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Rank 2
September 6, 2022
Solved

Why is my online account credit balance dropping every day?

  • September 6, 2022
  • 32 replies
  • 3486 views

I was an SSE customer but with the take over my account has been migrated over to OVO.

The first month i did’nt really check what was happening with my  OVO balance as im on a smart  meter.  at the start of august i checked my balance against my bill ,my ending balance was  £126 .a few weeks later i was checking my usage and saw that my balance had gone down to £116 check if i had been billed again ? no ! checked if there was any information as to why it had gone down , again no! so i called OVO and asked why my balance had gone down before my billing date and what the charge was for i was giving a number for SSE i was been charge by them and they where debiting my OVO balance , so i called and was told that had no idea about it and that my SSE account was closed and migrated over to OVO  i so  i asked for them to send me  an email stating so with closing balance ,they did so . called OVO back and asked again why my balance had gone down  before my billing date  this time i was told they had no idea why my balance had gone down and was told that it would be passed to complaints department. ok!  i checked my balance 2 days ago it had drop again to £108  and today again to £107 so far it has drop by £19 pound,So  to day i call to find out what was happening with my compalint only to be told that complaints had no record of my issue again iwas told that i would be passed to complaints and that i would be contacted in 5 working day at this point i got in contact with citizens advice and was told to send an email of complaint so i have a copy and  that way there was proof that i had been in contact      .been the person  that i am( terrible memory )i always record my phone calls  when it comes to  bills ,debts and anything to do with money and keep all documents. so just to let you if your losing money from your balance without reason or been informed as to why you not the only one  and im sure there are alot you out there  paying more than you should be keep and collect all evidence  

Best answer by juliamc

Updated on 08/01/25 by Abby_OVO

The ‘balance’ being the running total, which is reconciled when the bill is issued and your payment goes in: 

 

 

 

 

Looks to me like you’ve paid £70 in three separate amounts, you’ve used a total of £59.88 in fuel and standing charges, resulting in your credit increasing by £10.12 i.e. rising from £126.89 to £137.01. 

 

See our handy FAQ all about our live billing system for more:

 

32 replies

Tim_OVO
OVO Staff
OVO Forum Legend
September 7, 2022

Hi @mr T smith yes I agree with @Thickgoatee and @juliamc - this sounds like your daily balance updating. That’s how OVO’s billing platform works (and works really well, when you have a smart meter as you do). Gone are the days when you wait x number of weeks to find out how much your charges are.

 

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
Rank 2
September 7, 2022

turns out they where right and i was wrong. but it a shame the call centre staff was not able to explain that the smart meter system was deducting my usage and updating the balance. could have save a lot of worry and  phone calls , i think more training to undertsanding the systems they work with and less time memorizing generic scripts.

juliamc
Rank 20
Rank 20
October 31, 2022

Shucks ! It seemed too good to be true !!

Rank 5
February 12, 2024

I am noticing quite routinely that there is a dramatic drop in my balance in the day or two before my next direct debit is paid. Rightly or wrongly, I feel suspicious about this! I follow my usage forensically and feel confident the month is covered until just before the next payment. I'm starting to get quite disheartened by this!

Firedog
Super User
Super User
February 12, 2024

Is your balance based on estimated readings? It shouldn’t be if you have a smart meter and your account is set to at least a daily reading schedule. Do you see daily readings, e.g. on this page: Meter readings history - OVO Energy

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. |
Rank 5
February 12, 2024

Yes, everything is in order, smart meter, daily readings etc but, routinely, every month, a.day or two before the direct debit is due, the balance falls sharply down. Just wonder if anyone else finds the same?

Firedog
Super User
Super User
February 12, 2024

Not me. Can you show us what is happening?

The daily balance is calculated from consumption since the start of the billing period as reported by the meter, so the only way that the balance can fall by an unexpected amount is if consumption increases by an equally unusual amount (another possibility is that the cost of gas used has been recalculated in response to a revised calorific value, but this isn’t likely to be at all regular.) 

If you shared screenshots of your readings page(s) covering the last time this happened, we may be able to spot something. 

 

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. |
Rank 1
July 8, 2024

Why does my credit balance decrease after the billing period has ended?

Blastoise186
Super User
Super User
July 8, 2024

Hi @LWHAMPTON ,

That’ll be because OVO’s system runs on something called Live Billing. Rather than having to wait for a bill to arrive to see what you spent, you can see it in near real-time as the account balance updates every day to reflect what you’ve spent so far in the current cycle.

The monthly bills you get sent however, do not change and will show the final cost for any particular cycle.

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!
Rank 1
July 9, 2024

OK I hear what you say however it does not make sense.