My switch away was rejected as I have a 'profile class 0' (commercial) supply - how do I get database updated?

I have a similar response when using uswitch - they give the message:

“We are unable to switch non-domestic meters, please contact our business energy partners on 0800 188 4930, or visit uswitchforbusiness.com”

There’s a facebook page devoted to V2G, where it’s suggested that Ovo incorrectly assigned the smets1 meters for the V2G trial as commercial.  I’ve emailed Ovo already, hopefully it will be sorted out.

We have daily logged elec+gas data on the Ovo website, although I think Ovo internally get ½ hourly for V2G.  If we do leave, it would be to Octopus Go or similar TOU tariff (come on Ovo, lets have one!), and I’m sure that will need regular data too.

I would like to point out that this explanation is most false. The smart meter has nearly nothing to do with this. Instead, this relates to the Measurement Class, which is relevant for wholesale billing, and elective half-hourly settlement. OVO really should try to get all their agents on the same page, because the amount of half truth I have received from OVO has been rather staggering. 

We can certainly look at updating this content, @MrPuds, to make sure it’s accurate. 

My understanding of domestic supplies using half hourly settlement is that it’s only possible when that supply has a communicating smart meter, which would link the two. @Jess_OVO let’s take this away and make sure we’re confident with what’s been outlined in the ‘best answer’ :) 

Just to pop in here to clarify, we’ve checked in with our metering expert and adjusted the Best Answer of this thread accordingly, @MrPuds. Like you allude to, the fact you have smart meters doesn’t necessarily mean your supply will be half-hourly settled so I hope I’ve made that clearer.

Whilst this reflects the current situation when it comes to the recognition of Profile Class 0, I appreciate it’s confusing and frustrating to find that this is delaying your switch away. You may find this Ofgem Report (published before the change was made) gives a few more details. The metering expert at OVO has explained to me - 

Section 1.18 details the bits in question..  it also calls out (point 2.11) that a functioning Smart meter is needed for Elective Half Hourly Settlement to work. Point 6.24 calls out that there is no need to offer supporting Elective HHS but that doesn't means they cannot manage gaining sites that are under this arrangement..  basically.. no Supplier is obliged to support EHHS (hence the term 'elective') but it is totally valid and works how we've described..  the profile class is 00 which is applicable to both non domestic and domestic sites and it is the measurement class that should be used.. which will be F and not C.

I hope this helps clear things up slightly.

Here we are again with the half truths. 

If you read this document, it says in Section 2.31:

“At this stage, we consider that the most proportionate option is a two-step process. This would help to avoid NHH suppliers needing to make systems changes to support CoMC, and would minimise overall changes to settlement, while allowing customers to receive the benefits of elective HHS at an early stage. On CoS, the losing HH supplier would first be required to return the customer to NHH arrangements. 24 The customer could then be switched between suppliers following the usual process.”

OVO should have done this two months ago. And it should have been done within the two weeks allowed for a switch. (Although the document seems to disagree, it seems to take the liberty of violating license conditions for EHHS. I am pretty sure it is not ok for a standard document to override legal requirements - which is why I said there is plenty of blame to go around.) Ok, mistakes can happen, but for two months, I have been trying, without success, to get OVO to follow this process. For the first 6 weeks, nobody even seriously considered my request. 

The document also says that OVO should have informed trial participants that switches can take longer than usual. Section 2.37: “We expect suppliers to take reasonable steps to let customers know how long the switch would take in this situation.” But here we are, 2 months later, and I still do not have a date for the switch. 

It also says in Section 2.38: “The proposed approach would enhance the ability of the losing supplier to potentially delay a customer’s switch.” How prophetic, that is me in a nutshell! 

This is exactly why original sources are so important. They define what should be, and they give us a perspective to appreciate what is or is not. 

Once again I’m really sorry for your experience of requesting a change to your profile class to allow a switch away, @MrPuds.

Normally we’re able to process this request in the 2 - 4 week timeframe advised above. I appreciate in your case this has taken much longer to resolve which is why I’ve taken steps myself to get things sorted for you and passed on feedback to the agent in question.

I hope this helps.

I have asked OVO to lodge a ‘Change of profile status notification’ with UKPN. The Customer Care Specialist team refuse to update on progress or acknowledge if OVO have made the request. The team inform me that because the matter is escalated, they are unable to update as it is now with the Complaints Team. I am informed that the Complaints Team will be in touch within 12 to 48 hours.

I am now informed that the matter is escalated to a Customer Resolution Specialist and I should wait a further 5 days whilst the look into the matter.

I do not believe that the OVO Customer Care or the OVO Complaints teams know what process they should follow for such a request. It is doubly frustrating that these teams do not seem to know where or if the required expertise exists within OVO.

Whilst OVO muck about with process and deflection and delay, I, as a customer, am prevented from updating the connection or from switching supplier. This is a clear breach of the Ofgem license conditions. It also has a financial and time related impact.

This is an exceptionally poor level of service from a company that is now part of the EON group.

I am unimpressed.

Hey ​@edwardfletcher 

Sorry to hear about this.

If the matter is now with complaints and a complaints handler assigned, they are the only people that can deal with any and all matters regarding/surrounding the complaint so it’ll be best to check in on their progress if you don’t have an update from them in the 5 day timeframe given by them. Once the request for the profile class to be changed has been submitted, it’s down to the National Database to complete the request. OVO’s ability to change the National Database lies purely at the power to request an update the same as all other supplies. It can take up to around a month for them to complete the request, this is the typical process and isn’t usually done straight after a request is submitted. 

There’s a slightly similar topic on the Forum which might be helpful here:

With regards to your comment about OVO being under E.ON group, this is actually not true at present. We’re set to become part of E.ON, subject to regulatory approvals. Until the deal completes, OVO and E.ON will continue to operate as separate businesses and everything stays as it is today.

When there are updates to share, we’ll be in touch with clear information about what it means for you. You can find more information on this, as long as any updates we have to share in future on the topic below:

Do let us know how you get on.

Hi Abby, thank you for responding.

I am informed by UKPN and by the Retail Energy Code helpdesk that correction of my Profile Class can only be dealt with by request from OVO as my current supplier.

My frustration with OVO is that I have missed out on a switch that was going to reduce my billing by £645.

In addition, I am now facing a substantial increase in cost in July this year. The longer OVO take to resolve the issue the higher the cost will be, quite apart from the time taken to address this.

This came to light when I sought to switch supplier on 14/04/2026. I used a third-party service for this.

I received confirmation that the switch was underway on 27/04/2026.

I chased up with EON on 14/05/2026 and was informed that no switch was in progress.

I chased up with the third-party service who responded on 18/05/2026 to explained EON had refused the switch. ‘The switch with was rejected due to an "Invalid profile class 3 for the Domestic meter point." This means we are unable to enrol this meter on a domestic tariff.’

This was surprising as I understand my switch to OVO in February 2023 was onto a domestic tariff.

It was also the first time that Profile Class was mentioned.

I raised this with OVO on 19/05/2026 and requested that the register be corrected as a matter of urgency.

I asked for a timescale for this process.

I received a response on 20/05/2026 requesting proof of address etc which I provided on 21/05/2026.

I heard nothing and called OVO on 27/05/2026 to confirm receipt of my documentation and to get an update on any progress.

The Customer Care Specialist put me through to an Account Manager who confirmed receipt. I was advised that a case would be opened for this alongside a complaint as this would progress matters more quickly. I was also informed I would hear back within 5 days.

I heard nothing and called OVO for an update on 03/06/2026. I was informed that the Customer Care Specialist was unable to put me through to an Account Manager and informed me they could not update me as the matter was now escalated to Customer Complaints and that they would be in touch within 24 to 48 hours.

48 hours have now elapsed, and I have not had a call.

I have received an email informing me that the complaint is now referred to a Customer Resolution Specialist and that OVO will be in touch within 5 working days.

I am asking 'Have OVO sent a Change of Profile Status Notification to UKPN'

It is very simple for OVO to provide an answer to this but Customer Care refuse to provide that information.

This is very frustrating. 

That is very likely, because OVO don’t cater for business customers. I’d ask you to check your 2023 OVO bills to see whether your supply was indeed in Profile Class 03 then, and also the latest bill from them to see what had changed. You should see the ‘S’ panel giving the supply details on every bill.
  

A couple of things to mention here:

1. At the best of times, changes to the national database can take weeks to make. There are several parties involved, and parts of the process might be manual. All OVO can do is put forward the change request.
2. The change to MHHS across the electricity supply industry is the biggest in a generation. It got underway in earnest last autumn and is scheduled to be complete in May 2027. There have been plenty of cases where something has gone wrong with individual supplies, so the ‘several parties’ I mentioned at (1) already have their hands full.
3. You don’t seem to have mentioned what sort of meter you have installed. The process is different for traditional meters, advanced meters and smart meters.

I don’t pretend to understand how this enormous system works, but I’m afraid you may have to revise your expectation of how long the change to your supply’s details will take. 

Hi Firedog, thank you for your insight.

The property is a new build. There was an old blacksmiths workshop on the site which had the power supply. This was a business supply. We kept the business supply whist we built the house.

We had a smart meter installed in September 2021.

We completed our switch from a Business Tarrif with EDF to a Domestic Tariff with OVO in April 2023. 

The first time our Profile Class was mentioned was when we tried to switch to EON in April this year.

I understand this process might take a bit of time, however, I suspect this is because the Customer Care process OVO employ does not allow call handlers to direct questions and queries to the correct departments within the business. This means Customer Care are not informed or able to process such enquiries. It is this that is so frustrating.

The result is that we miss out on the ability to make any type of saving or to switch to another supplier without OVO cooperation which at the moment is completely lacking. I would be very interested to know how this meets their Ofgem license conditions. 

This is probably the juncture at which the confusion arose. Bills from before and after the switch should show whether the profile change went ahead as expected.
    

No, I don’t think first-tier support staff can do that. That’s why there is a complaints procedure in place. If you’re not completely satisfied with the help you had received, please consider submitting a formal complaint. This will make sure that your problem eventually reaches someone in a position to solve it. 

Hey ​@edwardfletcher,

​My response - I agree with Firedog on the first point, which suggests that this may be when your profile class situation began, as you would have previously been on a business class due to the property being a blacksmith's.

However, I have a different perspective on the second point raised. I believe that first-tier support staff are equipped to manage the majority of incoming inquiries effectively. If a situation arises that exceeds their expertise, they have the option to submit a business case to the appropriate team for further review and action. This approach ensures that matters are handled correctly, and it’s important to reserve complaints for instances where there has been a mistake or misleading information provided.

In the scenario you described, where a third party was asked to execute a switch and the issue of the incorrect profile class was discovered afterward, the most suitable course of action would be for the frontline staff member to initiate a business case to address the matter. While this process may take up to four weeks, it is a necessary step toward resolving the issue. Raising a complaint in this case would only complicate the matters as it would involve an bringing in a complaints handler to review the situation where it wasn't warranted.