Why have I received a bill covering energy used before I moved in to my new home?

Hello,

I've moved to a new apartment on 21/10/2022 where the electricity supplier is SSE. I called them on 8/11/2022 and set up my account. They have sent me an email to update the meter readings. I did not have a meter reading on the move in date and I've got a meter reading from concierge on 9/11/2022. When I go to update the meter readings, I see a huge gap between the last meter readings on file and the meter reading I've got from the concierge on 9/11/2022.

Reading on file (this is shown as the meter reading on 21/10/2022, the date I moved in):

Day: 52658

Night: 30095

Current meter reading on 9/11/2022

R1: 55931
R2: 81747

I see a huge gap in the meter readings and I'm worried I'll have to pay a hefty amount for something I have not used. Can anyone please clarify this? Thanks in advance. 
 

Hey @arslak,

Welcome to the OVO Online Community. 

They’ll need to re-estimate your opening meter reading. All you need to do is contact them with two meter readings, two weeks apart and they can send you a re-vised bill.

@Emmanuelle_OVO Many thanks for the reply. 

They might send me a bill before I take 2 weeks apart meter reading. Will they amend the bill if I give them the readings after the bill is prepared?

@Emmanuelle_OVO Thanks so much for the info.

I am being hounded by LCS for a previous tenants debt.

I informed OVO of the date of eviction and set up a new account which I pay. I also provided them with the names of the tenants and the Lettings agency who were managing the property.

OVO told me not to worry about the old debt from the previous people but have since set LCS on me for approx £1,200. 

I have contacted these simpletons so many times it infuriates me. I emailed OVO again and they sent a template email which was partially filled in but some parts not deleted. 

Their collection agency went from a debt to the occupier to attaching my name to the debt and doing searches which I found out about. Since then LCS have got hold of my name and personal home address to send their threatening letters to. Today, I got a letter and even a text on my private phone number, which I also did not provide. Talk about stalking! As I understand it this is criminal behaviour that can lead to civil action.

Unless this is sorted soon the next step has to be the Financial Ombudsman and Ofgem. 

I have been, and still currently am, a long term OVO customer but I am seriously looking to switch if this isn’t sorted soon.

Any advice gratefully received.

Hi @BeeBug , there are a couple of other threads which mention LCS and it suggests that this may be nothing to do with OVO especially since they told you to ignore the previous notice. 
There are companies who ‘buy’ old debt and may be less than ideal in their methods. 
Of course, no one here has any detail but @Nukecad might be able to provide some helpful advice as I believe that they have experienced something similar. 
 

I’m really sorry to hear this @BeeBug, would it be possible for you to send them a copy of your tenancy agreement? It sounds like they may have found your details through a process called ‘trace and search’. Once a debt gets passed on to a debt collection agency (DCA), it is no longer OVO’s debt and the DCA becomes responsible. 

Hi BPLightlog, Thanks for the reply. 

I have now read a number of threads about LCS and am now more aware of their operations. That said, the debt originates with OVO and it reflects poorly on a company to sell debts to ambulance chasers.  The bottom line is that OVO caused the problem by not having an efficient debt tracking system in place and causing distress and upset to long term customers.

LCS continually refer to their ’client’  which is either OVO or whoever else bought the debt. 

I do not think that you can avoid responsibility and pass the buck by saying that you have sold the debt.  It has everything to do with OVO and they need to fix it fast.

Hi Emmanuelle_OVO

Thanks for taking the time to reply. The tenancy agreement is one of a string of documents that they ask for. Unfortunately, the tenants were on a rolling tenancy after their original tenancy expired. It is a lot of work to provide all the paperwork they insist on. I have provided a copy of the official eviction warrant executed by the Baliffs, which clearly shows the address, date, time and name of the occupiers/debtors...that should suffice.

‘Once a debt gets passed on to a debt collection agency (DCA), it is no longer OVO’s debt and the DCA becomes responsible. ‘

I don’t agree with the above statement.  The problem originated with OVO and it is their responsibilty to put things right. If they sell debts to such shady businesses they will ultimately have to face the consequences.