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Taking over OVO account from tenants - letting company have transferred account to another company

  • 10 April 2024
  • 8 replies
  • 132 views
M
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Hi

Trying to resolve this for a friend
 
She’s the owner of a property - the flat has previously been let out to tenants, and the gas and electric accounts were with Ovo energy. The tenancy ended on 27.02.24, and she wishes to take over the accounts from that date.
 
My friend currently resides overseas and it is difficult for her to contact Ovo by phone, so she has asked me to help.
 
The letting agency she used to manage the tenancy instructed another energy company to take over the supply to the flat. This was done in error, (and on the incorrect date) without her knowledge or permission, and we have contacted them to inform them of the erroneous transfer, and have it reversed.
 
We have tried to set up an account with Ovo online, but the website won't allow us to (I presume because of the pending erroneous transfer), and refers us to customer services. I have contacted Ovo customer services, but they are unable to help, and refer me back to online.
 
I'd be grateful if you can advise us how we can resolve this and set up an account.

 

 

 

 

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Best answer by ChristopherS_OVO 11 April 2024, 10:13

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8 replies

Blastoise186
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Hi @Matt B ,

Getting advice on this one - please bear with us! I do know it can take 12 weeks to fix this however.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
E
Rank

Hey!

If a previous tenant or estate agent has asked a different supplier to take over supply its not an ‘erroneous transfer’ unless the other supplier has captured the incorrect meter information or address. 

Your friend can just provide the new supplier with the correct dates or tenancy agreement, pay what they owe to the new supplier, if anything, and then call Ovo to switch the supply back over. 

 

ChristopherS_OVO
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Hi @Matt B,

I’m sorry to hear the issues your friend is having with the supply. 

I would have to agree with @ellie.h_OVO on this one. It would only be an erroneous transfer if a mistake had caused it, such as a mix-up of information. As the letting agents “instructed” the move, it would then be classed as a standard switching of supply.

The best action would be for your friend to call our Support Team. If they try to go down the erroneous transfer route, as @Blastoise186 mentioned, it could take 12 weeks to process, but if they can call in, the team can process the switch back quicker. 

Let us know how they get on with everything.

 

M
Rank

Hi @Matt B,

I’m sorry to hear the issues your friend is having with the supply. 

I would have to agree with @ellie.h_OVO on this one. It would only be an erroneous transfer if a mistake had caused it, such as a mix-up of information. As the letting agents “instructed” the move, it would then be classed as a standard switching of supply.

The best action would be for your friend to call our Support Team. If they try to go down the erroneous transfer route, as @Blastoise186 mentioned, it could take 12 weeks to process, but if they can call in, the team can process the switch back quicker. 

Let us know how they get on with everything.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies.

 

Just to re-iterate - my friend is unable to call Ovo, otherwise we’d have done that.  The latest is that Rebel have acknowledge the error in the transfer (they got the date wrong, as well ) and the electric has been switched back to Ovo, but the gas has not yet.

 

Assuming the gas does get transferred back, all I need is an email address (not the generic one), where my friend can explain the situation, tell OVO the meter readings from when she moved in and set up the drect debit. etc. Anyone?

 

Cheers

 

Blastoise186
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There’s a faster way. Use the Live Chat via https://ovoenergy.com/help and the keyword “Agent” (without the quotes) to bypass the bot.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
Nukecad
Rank
Userlevel 6

Thanks everyone for your replies.

.

Assuming the gas does get transferred back, all I need is an email address (not the generic one), where my friend can explain the situation, tell OVO the meter readings from when she moved in and set up the drect debit. etc. Anyone?

 

I though you said that she was abroad and that is why she can’t phone OVO herself?

It’s also unclear why the supplier was switched in the first place, you do say ‘on the incorrect date’ which implies that the landlord had instructed the agency to switch supplier on a certain date?

However that’s by the by.

Tenants can change suppliers if the accounts are in their name, legally they don’t need a landlords permission to do so. (And any clause in a tenancy agreement forbidding switching is an invalid clause).

The letting agency is ‘acting on behalf of the landlord’ so can also change supplier - if/when the account is in the agency or the landlords name.
Whilst that might be an error of understanding what the landlord intended, it is not an ‘erronous transfer’ which has a particular meaning.

It would have been easier all round for the agent to simply switch back to OVO if that is what the landlord wanted.
Or for the landlord to take on the account (if it wasn’t already in her name) and simply switch it herself.

PS. How is she going to manage this rental property from abroad without an agent?

Today I have zero energy, I plan on going back to bed.
Firedog
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…  my friend is unable to call Ovo, otherwise we’d have done that. 

 

That’s probably because the phone company blocks calls to funny UK numbers, like those starting with 0330. Others in the same situation have found that they can use VOIP (e.g. Skype) to call numbers like that: it’s independent of phone companies and in fact rings up from a UK number.

One problem with that is that OVO’s phone system apparently links phone numbers to accounts. It may be possible to get Skype to pretend to be calling from the number registered with OVO (the Skype feature known as Caller ID).

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
Blastoise186
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No need to do that. In cases where the number ISN’T known, the system will use the backup method of checking your details via IVR. DO NOT use Skype to impersonate a number - it’s unreliable.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!

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