Hi,

We can’t say for sure here as we can’t see the account via the forum. Try 0330 175 9669 as the PAYG Support Team has access to the internal systems.

I have tried using the above number and the web chat function, spoken to PAYG team and a collections team. Nobody seems to know and keeps passing me from department to department with no answers. Which is why I am here. 
 

The only other option I have left is to write to them and hopefully get a proper response. 

Hey @Unhappy at PAYG charges,

I’m really sorry to hear this,

I’d advise contacting the Support Team, they should be able to raise this to our billing team to investigate. If they’re unable to resolve this, there’s always the option to raise a complaint.

Keep us posted with how you get on. 

 

@Unhappy at PAYG charges - I have also had a similar issue though i wasn’t made aware of it until i got my final statement after moving home.

I spent three hours on the phone and even spoke with OVO’s final accounts team and only the final accounts team could give me a reasonable answer.

“The debt was on your account the day it was migrated to OVO”

I then asked if they can see what it was for and i was told that even though my account was on pay-as-you go, with both SSE and OVO, the debt seemed to be on my account from a direct debit or monthly payment debt.

The final account team could not confirm why this was there but they did say it didn’t make any sense, even after they recalculated my monthly tops ups.

The final account team confirmed that i have been paying a debt on my account since the day i migrated despite neither company ever informing me of the debt.

I have since contacted citizens advice as they have some helpful information, i am still trying to get answers from SSE separately as it turns out when my account closed it have debt on it (but again they could not tell me what it was from, when it was from, or why they haven’t got visibility on it).

TLDR; Contact citizens advice if you don’t get anywhere with OVO support. They have some good information to help you.

*Edit: i am still trying to get answers, and still being chased for the debt. Currently around 40 pounds but was originally over 100.

OVO are currently under investigation by ofgem for for issues related to pre payment meters

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/investigation-ovo-and-its-compliance-its-obligations-under-gas-and-electricity-supply-licences-slcs-03-264-265-27-27a-and-281a#:~:text=Ofgem%20is%20investigating%20the%20four,Gas%20and%20Electricity%20Supply%20Licences.

Ofgem identified weaknesses in their maket compliance review of OVO

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-65544654

I had a pay as you go meter with sse for over ten year no problems no debts. Was changed over to ovo in July and carried on as same.

I moved in September and just received a final bill for £58. Contacted ovo to be told Sse passed over a debt of £30 something and the rest was to do with the change over period where they estimated my usage.

I said to who I was speaking to I had no debt with SSE and during whatever the change over period was I didn't receive any free electricity/gas I would have used the credit I had or topped up as usual.

I got passed around, one woman said the debt was passed by SSE and their than that they have no details as SSE don't exist anymore. Regards the other was given few maybe it was or maybe. 

I was then told speak to collections on Monday. I'm guessing collections arnt going to be looking into this but just asking for payment. 

I'm so cross. I had set up ovo at my new property but will be changing as soon as possible. 

Hey @NealeC,

I’m really sorry to hear this,

Could it have been a built up arrears from a period of non-disconnect while the meter was migrating across?

Is it a smart or traditional meter?

Traditional meter. 

I've asked for a breakdown of the supposed debt. 

I was told part of it is because I didn't top up during a certain period but as I said to them if their was credit on the meter I wouldn't need to top up. I always kept a healthy credit on my meter but when I new I was moving I let it run down so didn't top up. 

My conclusion has been that who ever dealt with the migration to ovo had no idea how a key meter works and has treated it as monthly billing. 

Hey @NealeC,

Hopefully the breakdown gives more clarity.

If you aren’t able to get this resolved, you have the option to raise a complaint.

How to get in contact about my OVO Pay As You Go account

• The best way to get in touch with us is via chat here. Just click the green chat icon on the bottom right of your screen. We’re here to help anytime from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm on Saturday.
• Or call us on 0330 175 9669 during the same times.

Please help me since I am in emergency situation.

I have just moved into a new property with traditional gas meter with pay as you go plan.

After charging my card, all of my money have been deducted for dept! we were not here before last week and nobody can help me.

How can I avoid this problem? I have no more money to pay and been deducted.

Hi @Amin Javanmard 

Sorry to hear about this, it sounds like there was already a debt on the meter before you moved in.

We don’t have access to accounts here at the Forum so you’ll need to contact the Pay as you Go team who’ll be able to help sort this for you.

You can can contact the team now here, they’ll go through everything with you to get that cleared and get topped up.

First of all I got a final bill from sse of £217.63 8/01/21 when we left the property 

i had been on direct debt then went to pre pay. 

I didn’t think this was right so I asked for all of my bills to be sent to me and raised a complaint which was recognised but nothing happened after this, I raised a further complaint it was allocated to someone then again nothing happened. Fast for as to 17/08/23 when ovo took over this account they are saying I owe £788.66 considering I got a final bill of £217.63 I asked ovo over phone conversations to send me all bills you hold on me so I can look into this and received nothing I’ve then called you and you’ve now got no record of my account. this has now been passed to a debt collector and they are saying I owe them £1870.66 this is outrageous.

Hi @Johnmo1 

Sorry to hear about this.

We don’t have access to accounts on the Forum, so you’ll need to discuss this with the Support Team in depth. You can contact the team here.

Hi all, totally confused at the moment I have been with sse for approx 10 years pre payment  I then agreed to have smart meters installed. So still on pay as you go! The Ovo took over my account last sept so still on pay as you go Wer I topped up my gas and electric online if I didn’t top my meters up then I didn’t have a supply simply right? So in April this year I changed from pre payment to pay monthly and 2 weeks later Ovo have sent me a bill for almost £1500 impossible.! I raised my concerns and put in a complaint only to be told that I have been using more energy than I been topping up? How is this even possible? I honestly don’t know who or were to turn to for advice’s 

Hi @Debzs,

I’m really sorry to hear this.

It sounds like your meter readings from when you migrated from SSE could be out of line and causing the debt. I’m afraid we don’t have access to your account here to be able to properly explain why this might be. It may be worth contacting the Pay As You Go team directly so they can look into this further for you.

These threads may also be helpful:

Please keep us updated.

Hi, I have a question regarding my electricity “final bill” from Ovo after moving out of property. The flat was supplied via prepayment pay as you go meter, a smart meter. I had an OVO app where I could always see the balance on my account and always kept it in credit. The last day of my tenancy I took a photo of the meter and it said it was in credit. I always kept it in credit. I never received any bills from OVO. Upon notifying OVO about wanting to close my account with them, I received a final bill where it says that for the past couple of months I had been in debit, and that I owe money. My question is, does the meter not reflect the true amount of the account? Why wasn’t I notified, why wasn’t my electricity cut off if, as they claim, the amount on my meter went into debt? (Which it hadn’t). It seems to me that they’re trying to squeeze a last payment from me. I have a photo of the final meter reading, where the amount of electricity usage is correct, and it says the meter is in credit. How can they claim I’m in debit then? Thank you for your answers.

Hi @Martynca ,

There may have been a “backscreen” debt on the meter. Try calling 0330 175 9669 and someone can check for you.

What doesn’t make sense to me is that the meter (or my Ovo top-up app) never showed DEBT on it, or that I was in negative amount. Is it possible that the meter is incorrect or does it always reflect true amount on the account?

It may have had a debt on it that you didn’t see on the front screen - and it definitely wouldn’t show in the app. If you talk to PAYG Support, they can dig deeper and figure this one out for you. If they determine you owe nothing, they can wipe the balance to zero.

 One more thing, if the meter did go into debit, how come my electricity supply didn’t get cut off?

What I don’t understand is, my meter showed credit when I was leaving the property. How can I be in debit? Nobody has been able to explain it to me.

Not all debts will result in Self-Disconnection on PAYG. Those that are set up to be paid off slowly over time will merely sap available credit at the agreed rate while allowing the supply to stay on.

Thank you for your answers. And how is it possible that the meter shows in credit upon moving out? While I’m supposedly in debit?

The current Meter Balance is the “credit” you see on the front screen. You have to go into the menus to find any active debts - or use the IHD if it’s a Smart Meter.

There are various reasons why it might happen.

This is just an example of one of those reasons - I am NOT saying this has happened to you. (But it might have).

It's possible that when there was a change in Ofgem  tariff rates, which happens every 3 months nowadays, that for some reason your particular meter did not update to the new rates.

That shouldn't happen, but occasionally it can happen.

If that should happen then the meter is charging you the wrong money for what you use, which can then lead to a debit if the tariff went up and so it is charging less than it should be (or to a credit if the tariff went down and it's charging you too much).

Normally if that has happened then the next time it changes the meter will be adjusted to take a bit more (or a bit less) to get things back to where they should be.

However if you have left then that can't be done and so you get a final bill (or a final credit).

When I left my last place the PAYG gas meter had been charging wrongly - it had been charging too much for a few months, and so I got a final bill showing £25 credit, and a cheque back from the gas supplier.