FIT change of ownership nightmare!

  • 3 January 2024
  • 18 replies
  • 434 views

I’ve been trying to do a FIT change of ownership for 6 months now and still pulling my hair out on a daily basis trying to explain to the people in the FIT team! Absolute disgrace! I've complained god knows how many times, sent multiple e-mails and still nothing!! I actually don't know what to do now apart from rip out the solar panels and dump them in OVO's carpark and not even bother with the whole scheme but I desperately need the payments from them to help with bills! I feel completely stuck! The change of ownership process is completely flawed and very difficult to follow. If there is anything wrong with the application they just send a generic e-mail saying something is missing and they don't tell you exactly what's wrong. So you call them endlessly and they tell you it's all ok and to ignore the generic e-mails. Then I call for updates as they never get back to you and they tell me information is missing, so I send them everything again and again and then send complaints asking to be contacted but I hear nothing. I call back and escalate to manager but again told everything is ok, this just repeats and repeats. I finally spoke to another manager 4 weeks ago who told me the proof of ownership was not acceptable all a long! How can they wait 6 months to tell me this?? This could have been sorted out in July! Once I sent the information, again I asked for confirmation that this has been accepted and I will recieve payment but 4 weeks later nothing! I have sent another e-mail this morning but I have have zero hope I will hear anything. I’ve given up phoning because it’s so infuriating speaking to these people. What do I have to do to get this sorted out??


18 replies

Just tried calling the FIT team for about the 100th time, eventually spoke to somebody but instead of trying to help they just hung up on me! This seems to be the norm..

Userlevel 6

Hi @AyronC 

 

I’m really sorry hear about this.

 

I’m going to have the Forum_Support reach out to you to help with this issue. Look out for a private message here soon: https://forum.ovoenergy.com/inbox/overview 

 

Unfortunately you’re not alone in this type of situation.

 

 

 

If you get somewhere, please let me know. Seems like this is a common problem with OVO.

I submitted my change of ownership application on 10th August (almost 5 months ago) and I haven’t been able to get it sorted either. The change of ownership form states that the process could take up to 6 weeks!

I was asked to provide an alternative form of proof of ownership on 31st August, which I duly provided on 7th September. Since then I have heard nothing. I called on 30th October to ask for an update and was told they didn’t know why it was taking so long and my case would be escalated and someone would call me. I was provided an escalation number and have yet to receive that phone call (over 2 months have passed). I emailed the complaints department on 7th December but received no response other than an automated response claiming that they would try to respond within 2 days. I emailed their complaints department a few days later regarding an unrelated matter and received a response the next day, so it appears the FIT customer service team is non-existent. I’m now currently waiting for 8 weeks to pass from my complaint email before taking the matter to the energy ombudsmen. 

I feel your pain! And your experience sounds exactly what I’m going through.. Did you read the topic that Abby linked to above? Interesting reading and that particular person has been waiting a year and still nothing! A disgrace!

The funny thing is, the complaint e-mail address goes to the same people you speak to in the FIT team so I would expect that complaint to go absolutely nowhere… 

Hi @AyronC 

 

I’m really sorry hear about this.

 

I’m going to have the Forum_Support reach out to you to help with this issue. Look out for a private message here soon: https://forum.ovoenergy.com/inbox/overview 

 

Unfortunately you’re not alone in this type of situation, I’ve linked below to a similar topic thread:

 

 

Abby_OVO I’ve heard nothing back from support, I gave all my details and sent several replies asking for any updates but I’ve had nothing back.. That’s over 1 week ago

Userlevel 6

Hey @AyronC 

 

Sorry to hear this.

 

I’ll check in with the team, and ensure they’re on this.

Same here. Previous occupier with Ovo- I’ve been with Octopus since I moved in back in June 23. 

Trying to get the FIT registered & then moved to Octopus is proving to be nigh-on impossible. 

Octopus won’t move forward until they have a FIT statement from me. Ovo won’t supply one as I’ve never been a customer of theirs.

Energy Ombudsman have been partially helpful but can’t force either party to change their position.

Userlevel 7

Hey @Lordy,

 

This sounds very frustrating. So who was your FiT contract with? Did you ever get a FiT statement in this time? 

The FiT contract was with Ovo & the previous occupier. I switched to Octopus the day I moved in, so have never been an Ovo customer. 

In hindsight, I should've stuck with Ovo for a month or two & then switched to Octopus....I didn't know how difficult it is to switch FiT suppliers

Userlevel 7

That is a tricky one, I can’t imagine that OVO would be able to give you a statement if you never registered yourself. I can see how frustrating this must be for you. 

 

Is it possible for you to register with OVO and then switch to Octopus @Lordy? Or maybe find a supplier where you can sign up from scratch with them and they won’t require a statement from the previous supplier? 

I'm registered with Ovo & they recognise me on their system....just not able to get a statement 

Userlevel 7

I’ll ask Forum_Support to reach out @Lordy, please keep an eye on your private messages. 

Mea culpa!

 

Ovo have pointed out to me that they emailed a request for a meter reading in December. 

Unfortunately, I missed that email & didn’t send a reading.🙄😏

I’ve not got to wait until March to submit another.

Forum support gone quite as well as the FIT lot!! 

Just started a case with the Energy ombudsman! What an absolute farce this company is!!

24th of July 2023 I sent the application in! THE most inept company in existence!!

Hi, I can’t believe that after so many unhappy customers OVO is not doing anything about the issue and the switch from SSE to OVO is still so painful. 
I had over 10 accounts with SSE and only 4 got moved to OVO the rest was not. I was told the same story that they are working through so I gave them every quarter meter readings for all my  FITS but this is the 3rd quarter I have not been paid and I really think they are incapable of running this. I have provided them with all the FIT ID, account ID, serial meter number, meter reading, photographs of all my meters to proof that they exist and the meter reading is correct, then I also provided SSE statements for each of my account as a proof so account name, address, number but I’m getting absolutely nowhere and the debts in payments is growing. I sent several emails to each with details in subjects etc. I get several different responses, all just excuses why, once it’s email address, once its account number, once it’s out installation is not FIT , but neither of there responses have any details to which email they are responding to. I am really at the end of the journey. I don’t know what to do. This is the worse ever experience with SSE/OVO and after providing everything and more I am getting nowhere. On the top of this, I have one export meter on the installation that I’m paying yearly subscription in order to be paid for export, but since October 2022 I have not been paid for export. It’s ok to take my money and my generated electric but to pay for it, that doesn’t seem to work. What is this company? They clearly need to change the and implement the CAN DO ATTITUDE. I am thinking about taking all my paperwork and go to their office and get it resolved there. Anybody up for this? 

Hi I meant to update this thread as I’ve had a major breakthrough!!

First thing I did was start a case with the Energy Ombudsman as I was absolutely at the end of my tether.. They were brilliant! Then lo and behold I suddenly get a welcome e-mail from Ovo saying it’s all sorted out and my account is now open! Although it’s going in the right direction etc, I’ll only be convinced this is all sorted out when I see some cash coming in from Ovo!!

I would highly recommend getting in touch with the ombudsman and get them to act for you. it’s all free.

Hello and thank you very much for the update. 
I have been patient with OVO and give them a chance to get things right but clearly the soft way, emails and phone calls don’t work. I will follow your advise and see if the Energy Ombudsman will help. Hopefully the hard way will work and OVO will get it sorted eventually. 
thank you 

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