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Power Move is now live in the OVO app/Beyond. If you already have consented to HHR before, when you go back to the home screen after providing consent you should see the Power Move tab again with "Join Now", if you click on this, you'll be able to complete sign up. If this is your first time providing consent, you will be emailed once the meter settings have been updated. Please note, you will need to have the most recent updated version of the app, if you're on an older version you may not be able to see Power Move so please make sure you update your app to the new version.

 

Hi everyone,

 

Throughout 2024 so far customers have saved over £1.3 million by shifting their energy and making greener choices with Power Move.

 

Ahead of the next challenge starting October 1, we have a few changes we wanted to let you know about.

 

Power Move will now be exclusive to Beyond. 

If you want to take part in the next, and future Power Move challenges, you'll need to join each challenge when it opens in Beyond. Beyond is our free Energy Savings Account - you can read more about Beyond here.

To unlock Beyond, you’ll need to download the OVO app, have a smart meter and pay by Direct Debit. 

You won’t be able to opt in or see the new challenge details in the Power Move section on your online account. 

We also won’t be auto-enrolling current Power Move customers onto the new challenge, but will be contacting customers when the new challenge is available to opt in.


Changes to eligibility 

To take part you will need to have a single-rate meter, pay by Direct Debit, and have a smart meter. Multi-rate meters, like those used for Economy 7 or Economy 10, can’t be used for Power Move from October 1.

We're looking at how we can include more customers in the future.

 

Updates via the OVO app

You’ll soon be able to see your progress through the app. When the new challenge is live, sign in to your account and select 'Power Move' on the home screen.

Don’t have the OVO app? Download it from the App Store or Google Play Store.

 

New tiers and rewards

We’ve made the monthly peak usage targets easier for the next challenge, and increased the rewards. Peak times for this challenge will be 4pm-7pm and the rewards are:

 

  • 12.00% to 10.01% = £3
  • 10.00% to 8.01% = £6
  • 8.00% or less = £12

 

Thanks

The OVO team

 

I’m not at all confident …

 

I wonder what they’re doing to my poor meter?


See if you can replicate @Firedog 


I had the same screen & a scrambled process to enrol.

Had to confirm the switch to half hourly readings (but already sending ½ readings)

plus a second check box to confirm something???

 

> splash screen showing the process to set up ½ hourly readings can take up to 24hr’s plus ?.?.? Never took much notice.(power move pending)

30 Seconds later on the power move tab again,

> just 1 confirmation this time to enable ½ hr readings > the process to enable ½ hr readings can take upto 24hr’s… … …(powemove pending)

 

hit the power move tab immediately for the 3rd time, 

> enrolled & status = active.

 

 

iPadOS 18  > app 19.3.3


Tom…

 

 


Fingers crossed for you @Firedog 


Exactly as for @TomThumb (thank you for your help!!): the OVO Beyond home page process for acceptance onto the Winter PowerMove seemed to require me (when I was prompted after asking to join PowerMove) to select half hour readings for usage and for billing, to click OK and then once more apply to join. A bit disconcerting to be whizzed through two or three minor hoops, but the whole thing took only about 20 seconds of button-pushing and watching the system think to itself for a few tense moments!  But eventually after that 20 second or so period, it confirmed I’d joined; and fair play, I guess it’s extra busy, of course, this evening.

 

 

 

 


@waltyboy at least I’m not alone thinking the whole process was a lill bit disjointed.

 

Tom…


 I will miss taking part In the Winter Power Move but like quite a few of us I have been excluded this time around.

Good luck everyone 🤞


at least I’m not alone thinking the whole process was a lill bit disjointed.

 

Does anyone expect anything to run smoothly these days?

(Oops, my cynicism is showing again).


Thanks, Tom

  

Had to confirm the switch to half hourly readings (but already sending ½ readings)

plus a second check box to confirm something???

 

Nothing to confirm, either there or on the web. Half-hourly readings selected everywhere.

 

I think I’m an edge case (again!) that the app doesn’t know what to do with. I’ll be back after the 24-hour wait - I’m still not confident.

 


It’s disappointing that OVO have chosen to exclude people from Power Move if they don’t use the app (either because they don’t have a suitable device or simply dislike using mobiles for everything). It seems rather silly if you genuinely want to encourage everyone to be more careful with their usage.

And looking at the app on google play, there’s a whole list of access permissions it requires which are excessive for its purpose.  That’s enough to put me off. 


Eh? Those permissions are pretty standard stuff for literally any app under the sun these days.

Facebook asks for A LOT more than that - I wouldn’t worry about the OVO app so much. And besides, the ones that can mess with your data are off by default - you have to grant them manually.


@TomThumb et al...…

I had the same confusing issue so I uninstalled Ovo Beyond and installed the Ovo Energy app and to Ovo Beyond from there instead. Very easy, not complicated at all and it works fine 👌


Ok, now I’m not so sleepy and Dewott does have Samsung DeX so I can throw it onto a larger screen, I can respond properly to a comment from last night.

I’ve reviewed the app permissions on Android for the OVO Energy app - and honestly… There’s nothing that surprises me.

  • Calendar permissions are OFF by default - the app only asks for them when you use a feature that requires it. It’s used purely for the meter reading reminders - which you won’t trigger with Smart Meters enabled anyway. IIRC this can probably get moved to the new Intents anyway, which would allow OVO to eventually drop Calendar permissions.
  • Notification permissions are pretty self-explanatory - it just lets the app send notifications, nothing more, nothing less.
  • Camera is used for helping you to read meters - it’s NOT used for basically anything else.
  • Full Network Access basically lets the app access the internet - you do want it to work at all… Right?
  • View Wi-Fi Connections is part of how Android apps get to the internet. It ain’t gonna hack ya Wi-Fi password!
  • Prevent sleep basically doesn’t do much - it just keeps the device active when the app is in use.
  • Play Referrer API doesn’t really do anything anymore other than telling OVO where you got the app from
  • Storage permissions are no longer used - but were ALWAYS OFF by default. This has been dropped completely from the latest versions and the app can no longer use it.
  • Photos/Media/Files permissions are no longer used - but were ALWAYS OFF by default. This has been dropped completely from the latest versions and the app can no longer use it.
  • download files without notification - used to refresh the app and isn’t surprising to me
  • Receive data from Internet - used for Notifications, every app under the sun has this
  • View network connections - allows the app to know whether there’s internet or not, pretty standard stuff
  • Control flashlight - simply turns the phone torch on/off
  • Run at startup - allows notifications to work
  • Control vibration - makes the phone vibrator work, otherwise does basically nothing

In all cases, any permissions that get dropped are removed from the app manifest. Upon installing such app updates, any existing installs will be checked for whether that permission was previously granted. If it was granted previously, it’s automatically revoked as part of the update (usually within 30 seconds) and cannot be re-enabled. If it wasn’t granted, it’s just removed and can’t be turned on.

If new Restricted Permissions are added where user consent is required, they’re always enforced to be DISABLED by default and you have to manually grant them if you want said app to have it. Everything under Other however, is considered to be low risk and you don’t usually need to worry about that stuff - those permissions wouldn’t give the app any additional access to your data anyway.


I’m not enrolled because I’m not paying by direct debit.  I’ve fixed my rate and that removes the benefit you’d get for paying by direct debit if you were on the flexible tariff.  And they wouldn’t tell me what discount I’d get for paying by direct debit on the flexible tariff.

If they’d just take the amount of money that I’d racked up per month I’d be fine but I don’t want to do any of that “spread the cost” stuff.  Is it possible to pay just what I’ve used?

Does the app tell you how you’re doing on meeting the peak usage?  I’ll update the code for the bookmark that does the calculations for you later and upload it to github.


  

… they wouldn’t tell me what discount I’d get for paying by direct debit on the flexible tariff.
 

You can see all the tariffs available on the Plans page. Here’s the comparison for electricity in my postcode; they might be different for yours:
  

Values ex VAT
For an annual usage of 2900kWh, the difference amounts to £36 for fuel and £22 in standing charges p.a., almost £5 a month. 

 

I’ll update the code for the bookmark that does the calculations for you later and upload it to github.

 

Delighted to hear that. I’ve been wondering whether I shouldn’t give you a nudge 🙂 (I couldn’t work out how to change the peak period for Oct-Dec myself, I’m ashamed to say.]
  


mEDIT a few hours later] The updated bookmarklet is available at Ovo-Power-Move-Calculator · GitHub 

Thanks, TB 👍🏻


Hey @Tron Burgundy 

 

I can see Firedog has already given some useful advice here. Just wanted to add that these topics might be helpful to you:

 

 


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