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Is the OVO website really going to be down for the rest of 2023?

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
April 19, 2023
173 replies
10201 views

I am shocked, surely this cannot be correct? I understand websites being down for sometimes a few weeks for updates, but when I tried to log into the OVO Energy website today only to see the message “We're in the process of migrating groups of customers to our new website so access to your online account won't be available until the end of 2023” I was quite frankly flabbergasted. And with absolutely zero warning that this was pending.

So is that right, will there be no website for up to 9 months???

How will I monitor my usage in these trying financial times? How will I be able to check when my peak charge times are? How will I be able to check whether my direct debit is adequate to cover my monthly costs, and how will I be able to change it? How will I be able to view and compare historical bill values? And how will I be able to view and compare any new fixed rate deals that might become available.

Seriously, this kind of potential duration of outage of online services would be scandalous in good times, but to callously and without prior warning remove access to the website at a time when the budgeting and planning capabilities the previous website offered are essential in the middle of a cost of living crisis I find to be utterly unconscionable.

Suffice it to say that if the ability to view, monitor and control my monthly electricity bills online will indeed be removed for the better part of a calendar year, I will be moving my account to a different provider. I need that control and visibility now more than ever. Shame on you OVO.

Best answer by Emmanuelle_OVO

Updated on the 21/12/23 by Tim_OVO: We’ll be unlocking the new online account for everybody that doesn’t already have access in early 2024.

Hey @MartinGM,

Sorry for the issue you’re having,

It sounds like you’re on our old billing system. OVO have closed this down and are in the process of moving these remaining customers onto our new billing system as soon as possible. You won’t need to do anything to get your account migrated. We’ll contact you with any next steps once the new website is ready. Online account use won’t be available for the foreseeable future but you can contact our Support Team in the meantime to submit readings and you will receive email attachments with pdfs attached for your bills.

You can top up via bank transfer, cheque or by calling 0330 303 5063, you’ll continue to get monthly statements, OVO will contact you if your direct debit needs increasing. For anything else please contact our Support Team.

Hope this helps.

Show previous replies

BPLightlog

Super User

@p47rick have you tried to see if you can log in via this page?

https://www.ovoenergy.com/

Bring me Sunshine ~ E&E {Solar PV, Battery Storage, Hybrid EV, ASHP and Home Assistant automation}

1

103146433

Newcomer

All the above suggested links still result in the message that my account is being migrated.

Having had no bill for 9 months, we now TOTALLY blind as to our energy usage. Hopefully Ovo will implement the resolution as per Ombudsman by the implementation deadline so that I know whether I need to sell a kidney to finance any possible underpayment.

BPLightlog

Super User

It was just a thought as a few customers seem to have been able to regain access using these. I have no idea what the process is as I’m just a customer as most people here are. You may want to get some advice from OVO directly

Bring me Sunshine ~ E&E {Solar PV, Battery Storage, Hybrid EV, ASHP and Home Assistant automation}

Blastoise186

Super User

OVO’s Support Team will still have account access, they can check the bill for you, send you a copy and help you pay it off a different way.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!

C

Cliff007

Newcomer

I agree with PeteyW. To remove the OVO online account from all customers potentially for the next 8 months, especially when people need to keep a close eye on charges is totally unacceptable and a disastrous customer experience! Add to this that OVO continue to advise going online to solve problems and it makes matters worse. Many customers rely on their online account to monitor usage, check their bills and ensure their direct debit and payments are adjusted to cover those bills. By removing this visibility we are all flying blind with no ability to control our usage within budgets. I presume OVO will not charge customers for unintended over usage, late payments, underpayments? I suspect not. I have experience of building and maintaining large global websites, and integrating these with backend ERP systems and have NEVER had to shut down a website longer than an overnight update. If OVO were selling products online, they would be out of business in a matter of hours! This is not good enough OVO

Blastoise186

Super User

Actually, over 98% of OVO’s customers are already on the NEW system. If you’re seeing that message when logging in, you’re part of the ~2% that are still on the old one.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!

1

103146433

Newcomer

Actually, over 98% of OVO’s customers are already on the NEW system. If you’re seeing that message when logging in, you’re part of the ~2% that are still on the old one.

I was originally on the NEW system but was moved to the OLD system (without being informed) when Ovo had an issue with my billing which I assume was due to us having our gas meter physcially removed last June. It was still on our account when I last had access.

OVO’s Support Team will still have account access, they can check the bill for you, send you a copy and help you pay it off a different way.

Whilst I undertstand that the billing will be emailed to us, as we haven’t had any billing for 9 months, viewing our usage online was the only way we could monitor our consumption. We wouldn’t get any billing by email as they haven’t been able to raise the bills!! They haven’t been able to give me billing info when I spoke to them numerous times over the last 9 months.

It was just a thought as a few customers seem to have been able to regain access using these. I have no idea what the process is as I’m just a customer as most people here are. You may want to get some advice from OVO directly

Also, I have sought advice from Ovo who just say it may not take as long as the end of 2023 but as the advice and info I have been during the last 9 months has been so unhelpful and inaccurate, I’m not that optimistic.

It’s all a bit of a shame, really. We returned to Ovo as we liked their customer service etc. in the past but the way we our case has been handled over this past 9 months has changed my mind.

J

juneoid

Newcomer

I have had so much problems with Ovo that I regularly keep an eye on my account and now not able to and the link suggested doesn’t work for me either. Really think this is totally unacceptable. No email from them to let us know and not hopeful that this will be resolved soon. Even if it is only 2% affected this needs to be resolved for everyone soon.

A

allmat

Rank 2

I’ve just returned to OVO, having finally given up on British Gas, whose online account pages didn’t provide the information it claimed would be available - but at least there is a sort of working website!

I’ve just received a letter from OVO dated 19 April 2023 asking for meter readings at changeover, to be submitted online. The letter reads “Go to your account (my.ovoenergy.com/login) to send it now” but the page then displayed simply advises that a new website is under construction, and that it will be available by the end of 2023! Clearly the left and right hands don’t belong to the same body.

I’m tempted to write the detailed readings on the back of the letter and return it by post, with a suitably polite message about getting one’s act together.

Unless anyone here can suggest a better solution?