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Durtydenn
Rank 1
September 27, 2023
Solved

Why do I need different logins for the Forum and the online account?

  • September 27, 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 77 views

I am a long time OVO user. However, OVO choose to write me about use of of Power at better times. Good. 

I am invited to read Forum pages.

I am invited to log in.

IT IS NOT EXPLICITLY MENTIONED that the Forum & Account area's are Different. One can have different identities and details? This must lead some prospective users to confusion that may in turn lead to Account access issues.

    Best answer by Firedog

    One can have different identities and details? This must lead some prospective users to confusion that may in turn lead to Account access issues.

     

    Yes, this can be confusing. There are (at least) three OVO sites that all have pretty much the same ‘branding’ - colours, logo, even a proprietary typeface:

    • www.ovoenergy.com - this is the public site which includes the help pages for OVO customers.
    • forum.ovoenergy.com - where we are now. This is also public, open to everyone to read, but visitors are only able to make posts if they have created a forum account. 
    • account.ovoenergy.com - this is the private bit, only accessible by OVO customers and giving access to their account details and data.

    This is a common arrangement where a company provides a space for its customers to converse among themselves, and it’s deliberately kept separate from the private bits to maintain that privacy. I can’t see how it could lead to ‘Account access issues.’  

    Since the Account website uses an email address as the username part of the authentication process, it’s probably a good idea to use a different email address for the forum. The password should in any circumstances be different.

    It’s a bit surprising that ‘a long time OVO user’ hasn’t found his way to the forums earlier, unless of course he’s never needed to ask fellow customers for help or advice. There’s a wealth of information here that supplements the ‘official’ help pages, so I’d suggest you have a look around. 

      

    5 replies

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    September 27, 2023

    Hello @Durtydenn ,

    Please note that this comment was written by an independent forum volunteer, and not by OVO staff.

    The OVO Forum runs on a different system to that of OVO’s other online services. It is deliberately set up to use a different account so that you can maintain privacy and have a public identity here that shields your personal details from the world. It is extremely rare that someone fails to recognise this and it shouldn’t need to be explicitly spelled out - over 99% of users here seem to have no trouble at all with this.

    Single Sign-On is being considered as an option for the future between the two sides but I must otherwise disagree with you. We have pretty much never seen complaints about this before.

    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!
      Firedog
      Super User
      FiredogSuper UserSolved
      Super User
      September 27, 2023

      One can have different identities and details? This must lead some prospective users to confusion that may in turn lead to Account access issues.

       

      Yes, this can be confusing. There are (at least) three OVO sites that all have pretty much the same ‘branding’ - colours, logo, even a proprietary typeface:

      • www.ovoenergy.com - this is the public site which includes the help pages for OVO customers.
      • forum.ovoenergy.com - where we are now. This is also public, open to everyone to read, but visitors are only able to make posts if they have created a forum account. 
      • account.ovoenergy.com - this is the private bit, only accessible by OVO customers and giving access to their account details and data.

      This is a common arrangement where a company provides a space for its customers to converse among themselves, and it’s deliberately kept separate from the private bits to maintain that privacy. I can’t see how it could lead to ‘Account access issues.’  

      Since the Account website uses an email address as the username part of the authentication process, it’s probably a good idea to use a different email address for the forum. The password should in any circumstances be different.

      It’s a bit surprising that ‘a long time OVO user’ hasn’t found his way to the forums earlier, unless of course he’s never needed to ask fellow customers for help or advice. There’s a wealth of information here that supplements the ‘official’ help pages, so I’d suggest you have a look around. 

        

      Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
        Tim_OVO
        OVO Staff
        Tim_OVO
        OVO Forum Legend
        September 28, 2023

        Yep I agree with the comments above. 

         

        It would be a better experience for a new forum visitor to have the option of using their OVO online account login credentials for the forum profile. @Durtydenn you can vote on this existing idea here:

         

         

        Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
          D
          Rank 1
          DurtydennAuthor
          Rank 1
          September 28, 2023

          Hello again, thank you for the responses. I did indeed have a forum account/from years back. Long forgotten, until I pump in a more recent email ID. This reminded and prompted me to reenter the forum password lost process with an older email ID.

          My main point in writing was to suggest that at the point of entry into the forum area there could easily be an explicit message, warning would be entrants that the normal customer account area and the Forum were different. The Username and email address issues mentioned by others are good examples.

          Blastoise186
          Super User
          Blastoise186Super User
          Super User
          September 28, 2023

          Ultimately, this suggestion feels like a solution in search of a problem. It may be quick to implement, but it only solves a problem that one user out of 100k+ have had. As such, it’s just not worth it.

          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!
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