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Why is my online account credit balance dropping every day?



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Please can anyone advice me? I use average £7 day electric I had £240 on my smart meter on the 17th October now I have £22 I am totally shocked and upset where it has gone?

 

Userlevel 7

Hey @Disappointed 1,

 

Sorry to hear of your billing issues. 

 

Is this all sorted now? Have you managed to get through? 

 

If not, you can send us a screenshot of the billing that appears wrong and we can take a look into it for you.

 

Please don’t include any personal information in the screenshots 🙂

Userlevel 7

Hey @Jk62,

 

Great question!

 

You’ll still either pay monthly via direct debit, or on receipt of the monthly statement depending on which plan you’re on.

 

Energy companies charge per kWh or energy used, so per unit and a daily standing charge. So technically you do pay for energy daily whether you use it or not. The purpose of the live billing system is so customers can see what they’ve used whenever they log into the Online Account. Whenever a reading is submitted manually or received from the Smart Meter, the account balance will update accordingly. We have a great FAQ page here which you might find helpful:

 

 

But you’ll only get one ‘statement’ a month for your usage. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Thank you for your response @Emmanuelle_OVO , so ‘maybe’ OVO do have the odd decent person in customer service, shame you’re the exception rather than the rule. 

Userlevel 7

Hey @Smith247,

 

Sorry for the issues you’re having.

 

Can you confirm if you’re pay monthly or pay as you go (top up meter)? Are you seeing this information on the In Home Display (plug in device) or the Smart Meters themselves? 

 

We don’t have access to your account, so can only make suggestions based on the information you’ve given.

 

If you’re with OVO and pay monthly, it may be that you recently submitted a reading that’s higher than the previous estimates which has caused a ‘catch up’ bill. Or, if you have a smart meter it may be that we lost communication with it and then regained communication. We have some great guides here which you might find helpful:

 

 

I’d advise logging into your Online Account, and taking a look at your meter readings, this’ll give an indication as to what the issue may be. If you download your latest statement and see how long the period covers, it may be that you hadn’t been billed the last couple of months. 

 

If you’re with Boost, I'd advise contacting their Support Team and they’ll be able to assist you further. 

 

Hope this helps. 

 

 

Userlevel 1

I have rung octopus to switch from OVO this morning  this will happen from wednesday.I was 300.00 in credit, OVO HAVE NOW wiped my electric charges and say 800.00 in credit , the last 5 months bills have been over written , surely this  is fraud, what happens if tomorrow  they say I owe them money no proof I was 300.00 in credit

Userlevel 7
Badge +2

Sorry not clear what you mean.. we’re you £300 in credit and now you’re £800 in credit ???

Userlevel 1

Yes this morning I was 298.00 in credit bill generated to 27th Oct, 298.00 in credit after this bill, spoke to Octopus this morning, and will be will be with them from 2nd November, this afternoon when I logged on it says I am 800.00 in Credit, and has removed the electric charges off my previously down loaded bills, to change bill that have been generated is possibly. Fraud, what happens tomorrow if they say I owe them money no proof of credit, I submit readings every month pay by Dd and the Credit was areal one.

 

I am now very very stressed 

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +2

I’m sure this is just part of the moving process. You have your previously downloaded bill. I would download this updated bill too, then  see what the situation is tomorrow. If you’d like a second option on your two bills and are happy to post them here (but block out any personal info such as account number name and address etc) please do. 
The move to octopus should be painless and stress free.  Some of my best friends are with octopus…!

One more thing… make sure you have taken meter readings and that your previous bill wasn’t based on an estimate.

Userlevel 1

Sorry if I have not made myself clear the 5 previous bills on the account have been changed and my electric charges have disappeared from them except some standing charges, I never down loaded them to my self as on the account and never did with Sse. and they now show large credit on them.  None of my bills are estimated I submit reading every month 

Userlevel 1

My worry is if the system corrects and tries to show a charge I will have no proof I was 300  in credit, and it was a true creditb

Userlevel 7
Badge +2

Hmm. I would download and save those bills now. Are you ok to post the last one here (without personal info) ? 

Userlevel 1

I can post later as re the bill picture. What they have done is removed all the metre readings off each of the electric bills , even through you can see under meter readings I have submitted every reading over last 6 months. And they were on the bills until mid day today

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +2

@Jeffus @Blastoise186 does this sound like part of the normal process of closing an account prior to transfer to another provider?

Userlevel 1

Why would they remove the electric off my previous bills and say I had not submitted meter readings , those bills are official documents.

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +1

It’s complicated, but there’s nothing that can be done now until either:

  • The switch is complete - in which case Octopus will need to deal with it
  • You cancel the switch - in which case OVO can deal with it
Userlevel 1

I not cancelling the switch if Ovo want to give me an extra 500 pound, I don’t mind, you say it complicated but can you try and explain please.

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +1

That's not how it works I'm afraid. If you get money you're not entitled to, you will be legally required to pay it all back immediately on demand. 

Userlevel 7
Badge +2

Shucks ! It seemed too good to be true !!

Userlevel 1

Please don’t take this the wrong way, I know you are trying to help.  All I want is it to be corrected as of this morning they owed me 300.00 a true credit,I don’t want the extra 500.00, amending offical bills that have been generated and to remove the meters readings saying they have not had meter reading Is possibly fraud since they have very regular meters readings. I had been recently submitting several meter reading a month which you advised a while ago as my DD’s were to high. So they could get a pattern, I am billed up to the 27th so plenty of my credit left, I do not want the extra.

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +2

I know you were kidding ..  keep a photo of your meter reading from the meter itself on the day of the switch as a record. 

Userlevel 1

I know not you ,but blastoise seems to know more..

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +2

I think Blastoise might well know everything!!! 

Userlevel 1

This has just happened to another lady and she is not switching her credit has increased by 200, but her electric has been removed from previous bills, she is also on a smart meter

Userlevel 7
Badge +1

This is I’m afraid, one of the very rare cases where I can’t think of any further advice. Sorry!

To be honest, switching while your account is unhealthy is probably not the best idea either...

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