anymore”.

Sherlock Holmes
Carbon Cutter**
6 replies
1 year ago
5 October 2022

I have been shafted this morning with this energy review lark. My payments are now set to double even though I was £700 in credit. First woman I spoke to was rude and accused me of not reading the email properly. I have submitted a formal complaint regarding this.

Second person was better but no real explanation as to why I should be forced into making huge increases in my payments.

Very troubling for someone like myself who is retired and a vulnerable customer on the priority scheme register. No support or consideration whatsoever. I had to shell out £2.4K upfront just in order to remain on my current DD amount. It is daylight robbery. And the sooner the utilities are renationalised, the better.

Userlevel 7

+2

Jeffus
Plan Zero Hero
2667 replies
1 year ago
5 October 2022

I have been shafted this morning with this energy review lark. My payments are now set to double even though I was £700 in credit. First woman I spoke to was rude and accused me of not reading the email properly. I have submitted a formal complaint regarding this.

Second person was better but no real explanation as to why I should be forced into making huge increases in my payments.

Very troubling for someone like myself who is retired and a vulnerable customer on the priority scheme register. No support or consideration whatsoever. I had to shell out £2.4K upfront just in order to remain on my current DD amount. It is daylight robbery. And the sooner the utilities are renationalised, the better.

Sorry to hear this

Did you want some help from anyone on the forum?

A

AngryOVOCust
Carbon Cutter****
19 replies
1 year ago
5 October 2022

I have been shafted this morning with this energy review lark. My payments are now set to double even though I was £700 in credit. First woman I spoke to was rude and accused me of not reading the email properly. I have submitted a formal complaint regarding this.

Second person was better but no real explanation as to why I should be forced into making huge increases in my payments.

Very troubling for someone like myself who is retired and a vulnerable customer on the priority scheme register. No support or consideration whatsoever. I had to shell out £2.4K upfront just in order to remain on my current DD amount. It is daylight robbery. And the sooner the utilities are renationalised, the better.

So you paid £2.4k AND they are doubling your Direct Debit even though you were £700 in credit?

If you were in credit and had no history of allow your account to fall into debt then really they had no business forcing you to double your DD and, apparently, also talking you out of £2.4k.

You really should complain about that, seek compensation and ultimately take it to the Energy Ombudsman if OVO don’t fix things.

They are abusing DDs because they have customers over a barrel. You need to pay by DD to get the lowest bill. When they recalculate your DD they tell you that you need to change it or they will do in 10 days. If you go to the website you can change your DD but not to less than the amount they have calculated. If you phone up and ask for your DD to be frozen they will tell you that they cannot do that. Only by persistence, raising complaints, and endlessly holding onto telephone can you eventually get them to freeze the DD (without paying a lump sum).

They really are manipulating the DD system to help manage their own finances.

Posts here saying that OVO manged things on a case by case basis are complete rubbish. The Call Centre actively tries to stop every caller from not raising their DD to what OVO have calculated.

Userlevel 7

Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
2156 replies
1 year ago
6 October 2022

Hi @Sherlock Holmes,

Sorry for the issues you’ve had.

Please see my response *copied from the previous page on this thread*

Just wanted to step in here and add; if OVO are suggesting you increase your direct debit it sounds like you may have recently fixed into a new plan on the higher rates or are on the Simpler Variable Plan with prices set to go up in October.

Here are some resources you may find helpful:

The direct debit review takes into account any credit balances you have on your account. If you are on a fixed rate contract it is worked out to ensure when your plan comes to an end there is a £0 balance on your account.

If you are on the Simpler Variable Plan it is worked out over an annual period to ensure there are no large spikes in your bill over the winter period.

We know that direct debits aren’t for everyone and if you would prefer to pay on receipt of your bill you can opt to go onto the Simpler Variable Plan on demand plan. It is more expensive than the Simpler Plan paid by direct debit.

It is worth mentioning you can request a refund up to £500 at any time through your online account as long as the following are met:

Have been billed within the last 28 days to an actual reading
Have an active Direct Debit with at least one payment received from that bank account
Request a refund of over £5
Request a refund up to £500
Leave a remaining balance of at least one month's Direct Debit

Refunds can be requested through your online account by following these steps:

Go to the Payments tab and click 'Apply for a refund'
Choose the amount you wish to have refunded

I also wanted to add that as long as you aren’t in arrears you can request to be put on the direct debit exceptions list for 3 months if you are unhappy with your current direct debit.

If you put £2400 on your energy account which was already £700 in credit does this mean you are now £3100? Typically you wouldn’t be asked by OVO to make a one off payment unless you had an arrears on your account?

Let’s get to the bottom of this together.

Sherlock Holmes
Carbon Cutter**
6 replies
1 year ago
6 October 2022

Hi Emmanuel

I felt very threatened but the demanding email saying my DD was going up to £400 a month instead of £249 a month when I was £700 in credit. In order to continue paying the £249 a month the email stated I had to pay £2.4K upfront. So I did that. Because I am retired and not working. Although because of this country’s artificially created cost of living rise I feel I am. now going to have to go back into harness. NOT easy for someone who has several hidden disabilities. I suppose I can be thankful I had time to grieve these past three years now coming to terms with the fact I have no family left and am truly on my own. But this arm twisting email forcing me into a corner has really distressed me. I may as well give them my pension and PIP payment direct to the greedy OVO owner. GRRR!!! All people care about is greed greed greed and profits. The don't give a too hoots about their CUSTOMERS. And PLEASE don't use Ukraine as an excuse as that has NOTHING to do with this. It is a distraction from failed Government of the past 12 years and a PM who has no mandate.

Had to get that off my chest. I am on a variable rate by the way. I feel conned, trapped and blackmailed by the whole situation. I am now £3K in credit in my account. I hope the vultures are happy. I could use that £3K for me, not filling the coffers of utility companies who are rolling in profits.

Nationalise the utility companies immediately. We all need to pay our bills but not be ripped off like this.

Apologies for my anger, but I need to show how frustrated I am!

Sherlock Holmes
Carbon Cutter**
6 replies
1 year ago
6 October 2022

Have you contacted them about it ? If so what what was their reply.

Yes and I was essentially fobbed off, not helped by the agents not having English as their mother tongue. Lord forgive me I am not being racist here, but as a deaf person, it is n to helpful when trying to communicate on the phone. And the first agent accused me of not being able to read properly and when I got angry with that rude insult and demanded a supervisor she deliberately cut me off. OVO staff needs disability awareness training!

Sherlock Holmes
Carbon Cutter**
6 replies
1 year ago
6 October 2022

I have been shafted this morning with this energy review lark. My payments are now set to double even though I was £700 in credit. First woman I spoke to was rude and accused me of not reading the email properly. I have submitted a formal complaint regarding this.

Second person was better but no real explanation as to why I should be forced into making huge increases in my payments.

Very troubling for someone like myself who is retired and a vulnerable customer on the priority scheme register. No support or consideration whatsoever. I had to shell out £2.4K upfront just in order to remain on my current DD amount. It is daylight robbery. And the sooner the utilities are renationalised, the better.

Sorry to hear this

Did you want some help from anyone on the forum?

Apologies for my delayed reply. I was so upset when I posted this and still am. They are shafting a vulnerable customer on the priority list. I feel conned, used and left in a corner with no choice but to pay £2.4K into my account just to keep my current DD at £249. No consideration given to the fact that I am retired, living on my own and in receipt of PIP. The OVO boss is laughing all the way to the bank with MY MONEY. I agree we have to pay our bills but not this extortion. The OVO boss may as well have a standing order to get my pension and PIP pid directly to them. Its UNFORGIVEABLE!! 😡

Sherlock Holmes
Carbon Cutter**
6 replies
1 year ago
6 October 2022

I forgot to mention have no sense of smell, so I accept that for one day last month my gas usage would be higher than usual as I had no idea I left my gas hob on. I was horrified when I discovered that. All part of my hidden disability package, so my fault. But despite that one off event that day, I was still £700 in credit.

Just so upset and feel shafted. What is the point in having a priority register for vulnerable customers if they don't take care of them. Absolute INSANITY in a world gone mad with greed. 😡

Userlevel 7

Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
2156 replies
1 year ago
7 October 2022

Hey @Sherlock Holmes,

I’m really sorry for the experiences you’ve had.

You’ve expressed you are on a variable tariff, your prices will have increased significantly in April and again on the 1st of October. Although the government have intervened, the price is capped at a higher amount, so the rates you’ll be paying now will be significantly higher than they were previously.

So the suggested increase in your direct debit isn’t surprising but I’m puzzled about the amount that you were asked to pay and the credit balance you’ve advised you have on your account.

What’s happening to Energy Prices? Find out more about the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

The difference between your current direct debit of £249 and increasing it to £400 over the course of the year is £1,812. So I am unsure as to why you were advised to pay £2,400 if you were already £700 in credit.

How long have you been with OVO? Could your estimated annual consumption be incorrect?

Do you submit regular meter readings? Have you submitted a meter reading recently that may be higher than our previous estimates.

What credit does your account balance show currently? Have you submitted a recent reading and been billed within the last 28 days? Please send screenshots of your Online Account.

If you are now £700 + £2400 in credit on your account, you can request a refund of up to £2,000 with Support.

If the refund is over £599 they will need to check the account has either been billed up to smart reads, or request photos of the reading- If you are unable to do so you can request a meter reader comes to your property. This is one benefit of being on the Priority Services Register.

I’m sorry to hear about the gas hob being left on. As you have mentioned you have hidden disabilities, you should definitely be added to the Priority Services Register, if you aren’t already.

If you are in a large credit on your account, and have a live complaint, you can ask for your direct debit to be put on a 3 month suspension from being increased.

Let’s get this sorted!

E

emh
Carbon Cutter*
2 replies
1 year ago
9 October 2022

Hi,

Hope everyones well :)

We've been with OVO since July this year and had a direct debit of £224.50 set up.

Over the past few months we have used £88 maximum pcm for both gas/electricity. (I know this will increase due to prices and winter usage)

I called a few weeks ago as they'd estimated my on going bills at over £10,500 a year (?)

They said it appeared to be an error and adjusted my direct debit by 50p to take it up to £225 and said another review wouldn't be due. (They also couldn't explain where these estimates had come from)

I've just had notification from my bank that OVO have changed my direct debit to £749 a month as they "haven't heard from me".

I'll give them a call tomorrow to discuss as I'd rather pay on receipt of the bill as opposed to direct debit as somethings a miss but does anyone know where these crazy estimates have come from?

Thanks in advance

C

Carolyne
New Member***
1 reply
1 year ago
9 October 2022

Phone as soon as they open tomorrow morning, ask for a direct debit review suspension.

E

emh
Carbon Cutter*
2 replies
1 year ago
9 October 2022

Phone as soon as they open tomorrow morning, ask for a direct debit review suspension.

Will do. Many thanks :)

C

Camper Sue
Carbon Cutter*****
7 replies
1 year ago
9 October 2022

5 weeks ago I had an email to say my payments would leave me £983 short and I should increase my direct debt to £245. At the moment I’m paying £100 and not on a fixed rate Tariff. I didn’t increase the payment. 3 weeks ago the outstanding balance reduce to £438 and my new direct debt payment would be £179, 2 weeks ago this reduced again to £148 per month. Now this last week it’s now £120, with outstanding balance at the end of the year of £260. And all this time I have been in credit building it up. I understand there has been a change to the capped allowance but would that make my payments change every week?I shall not be increasing my direct debt, in fact I’m hoping this week I will receive an email stating the the amount has reduced again. Happy Days

Userlevel 7

Tim_OVO
Community Manager
2075 replies
1 year ago
10 October 2022

Hi @Camper Sue and thanks for flagging this.

It’s true that with the price cap change, then the energy price guarantee (EPG) being rolled out, our Direct Debit review tool has had a tricky time in predicting usage costs. I’m glad to hear this has come down now. I’d expect this to be more consistent until at least the build up to January when the price cap is set to change again. Although even that may not cause much of an impact, with the EPG ensuring a ceiling on what is paid.

Userlevel 7

+2

Jeffus
Plan Zero Hero
2667 replies
1 year ago
10 October 2022

Hi @Camper Sue

When the press quotes costs they often now quote a typical user paying £2500 on average on the Energy Price Guarantee.

A typical user is defined by ofgem the regulator.

The typical domestic consumption value tdcv for a medium user is

12000kWh gas

2900 kWh electricity.

So basically if you are a typical user you are using 12000kWh gas and 2900kWh electricity and will pay on average £2500 a year if you are a direct debit customer on the variable rate tariff. This doesn't take into account the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme.

£2500 a year is the average as unit rates and standing charges vary by region just to confuse things.

£2500 a year would be a direct debit of about £208 a month.

So you are doing very well to keep your usage low and hence your direct debit down to £100. Well done!

C

Camper Sue
Carbon Cutter*****
7 replies
1 year ago
10 October 2022

Still only taking £100 as direct debt

Userlevel 7

+2

Jeffus
Plan Zero Hero
2667 replies
1 year ago
11 October 2022

@Carolyne how did you get on?

It would be worth checking what OVO thinks will be your annual consumption as this is what ultimately drives your direct debits.

Look on this page on the website not the app

https://account.ovoenergy.com/plan

It is called the Future Annual Consumption.

Does it look reasonable? For some people it is much too high.

C

Ceri
Carbon Cutter**
5 replies
1 year ago
12 October 2022

Fourth time I gave complained to Ovo about increasing direct debits ie £23 a month to £85 a month fir one LED bulb used for 3 hrs a night only as a security in an empty flat. Using approx 1.25 kw a month. Readings given every month last reading ooo365. £ 36 in credit, yet today on my account £101.00 in debt. Someone work this out as Ovo are unable too. Next step as will not listen to my complaints is Watch Dig with Matt and then Ombudsman as this is the worst company ever.

Userlevel 7

+2

juliamc
Carbon Catcher***
1122 replies
1 year ago
13 October 2022

Hi @Ceri could you post a screenshot of the charges etc on your account, also your plan details as seen on the OVO website not the app please. Don’t show us your personal data eg MPAN or account number.

eg from billing history > view current period

and Plan > Plan Detail

C

Ceri
Carbon Cutter**
5 replies
1 year ago
13 October 2022

Thank you for your help,

Ceri.

Userlevel 7

+2

juliamc
Carbon Catcher***
1122 replies
1 year ago
13 October 2022

Oops - No account number thanks - we can’t see that from the forum.

Userlevel 7

+2

juliamc
Carbon Catcher***
1122 replies
1 year ago
13 October 2022

Ah @Ceri can you log onto the MyOVO from your browser, Plan Details on that will give the Future Annual Consumption figure. It’s probably set much higher than your actual usage as you have an empty property.

Has it been occupied previously occupied? I had this with a rental property. The previous tenants set the ‘normal’ pattern of use so when they left and it was empty the OVO system wasn’t aware of that and just assumed I’d be using the same amount as they were.

If you have a smart meter it’ll settle into the new pattern of very low use, if not you should send meter readings weekly to shove the system into your new pattern.

Userlevel 7

+2

juliamc
Carbon Catcher***
1122 replies
1 year ago
13 October 2022

Sorry - just seen you said reading given every month - def give them weekly now.

C

Ceri
Carbon Cutter**
5 replies
1 year ago
13 October 2022

Hi I have owned the property for 38 yrs the flat has never been occupied and the same security lighting has been used except changing of the LED bulb. Never had this problem with SSE and I submit the readings daily as OVO still cant understand how to read meter readings. So I am sorry but your answers are if no use and you still have not looked into my complaint or account results. A smart meter would be if no use for one bulb. 1.25 kw a month work the amount out!!

Regards

Ceri.

Why am I being forced to change my Direct Debit?

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