£66 government energy bills support scheme deducted from my OVO account balance not added?

I’m considering it as a temporary forum guide. I’m currently “locked” in a library after hours right now because I somehow managed to sneak in after the place had closed. I’ve got permission to be in here though, honest guv!

Hi Guys 

This is basic maths, a plus and a minus neutralises the numbers. I had already decided to pay the additional £66.00 into my account to reduce my bill. I received the refund into my bank account on 11 Oct and was grateful that OVO was on the ball with the payments. I immediately paid it into my OVO account expecting to see total credit payments this month of £260 (DD) and £66 energy payment. However the ‘Refund’ on 11 Oct of £66 has neutralised the  energy payment. My new balance should be 

(Starting balance) £789.27 + (DD) £260.00 + (Energy Payment)£66.00= £1115.27 - (Energy usage)£185.29=£929.98.

Instead the ‘Refund’ of £66.00 has reduced my credit to £863.98 which is what it would have been if there had been no energy payments.

OVO you have got your maths badly wrong here it need addressing now before any more payments are released because at this rate your customers are not benefitting from the government intervention.

Your balance

Updated 1h ago

@Bosscat0110 What are the ‘Total Charges’ element, if you look at ‘Charges in detail’ ? 

eg this is mine:

Charges reduced by £66 Energy Bill Support Scheme. Do you have this ?

Thanks @juliamc I can feel my blood pressure lowering. I can now see that my itemised bill for October 2022 was reduced by £66.00. My Total Charges would have been £251.29 instead of £185.29 if it had not been for the £66.00 reduction. 

Why on earth did OVO decided to totally confuse people by using this formula to distribute the  Energy Payments. Had they just added the £66.00 as a credit to the account in addition to the normal DD,  everybody would have understood the maths, but showing it a credit on one part of the bill then a deduction on another is very confusing. OVO’s system of providing a high level overview in the ‘view current billing period’ caused my confusion and did look like the £66.00 payment had been neutralised. Delving deeper into the bill (not something i usually do) did reveal they had added the credit to my bill. 

Feel sorry for the contact centre agents trying to explain that one. Hope everyone who is still having issues gets them sorted soon

I agree @Bosscat0110 it’s caused enormous confusion. The only reason I can think is that the original scheme was that the £400 was going to be a loan to be paid back by the customer, then it changed so the customer was able to keep it. Two steps in the process resulted in two different places where it shows in the bill ? No thought to the aftermath.

Glad the blood pressure is returning to normal !

Could someone advise me please as I’m new to the forum but been an ovo customer for 5 years- my DD doesn’t come out until the 26th Oct am I right in thinking that I won’t get my energy bill credit of £66 until the DD has been taken (app 3-5 days after) and then I wait for the credit to be refunded back into my bank account- how long does that take after to be transferred as that takes me into Nov already just for the first refund of the energy support scheme-  customer services advised you’ll get it sometime then in Nov and your last payment will be sometime then in April but that takes it out of the Oct - march time frame-  could they just not credit the £66 now into my energy account after all it’s not Ovo’s money it’s from the GOV  and then transfer it to my bank after my DD, seems a lot of messing about, and I’m also in credit quite a bit and don’t want to be on hold trying to get them to refund this to my bank if we have to request it. Sorry for the long question.

Hi @Sarah illing 

My DD comes out on the 17th of the month and I got the £66 paid into my bank on the 17th. That’s with the Halifax.

As the 26th is this Wednesday I think you’ll get your £66 on Wednesday or thereabouts.

If the DD was later in the month and over a weekend it might have gone over to the following month, but I reckon you’re fine. In fact even next February the 26th is a Sunday so your payments would go through on Monday so still within the same month!

Can you let us know - this would be useful for others in a similar position. Thanks.

Hey @Charlotte m22,

Lets get to the bottom of this 🙂

Are you able to send a screenshot of your ‘charges in detail’ and also your previous billing cycle.

£66 should have been added to your account, minus means credited. You should then see that same £66 be refunded after your direct debit for the month was/is taken.

Hi Juliamc

just checked on my online bill and it’s showing payment in of£41.88 (nit sure what that is as no payments have gone into my account ) then a -£66 refund then further under other states £66 EB SS  then states total charges -£41.88 I get that some usage and standing charge has come off that to make the -£41.88 so does that mean when they transfer the EBSS only that amount will go over or will it be the £66, I’m still  over 3 mths in credit so don’t have a negative balance  just wasn’t sure why they hadn’t taken the standing charge and small usage off my credit rather then then £66 or maybe I have got that wrong- sorry it’s all so confusing.  It hasn’t hit my bank account yet as my DD doesn’t come out until 26th so will be hoping it goes in after that. 

That sounds right.. if you look back on this thread you can see my bill.

This is in two parts: the account balance/charges/payments/refunds section; then the Charges in detail section. 
There’s a Total credit of £25.07 as the last line of the second section, this is the sum of the charges minus the £66 ebss.
In the first section you can see that £25.07 which because it’s a credit says ‘in’ alongside ie not a charge but money in. The next line is Refund of £66 ‘out’ ie the ebss money being paid to my bank.

Your £41.88 ‘in’ sounds like it’s the same as my £25.07 !! Does your Charges in detail last line read Total credit ? I’m hoping it does !! 🤞🏻