Skip to main content
Rank 1
walkerjames54
Rank 1
Nov 7, 2026 12:58 PM UTC
Question

extortionate prices

Okay, so I don’t know why OVO bother having an app for checking your credit on both the gas and electric, as it takes days to update what credit you have and it has a nasty habit, of destroying your phone.

The price of the gas is extortionate. It states online, that we are using over £7 a day. Sorry, but we live in a 3 bed house, not a mansion. Plus, the only gas appliance we have, is the combi boiler.

When I complained, all I got was check your in home display. That would be nice, if we had one. OVO promised to send one out months ago and its never materialised. 

Seeing as the actual meters are near the ceiling, it’s not possible for me to just ‘have a look’.

So, I have put a complaint in, but I seriously doubt anything will come of it. Like their app destroying my phone, it took months to get a resolution from that. I had to threaten them with the small claims court, to get any action.

Anyone from OVO care to get in touch? Also, why state your live chat is open on a weekend until 2pm and then when you try to chat to you, the live chat says it’s closed at 11pm.

 

 

11 replies

Rank 2
costeek
Rank 2
Nov 7, 2026 6:56 PM UTC

Can you explain how the app destroys your phone?

    Rank 12
    Bendog
    Rank 12
    Nov 8, 2026 3:27 AM UTC

    Where are you seeing online that you are using £7 per day for gas? What kind of meters do you have? I assume that you have smart meters as you state you were promised an In Home Device. Are they credit or PAYG meters? Have you received a complaint number for your complaint? What have you actually complained about? 

    Rank 1
    walkerjames54Author
    Rank 1
    Nov 8, 2026 8:16 AM UTC

    Thanks for replying, I will go through it. Firstly, the phone. It was a corrupted update that caused the phone to go nuts. I went to top up the gas and electric through the app, and then it wanted an update. I did that, as I have done countless times before. Soon as the ovo app updated, my phone went into a bootloop and failed to restart. Anyway, seeing as I've been paid from OVO for the damage now, that's not a massive issue.

    Secondly the meters. 

    I'm looking at the meter itself using a step ladder and checking how much credit is being used on a daily basis. The electric is fine, but the gas is just plain silly. No point in checking the usage online, as that's never correct.

    Yesterday for example, nearly nine pounds was used on the gas alone. Why? 

    I'm dreading it today when the kids have baths etc. So tomorrow, I'm planning to get the boiler checked again and apparently OVO are going to check the meter, because there is something wrong somewhere.

    Oh, and I'm still waiting for the home display.

    That's the state of play thus far, we'll see what happens when various things are checked over.

    Rank 1
    walkerjames54Author
    Rank 1
    Nov 8, 2026 9:52 AM UTC

    So, I just checked the meter (gas) and it states we have just under £10 left and it was only topped up two days ago with £40. Now I know energy prices are expensive, but that is taking the urine. 

    I go onto live chat, go through all the rigmorole with the bot, only to get 

    I think you want to Speak to someone, is that correct?

    9:45 AM

    You said

    yes

    9:45 AM

    Business said

    All messages are stored to help us provide a better service.

    9:45 AM

    Business said

    We're really sorry but Live chat is currently closed

    9:45 AM

    Your conversation has ended

    November 8, 2026 9:45 AM

    9:45 AM

    That was useless. Then I tried phoning. After an age of waiting, I get through to some foreign woman, who kept repeating, I can’t hear you. Hmmmm nobody else has an issue.

    What is it with these foreign call centres. They either can’t hear you, or don’t understand you.

    Rank 12
    Bendog
    Rank 12
    Nov 9, 2026 1:21 AM UTC

    Regarding the phone issue and someone not being able to hear you. A friend of mine rings me regularly on my landline from her iphone. After about 3 minutes her voice becomes fainter and fainter until I cannot hear her at all. We have been trying for some time to try to work out why this happens.

    I never call OVO and, rarely, email them. While you do not get an instant response, I always use the Messenger facility on their Facebook page. The advantage of this is that it also produces a record of the conversation if you feel you need to keep one.

    If accessing your meters is so difficult, I would question whether PAYG is the best method for you to pay for your energy. I believe that there is a backlog for IHDs due to supply problems.

    I love my smart credit meters as I can, every day, see my half hourly usage for both electricity and gas on the app (I have sight problems which makes this hard for me to use) and online. This shows me when energy is used and allows me to see, within 24 hours, if there has been any “strange” usage that I cannot account for by something I have done/not done.

    Very soon after we got our meters fitted in 2023, we went to London to see some friends. At the time we had 3 elderly dogs. so we would leave the back door open for them. This would have been fine if we had not left the heating on! The birds in the bush just outside the back door were grateful, though, I suspect. Not having to wait for another 3 weeks to see how much financial damage we had incurred was great as we could see the next day quite how much our error had cost (not as much as we thought it might!).

    Firedog
    Super User
    FiredogSuper User
    Super User
    Nov 8, 2026 10:21 AM UTC

    Sorry to hear about the trouble you’re having, especially with contacting Support. In the past, I’ve always had really good service from the ‘social media teams’, those who man OVO’s Facebook and X pages. They’re there on Sundays, too:

    You can also find us on Social Media by sending a private message on the channels below: 

     

    Facebook

    Instagram

    X

     

     

    Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
    Abby_OVO
    Community Manager
    Abby_OVO
    Community Manager
    Nov 9, 2026 8:25 AM UTC

    Hey ​@walkerjames54 

     

    I’m sorry to hear about this situation, though I’m glad to see many of our community members have tried their best to help give advice here.

     

    We don’t have access to accounts here at the Forum but Firedog has left some helpful links to contact the Social Media team, we would recommend getting in touch with them on this and actually discussing a potential move to Pay Monthly if the meters are in an unreachable location. 

    Currently Playing: She's Electric
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement

    OVO Energy Ltd, Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ, (Company no. 06890795) registered in England and Wales.

    OVO (S) Gas Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 02716495) at Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ.

    OVO (S) Gas Limited is part of OVO Group Ltd