Switching suppliers and moving home

Why do OVO send nuisance text messages? I am on quarterly billing - so every 91/92 days a bill should be sent after a meter reader has attended - although since OVO took on SSE customers, I have NOT seen one although the standing charge is supposed to cover the cost of those visit. After about 60 days from when the last bill was sent, I start getting text messages demanding a reading - what is the point of that when it is not due for another month? Also, why do SSE believe they have permission to contact me by SMS when I have not given permission or provided my number to them or previously SSE for this purpose? And why do OVO send the messages from a number I cannot reply to? Perhaps one of te OVO staff would like to answer all of these points.

Reading these threads has been very helpful, and I found an issue that almost exactly matched mine at: I contacted OVO customer service via the chat to see if they could take me on as a customer with my profile (domestic residence with a 200amp 3-phase CT meter and a kVA of 135). After 30 minutes I finally got someone’s attention and was told by the agent that they could not talk to me until they had a copy of my title deed with my signature. I sent them an export of the title register from the land registry and was told this “proved nothing”. I also offered to send a copy of my passport and council tax and was told that would not suffice. It is unclear to me if agent even read my question. They said they worked in the “Pay go” department. While I am sure I can get a hold of this document, it may take several days to request an official copy, and it seems very strange to not even be able to answer a customer service question without it. Is this normal or can someone recommend another way to get through to OVO?

Hello, I’m moving home in a month and won’t be responsible for utilities anymore, therefore I’m closing my OVO account. I’m required to submit final meter readings but it is unclear when -Should I submit my meter readings today or on the day I move out? Also, how long after I move out/close my OVO account can I cancel my direct debit? Many thanks!

I switched to OVO in January, Between January to June I had apparently used £2500+ worth of electricity. An engineer came to check my smart meter in June because the smart meter was not sending any reading. The smart meter was fixed and started sending meter readings. I was told the readings will get backdated and the adjustment will be made to my billings. That has still not happened. I made an official complaint to complaints@ovoenergy.com on the 1st of August with evidence of what I have actually been spending since the beginning of the year. I called the customer service to start a case to resolve this. I have still not gotten any kind of response. What else can I do to get a response because this is annoying

The refer a friend scheme has been on hold for quite a while now, just wondering if it is ever coming back and if so when?

Hi all, like many people, I have an aging parent who struggles to cope with modern technology such as online accounts. I would like to manage my Mum’s energy account for her but her current supplier will not let me do this without a “Lasting Power of Attorney” and my Mum finds that troubling because it makes her think that “the law” is taking over her life. If we were to change supplier to OVO, could the account have both my Mum and me as joint account holders without the “scary” legal stuff ? thanks for any thoughts on the matter PhilipJ

I am presently with OVO for my gas only but would like to have both gas and electricity with OVO. How do I change this? I can’t seem to find an upgrade for both, only gives me an option for a new gas tariff when I attempt it online

I recently moved in to a new property as a tenant. Tried to set up a new account via phone service multiple times. Every time I call the costumer services would say they cannot do a new account for me as “I am not the owner of the property” ? And that when they enter my details it doesn’t match with the landlord ones (it does make sense because I am renting - not the owner). They told me they had filed a complain and will look into it and get back to me, but I didn’t receive a call/email from anyone. After so many phone calls that were in vain, I set up a DD online. However, I didn’t receive a welcome email or any confirmation (despite entering my card details for DD and completing all the steps). I am desperate to find a solution as this issue has caused me a lot of stress.

Hello, I've just joined OVO from British Gas as of today and I've been asked to provide a meter reading. I'm not sure whether I need to do this, as I have a smart meter, but if I do, how do i do it? I thought I'd managed it, but the readings are not being accepted

Hi, I noticed from my online account that I am currently in credit by about £700. I messaged OVO via their chat facility to ask if I could be paid back that money. The person who then reviewed my account told me that my gas meter was not sending usage data, as it had not been activated! I had this problem when I was with SSE - I contacted them twice about it, both times I was told it had been fixed. Also that I would not be charged for any previous usage. The meter was fitted in early 2020 when I moved in to my current property, as I inherited a top-up meter from the previous tenant. I was not informed of this by my landlord, which was quite annoying, and got both gas and electricity meters changed as quickly as I could. From March 2020 to November 2021 I was physically not present in the flat, as I was in Wales looking after elderly relatives. The person I spoke to today via OVO chat said that SSE had not provided them with a meter reading for my account prior to the handover to OVO. They also said that they could only transfer the credit on my account if I send a picture of my gas meter with the yellow certificate. And I would be charged for any usage. They agreed this issue was not my fault, but seemed not interested in listening to my concerns. SSE had assured me this issue had already been resolved. It was their fault. not mine. I should not have to pay a single penny. Has anyone experienced anything similar? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I fear OVO will want to charge me for the entire period the meter has been fitted (3 years). Thanks!

Recently I signed up to Ovo energy and input the address incorrectly and forgot to include that the property was a flat. This flat has a different NMI than the original property. I need to change my am supply address on OVO but currently the phones at Ovo are not receiving any calls and I have not had an email reply. Would it be best to cancel my account with Ovo, which would be within the 10 business days of signing up), try using the switching properties, or another idea. Any help would be much appreciated.

Tenants moved into my property on September 9th. I told OVO. My account still exists & I am obviously being billed for my tenants. What is going on?

I am not complaining as I know it will probably resolve over time. Just curious. I am a ‘new’ OVO customer having been switched less than 2 weeks ago. I have a healthy (by which I mean too high) balance which I was intending to address in a couple of months (the time after which OVO say they will review my monthly payment). We are all electric by the way. Today I received an email from OVO that said my monthly payment would reduce to £90 from the current. Currently we are running on minimal power - central heating is off, it has been very sunny, my solar panels have been working hard and we have switched off all unnecessary equipment. Even at that level a weekly payment of £90 wouldn’t be enough but this house will eat power when it starts to get cooler. As I said I am happy to let things flow as I have a good balance that will absorb the next bill or two but I wonder if this is a problem that has been encountered before.

We switched from EDF to OVO 5 days ago, and the OVO website wants me to submit an initial reading from our year-old smart meter. However, the OVO site then says: We're still waiting for some industry data for this meter, so you're not able to submit a reading right now. Is this common? Does it solve itself? I can’t go to any other part of my account on the website or phone, so it is a bit annoying.

Updated on 21/02/25 by Bradley_OVO Faster Switching - What do I need to know? Coming to the end of your energy plan and considering your options? If you’ve switched energy suppliers in the past you might remember this process taking several weeks. But this has changed thanks to Faster Switching. From August 2022, the process of switching energy suppliers changed. This means that you can now have greater control over when you’ll join your new supplier. You can now request a switch for as soon as the next working day. How can I choose my start date with OVO Energy? Our Quote and Switch page will include the option to select your starting date. The earliest switch date will be the next working day. The latest date you can schedule a switch will be in 29 days. What does this mean for my cooling-off period? You’ll still have the same 14 day cooling-off period as before. This may mean you’ll already have switched before your cooling-off period ends. If you change your mind during this time, you’re still free to end your plan without being charged any exit fees. You’ll just be charged for your energy use at the rates of that plan, until you find a new one or supplier you’d rather go with. We’ll make this clear when you sign-up. If you opt not to agree to cover any energy charges during your cooling-off period the earliest switching date we’ll offer you will be in 15 days' time (when your cooling-off period is over). When will I receive my welcome pack? We’ll email your welcome pack out with plenty of time for you to check the details. If you’ve requested a next day switch but haven’t received a confirmation within an hour of signing up (don’t forget to check your junk folder) we’d recommend getting in touch with our Support Team to make sure everything’s on track. If you’ve opted for postal communications, please allow at least 5 working days for this welcome pack to be delivered. When do I submit my opening meter readings? You’ll be able to submit your opening meter readings from 5 days before the switch date until 5 days after. We’ll send you an opening meter reading reminder on your switch date. Even if you’ve got smart meters, we’d recommend submitting manual readings just in case we’re not able to collect these automatically on the day you join us. You can do this by logging in to your new OVO Energy online account or contacting our Support Team . Can my current supplier still object to my switch away? Yes - we’ll still need to give your current supplier notice that you’ve requested to switch. They’ll have 1 working day to raise any objections. A supplier may object for several reasons, including an outstanding debt balance on your account with them. If we receive an objection to your switch, it will be cancelled. If you’ve resolved the problems with your current supplier and would still like to change suppliers, you’ll need to reapply for the switch, choosing from the plans we have available at that point. When can I expect my first OVO Energy bill? Following a successful switch we’ll still need to get your opening meter readings confirmed before we can issue your opening statement. This can still take up to 6 weeks from your switch date. Both energy suppliers need to agree to the same set of meter readings, this makes sure you don’t get charged for the same energy twice. We’ll email you a copy of this statement and it’ll also be available to download on your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS ). What if I choose to leave OVO? As all energy suppliers will now offer faster switching, you’ll also be able to leave us on the same quicker timeframe, by signing up directly with another supplier. We’ll still send you an email notifying you of the request to leave. If you receive an email like this and you haven’t requested a switch it’s important to get in touch with us as soon as you can. We can help put a stop to any upcoming switches or get things back where they should be if the erroneous switch has already taken place. We can attempt to stop the switch up to 5pm on the day before the Supply Start Date. We hope this answers most of the questions you might have around the changes taking place. Something we’ve not covered? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll be happy to help.

I recently decided to switch frm OVO to Octopus. After seeing their online account system (app) I decided that te OVO system was much clearer and concise and decided to cancel the switch. I informed both parties. Now I can’t get any sense from either of them - Octopus told me to inform OVO - OVO say they can’t do anything their end! So I’m in Limbo. Any advice to get this sorted would be very gratefully received. I am still within the cooling off period. Thanks.

Do you actually get any credit you have back in a timely and stress free manner (I know legally they all have to but I doubt ovo care about the laws of the land). Who did you move to? I can’t take any risks, my credit balance is huge. 12 months ago I was happy to be building up such a large credit. I have never seen a company lose the plot so fast in my life. They will either lose their license or go bust. I will simply drain my credit to sub £100 over winter and then run away but would rather run now knowing my credit will be safely returned in weeks and not months or god for bid never. Cheers P.

Is OVO allowed to install nonsmart 3 phase meters?

Hi everyone, I’m a new OVO customer. I have an E7 meter with night and day readings. My plan confirms my date/night tariff etc. A letter arrived asking me to submit my opening reading but only offered me one box to put my reading into. I was expecting to submit a night reading and a day reading as I have done many times in the past with previous suppliers. Can any one offer an explanation before I seek an alternative supplier? Many thanks Paul.

My billing period is 19 May – 18 Jun 2023. Current charge is zero. I’m paying £136.00 on the 19th of each month. I arrive at the house on May 22nd. Does anybody know why I am being charged £136 tomorrow considering my billing period started in May 19? Is this normal?

What is going on??? Its been well over 6 weeks and Ebico tell me that OVO have not sent my final meter readings. Why is this? I’ve emailed OVO as well and I’ve had no response. This needs to be resolved asap. Absolutely ridiculous that I can’t seem to get a straight answer from you guys. You obviously have my meter readings and you’ve been taking money out of my account without issue. So what is the problem? What information do you need from me to get Ebico my final meter readings????????

Just switched over and the account shows only my old address and nil usage etc since I moved out in May last year! None of my new details are showing, including usage and current balance. Any suggestions? Thanks

Ok a bit of a technical/process question this one Say for example I book a smart Meter Appointment for next Weds and on the Tuesday i decide to switch energy providers for either one or both fuels using a firm which has a two day switch process, so the switch completes on the weds Will the next meter install go ahead? I know if it was booked for any time after the new supplier takes over it would be cancelled,. Would this also be true if the day of install was also the day of the switch thanks in advance

My Outgoing tenant advised Ovo that the meter does not work 3 months ago The seals are missing too The tenant has now left I can not get a final reading I will not be able to do a reading for the new tenant I have spoken to 3 ovo staff but none can get an engineer to come out and fix the meter. If I create an account in my name as they asked they will charge me I am sure Ovo have a legal responsibility to have an emergency number for faulty and possible tampered meters. None of the staff even know who to escalate the issue to. Currently I left it for the person I spoke to find the right department and get it sorted. Good luck ovo,glad I'm not a customer

Im trying to switch to Ovo Energy but the quotes keep insisting on signing up with a Day and Night rate although I only have a single rate SMETS2 meter. The call centre seem to have the same issue - how can I get this fixed?