Skip to main content
P
Rank 1
PeteyW
Rank 1
April 19, 2023
Solved

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

  • 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. 

    173 replies

    Show previous replies
    Emmanuelle_OVO
    Retired Moderator
    Emmanuelle_OVO
    Retired Moderator
    April 24, 2023

    Hey @p47rick and anyone else who has been sent a link to their statements without a pdf attached to their email.

     

    Please can you send me a private message with your name, address and OVO account number, I’ll raise this internally and see if the pdf’s of your statements can be emailed to you.

     

    Please do not post your account details on this thread, it’s a public Forum. 

    Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
    1
    Newcomer
    103931574
    Newcomer
    April 25, 2023

    Hey @p47rick and anyone else who has been sent a link to their statements without a pdf attached to their email.

     

    Please can you send me a private message with your name, address and OVO account number, I’ll raise this internally and see if the pdf’s of your statements can be emailed to you.

     

    Please do not post your account details on this thread, it’s a public Forum. 

    I’ve just experienced the same.  Is there any new info on this situation? It’s shockingly bad. I’m curious, is it only people without smart meters being delayed? 

    1
    Newcomer
    103931574
    Newcomer
    April 25, 2023

    I was told that I would continue to be sent my bills - and a few days later I had an email with my bill.  Unfortunately the bill was accessed via a link in the email - and guess what - I ended up back in the “no website untl Christmas” page.

     

    There is no way that I am phoning them and hanging on for ages.

    But my current monthly payment is well below my current bills and I have been making top up payments each month. Tis is done via the website - so I won’t be able to top up until Christmas!

     

    Hi, I was just wondering if you’ve had any further info about this? I’m one of the 2% apparently.  I don’t have a smart meter, could that be why? 

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    April 25, 2023

    Everyone who is currently on the legacy Apollo billing system is being migrated, smart meters or not. How quickly you migrate is also not (to my knowledge) based on whether you have smart meters or not.

    From now on however, no-one will be set up on Apollo, nor migrated back to Apollo even on request. It’s closing down because it proved too troublesome and the new billing platform fixes the many issues that OVO found with it. The new one has been road tested for a few years now and overall is way better. If you find bugs in it, OVO will definitely be happy to accept bug reports as it’s built by their sister company Kaluza (the old one is third-party).

    The accounts that are most likely to be migrated quickly are the easy ones where there’s nothing unusual and are fully supported by the new system already. I’m told that over 99% of those accounts have already migrated anyway so chances are most of the ones left are more complicated and need extra attention.

    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!
    P
    Newcomer
    p47rick
    Newcomer
    April 25, 2023

    I was told that I would continue to be sent my bills - and a few days later I had an email with my bill.  Unfortunately the bill was accessed via a link in the email - and guess what - I ended up back in the “no website untl Christmas” page.

     

    There is no way that I am phoning them and hanging on for ages.

    But my current monthly payment is well below my current bills and I have been making top up payments each month. Tis is done via the website - so I won’t be able to top up until Christmas!

     

    Hi, I was just wondering if you’ve had any further info about this? I’m one of the 2% apparently.  I don’t have a smart meter, could that be why? 

    I had a private message from Emanuelle - see above - and I have given them the info they asked for. I have jsut heard that I will get another email with a pdf of my bill.
    But this will obviously have estimated readings - which are usually out.
    So I will use my readings to calculate what I owe and pay them that.

    It is ridiculous that a big company is so rubbish at dealing with customers

    Maybe it is a conspiracy to force us to have smart meters?

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    April 25, 2023

    If you Pay On-Demand, you need to pay what’s stated on the bill, otherwise you risk triggering debt collection. Estimated readings will get fixed the next time you submit an actual reading which you can do over the phone or live chat. If doing so results in your account going into credit, you’ll see it applied to the next bill.

    If it’s been a while since you last put in an actual reading, I’d definitely recommend submitting one sooner rather than later.

    This isn’t a conspiracy or anything. Just a very long term plan to shut down an old billing system that that OVO don’t want to use anymore.

    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!
    P
    Newcomer
    p47rick
    Newcomer
    April 25, 2023

    If you Pay On-Demand, you need to pay what’s stated on the bill, otherwise you risk triggering debt collection. Estimated readings will get fixed the next time you submit an actual reading which you can do over the phone or live chat.

    This isn’t a conspiracy or anything. Just a very long term plan to shut down an old billing system that that OVO don’t want to use anymore.

    and the next time I can submit actual readings is looking like Christmas!!

    I can deal with debt collectors when I do not owe anything.

    Oh and live chat?  That seems to be hiding somewhere.

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    April 25, 2023

    https://help.ovoenergy.com 

    Works for me. But it only shows up during service hours.

     

    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
    Newcomer
    103146433
    Newcomer
    April 26, 2023

    I was told that I would continue to be sent my bills - and a few days later I had an email with my bill.  Unfortunately the bill was accessed via a link in the email - and guess what - I ended up back in the “no website untl Christmas” page.

     

    There is no way that I am phoning them and hanging on for ages.

    But my current monthly payment is well below my current bills and I have been making top up payments each month. Tis is done via the website - so I won’t be able to top up until Christmas!

     

    You could use the webchat option then screenshot the transcript for you records.

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    April 26, 2023

    Actually, provided you don’t use Incognito mode or wipe the cookie out, OVO’s live chat tool will retain the chat history for you so you can see it later

    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!
    Show more replies
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement

    OVO Energy Ltd, Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ, (Company no. 06890795) registered in England and Wales.

    OVO (S) Gas Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 02716495) at Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ.

    OVO (S) Gas Limited is part of OVO Group Ltd