Why has my engineers visit failed again?

I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been affected by multiple missed engineer visits, @Jumpfa.

As so helpfully linked by @Jeffus, there’s more information about the standard £30 compensation payment in the topic above.

Have you been in touch with the Support Team to investigate why the appointments failed to happen yet?

Thank you for your responses. I have already received two £30 GSOP payments and have been offered a third which I have declined as inadequate. I have been in contact with the support team and have logged a complaint but have received no explanation why engineers have failed to attend or why, after being assured I was a priority; having a job reference number and phoning to check they were attending, nothing happens.

I want to ensure that my fourth appointment actually happens. I don’t want endless compensation payments and assurances that it will be different next time as it is massively frustrating to waste a day waiting in and I have lost trust that OVO can actually organise an engineer.

 I’m also annoyed that having no functioning meter since November my bills are estimated and don’t reflect the fact I have turned my heating off.  Do I have to accept estimated bills if I have given OVO nearly six months to fix the problem?

I can totally understand that approach, @Jumpfa - I would usually ask our Forum_Support team to send you a private message to grab some account details, so they could look at the account to see if there’s a reason these failed appointments keep happening. 

As this is now an open complaint, that same process will be happening by the complaint handler, and we won’t step in and risk duplicating contact with you. You’ve now done everything one can expect. Let our complaint handler look into this and reach out to you in the time frame provided. Full complaints process here. 

I hope this gets resolved without any more inconvenience to you. ​​​​​​

Tim

Thanks Tim. 🤞this will soon be resolved. 

I have been on the telephone to OVO today for an hour sorting out me having no electric! I haven’t yet moved into my property so when they say they will send an engineer out in the next 3 hours and one doesn’t turn up! Fuming! I am not very well and been sat in my car for 3 ½ hours and still no engineer! Told me if I didn’t wait I would be charged £30! Where were you!! 

For this one, please get in touch with the Support Team in the morning. They can request that £30 be paid to you as an apology as well as re-book the appointment. You qualify for that as long as the engineer didn’t give at least 24 hours notice of cancellation.

https://help.ovoenergy.com or 0330 303 5063/

Hey @tlongdon,

Really sorry to hear this, has it been sorted now?

No it is not! I called this morning and they said will be there 9:30 till 12:30, I have waited in my car for the whole time for them not to turn up again! 😡I have called again and they have said I have now got to sit ion my car from 1 till 4! Absolute Joke! I have sat in my car now from 3:30 till 7:30 yesterday! I have sat in my car this morning from 9:30 till 12:30 and now expected to sit in my car until 4 o’clock! Fuming is not the word!

After numerous attempts speaking to OVO, finally managed to get a meter exchange booked, engineer didn’t show on the date in January so attempted to rebook for today, needless to say again no show. Spoke to OVO again to start a complaint process but unable to action as I rang before the time frame had elapsed, so I’ll be ringing again in the next few days and claiming my £30 compensation for the no show. Has anyone else had this problem as OVO seem unable to contact the contact the contractors doing the meter exchange to basically let me know what’s going on? I’m having to take time off work to be in during the meter exchange and really want to get this sorted ASAP.  

Did you get the £30 for the first missed appointment if they didn't give notice? If they didn't pay that within 10 days you can claim another £30 under the OFGEM rules.

Certainly heard individual missed appointments but two without notice is rarer

Yes, did get £30 for first missed appointment which has been credited to our energy account. OVO call centre worker admitted they’ve had problems with no shows. *edited by mod*, so I’ll at least get another £30. We’re being encouraging to have smart meters but I hear nothing but trouble with them. 

We really like ours, definitely adjusted our usage dramatically having access to the data on the In Home Display and 30min readings on the app. 

Also saved a bit with the National Grid Demand Flexibility Scheme this year, every little helps. 

Well today I have just had a second no show with no notification.  Customer’s time is obviously less important than this contractors.

Make sure you put in for compensation for any missing appointments

£30 for each one.

Then another £30 for each one if the payment is not made within 10 days of the appointment

Given the phones etc seem to be busy i would simply ask via a complaint which can be done via email

https://www.ovoenergy.com/feedback

Rang them to be told by automated message they are busy having a staff meeting.  I will ring them again as soon as their staff are back answering the phone.  I did get £30 for the last no show but I would rather they just fixed the damn thing.  Thanks for your response.

Glad to see it’s not just me. I’m on reschedule number 11 now I think; been playing this game for nearly 9 months. Getting £30 a few times has been nice, sure, but I’ve wasted so many hours of my life it’s really not worth it.

Having an appointment cancelled that’s not due to occur for over a month, due to “engineer availability” is hilarious. I’ve just decided we must be in a black-spot for engineer coverage, and they can’t be bothered to send someone out here, so just keep moving it along. Either that or our local engineer plans their sick days well in advance.

Feel bad for the poor support agents on both SMS and OVO’s side, as they’re probably sick of my name popping up on their inbound call/web chat lists. 😂

If anyone reading this managed to break the cycle and actually get an engineer to visit, please tell me the secret!

Hey @theneverendingsmartmetersaga,

Really sorry to hear this,

It sounds like you’ve already heard of guaranteed standards of performance which is the £30 compensation. It may be, as you suggested you’re in an engineer blind spot. 

Is the appointment for a smart meter? The only other option I can think of is raising a complaint if the next appointment is cancelled. 

Hope this gets sorted soon. 

My elderly mother has had two engineer appointments made and on two separate occasions they have not turned up and have not contacted her. Apparently her smart meter is not recording or sending any readings back. She has missed her clubs both times in order to wait in for the engineer and this is upsetting her. How often does this happen and what can I do about it? 

Although not as helpful as keeping the appointment, your mother should be able to get compensation for missed visits if there was no/late cancellation. 
https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/article/guaranteed-standard-of-performance-gsop

Customer support should be able to sort something out

Thank you for this. I will apply for this but you are right. It is not as helpful as keeping the appointment. 

i have been waiting for hours now and have not seen, heard from ovo and have been waiting with no gas in the cold. was told that i will be charged £30 if i miss this appointment. i have no way to get gas and was supposed to get a smart meter installed. my mother is disabled and medication for herself and myself is overdue as we live separately. I am not happy with this and cannot express how much this has frustrated us

Hi @xkmxl

You could try the ovo facebook or twitter pages out of hours 

https://www.facebook.com/ovoenergy

There aren't any ovo staff here. 

Hi @xkmxl 

I’m really sorry to hear about this.

Jeffus has given some good advice here with the social media contact channels.

You’ll now be able to speak with the team over webchat, and they’ll get this rebooked for you and get someone out.

The phone line will open at 9am-5pm on 0330 303 5063.

All of a sudden my smart lol meter has stopped communicating. Had an engineer booked this morning calling by 1300 hrs. 15oohrs decides to track him down. After contact Ovo couldn't see a booking made. Iclve now got to wait in till 1800hrs. I don't feel confident.

In the mean time I have £500 worth of freezer food defrosting. Who do I claim off?

Probably be back in morning having another rant