OVO over-estimated my usage - Will I be refunded now I've submitted meter readings?

I have been a customer of OVO since January 2020, the company therefore has significant usage history on my account. I am on a smart meter.

I have just converted to the latest fixed price offer, but in doing so I noted that the assumed forward projection of usage was substantially above both the last 12 months usage, and that used in the full year of 2022. We are a high usage household :-

I decided to attempt to get the forecast usage more in line with our (OVO supplied) current figures (like many we have modified our energy usage to reflect the substantial price increases).

I could not believe the lack of understanding exhibited by the chat service (Chloe) when contacted. She said they do not propose changing my Direct Debit amount for at least 3 months until they have reviewed my usage under the new rates (which are approximately 10% below my current rates) as they want to assess my usage (in April/May/June !) to check that I am paying enough (I currently have a positive balance of >£400 as we approach Spring and Summer and am paying £650 a month.

Hi @BrianS

Welcome to the customer forum, i am just a customer like you. 

You can see the projected figure at any time on this link on the website not the app

https://account.ovoenergy.com/plan

Future Annual Consumption 

It is automatically updated as the systems sees your usage. It is automatically averaged over a period longer than 12 months. 

No one can manually update the figure

Feel free to add your vote to the idea. It is a common question that you have asked. 

If at any time you think your balance is too high, you can call collections and ask for some of your credit balance to be returned. As you are on a fixed rate you just need to leave the equivalent of one months DD in your account.

0800 0699 831

The collections team also have more flexibility with DDs. You can ask them to freeze your DD at a lower lever for 3 months.

There might be some more info here you find useful

If you search for Future Annual Consumption or Estimated Annual Consumption on the forum you will find more threads. 

Thanks Jeffus for your input and I have definately added my vote to the list and am about to add a seperate post to re-emphasise how stupid the approach being followed by OVO is.

I can see the estimate (as I included in my post) but cannot see how it has been computed.

I am never happy to hear that a bad estimate cannot be changed because it is embedded into the system. Either they should change the system or not use the estimate.

the changed market has inevitably resulted in people changing their energy usage patterns - so linking them to old datas is unnacceptable and worthy of raising public awareness of what is abuse of customers.

You should definitely see the Future Annual Consumption figure go down if you use less energy, although it will take a few months.

Let us know how you get on if you do call Collections and ask if they will reduce your DD. They definitely have more flexibility than the Support team number.

Thanks for adding your vote to the idea. 

Thanks Jeffus,

But my usage has been reduced by 10-15%, each month and continually over the past year/eighteen months. The continued trend can be seen in the reduction from 2022 to 2023.  but it is not being reflected in the EAC - not sure what algorithm they are using to come up with their figures - but it is not a sensible means of projection.

You could try asking OVO for more specific details of the algorithm and how it works for your data. 

I doubt you will get it phoning up. 

You could try putting in a complaint and ask for the algorithm with your data in it. 

The regular posters on the forum stopped looking into it, you are more than welcome to try if you have the time and inclination. 

https://www.ovoenergy.com/feedback

The work around always suggested by OVO is to call collections and ask for a DD freeze for 3 months and or return of some of the credit balance. 

0800 0699 831