My fixed-rate contract comes to an end next month, and I’m now in the ‘renewal window.’ I’m trying to find out how much more I’ll have to pay when I’m transferred to a simple variable tariff. The rates I see at two pages at ovoenergy.com are different, by about £60 a year in my case.
Can I be certain that if I follow the advice on the renewal page and “pick this plan today to enjoy these prices” I will in fact be billed at the rates offered?
Here are the screenshots:
Best answer by Jeffus
Updated on 20/10/23 by Abby_OVO
I assume both are in fact variable plans as the exit fee is zero and there is no plan length so the rates could change at any time up to the Energy Price Guarantee rates.
The only fixed feature being the Energy Price Guarantee?
I expect the rates will change come 1st April which ever option you choose when the EPG changes
The tariff name is different in both examples. We have seen different tariff names with slightly different rates before but i think i would get something in writing personally from ovo if you wanted to confirm, of course with the caveat that the rates could change anyway with either plan up to the EPG
+5
I know that wasn’t your question as such but I would have thought that at the point of your sign up, you would see the rates confirmed?
+3I think I’d fix again if I was you. I went through this dilemma last year (well Jan this year) and it paid off as prices went up and up…
Doesn't the estimate mean it may not reflect your actual usage ?
+2Updated on 20/10/23 by Abby_OVO
I assume both are in fact variable plans as the exit fee is zero and there is no plan length so the rates could change at any time up to the Energy Price Guarantee rates.
The only fixed feature being the Energy Price Guarantee?
I expect the rates will change come 1st April which ever option you choose when the EPG changes
The tariff name is different in both examples. We have seen different tariff names with slightly different rates before but i think i would get something in writing personally from ovo if you wanted to confirm, of course with the caveat that the rates could change anyway with either plan up to the EPG
I would have thought that at the point of your sign up, you would see the rates confirmed ...
That would be nice. However, there is no way to ‘sign up’; the page just tells me You don’t need to do anything to choose this plan. You’ll automatically roll onto it if you don’t renew. So there is no ‘renewal’ - just an automatic migration to a different tariff.
That said, Ofgem decrees that suppliers must give consumers at least 30 days advance notice of price rises, or changes in their contract which leave them significantly worse off. My situation is clearly in a grey area. I’ve been working with the figures quoted on the Renewal page for some weeks now, and there’s less than 30 days until I’m automatically migrated, so I could claim that I haven’t been given the mandatory notice of this latest hike. If I were the litigious sort, I might think of complaining.
+3I assume both are in fact variable plans as the exit fee is zero and there is no plan length so the rates could change at any time up to the Energy Price Guarantee rates.
The only fixed feature being the Energy Price Guarantee?
Oh yes - sorry - it’s been a long day...
+2I would have thought that at the point of your sign up, you would see the rates confirmed ...
That would be nice. However, there is no way to ‘sign up’; the page just tells me You don’t need to do anything to choose this plan. You’ll automatically roll onto it if you don’t renew. So there is no ‘renewal’ - just an automatic migration to a different tariff.
That said, Ofgem decrees that suppliers must give consumers at least 30 days advance notice of price rises, or changes in their contract which leave them significantly worse off. My situation is clearly in a grey area. I’ve been working with the figures quoted on the Renewal page for some weeks now, and there’s less than 30 days until I’m automatically migrated, so I could claim that I haven’t been given the mandatory notice of this latest hike. If I were the litigious sort, I might think of complaining.
Were we ever able to select the variable tariff on the renewal page?
Was it just fixed rates? With the default being you rolled onto the variable rate if you did nothing.
I honestly can't remember.
Does the 30 days start from the 1st day you start your new variable contract rather than now?
When i just looked the tariff name and rates were the same via both links for me but i don't have E7, so it could be ovo have multiple E7 rates setup in their database.
+2I found my old renewal screenshots. Does look like we have never been able to select the variable rate when coming off a fixed rate. It is just the auto do nothing option.
Interestingly the section on 30 day notice for changes to the variable rate plan tariff has been removed in the most recent Terms and Conditions
https://www.ovoenergy.com/terms/2022
I think I’d fix again if I was you.
Chance would be a fine thing! From the same renewal page: During the energy-price uncertainty, we’re not able to offer a fair priced fixed-rate plan. Our variable-rate Simpler Energy plan is the only one available at the moment.
Doesn't the estimate mean it may not reflect your actual usage ?
No. I’ve been watching this page for some weeks now. The “Estimated Yearly Use” (EYU, a rose by any other name ...) is pretty close to my consumption for the last 365 days, but it only updates sporadically - about once a week. Their estimate for my yearly cost is just about spot on for my day/night usage ratio over the last 365 days. I just used the same figure on the switch page to get comparable results.
It irks me that while urging us to push consumption to the quiet hours, they have seen fit to increase the night rate by 22% since 1 October. It will now be an overnight increase of 138% in my heating cost (in p/kWh inc. VAT, from 9.65 on 30 Sept to 18.86 on 1 Oct and now to 22.98). I’m tempted to nip out and chop down some of their precious trees to feed my fire.
… the section on 30 day notice for changes to the variable rate plan tariff has been removed in the most recent Terms and Conditions
[Sorry, you didn’t, but BP did 😶]
I took my quotation from Ofgem: 30-day-rule-280311.pdf (ofgem.gov.uk) and a search of the site didn’t find anything newer. I don’t think they could wriggle out of that if it came to the crunch.
+2I think I’d fix again if I was you.
Chance would be a fine thing! From the same renewal page: During the energy-price uncertainty, we’re not able to offer a fair priced fixed-rate plan. Our variable-rate Simpler Energy plan is the only one available at the moment.
Doesn't the estimate mean it may not reflect your actual usage ?
No. I’ve been watching this page for some weeks now. The “Estimated Yearly Use” (EYU, a rose by any other name ...) is pretty close to my consumption for the last 365 days, but it only updates sporadically - about once a week. Their estimate for my yearly cost is just about spot on for my day/night usage ratio over the last 365 days. I just used the same figure on the switch page to get comparable results.
It irks me that while urging us to push consumption to the quiet hours, they have seen fit to increase the night rate by 22% since 1 October. It will now be an overnight increase of 138% in my heating cost (in p/kWh inc. VAT, from 9.65 on 30 Sept to 18.86 on 1 Oct and now to 22.98). I’m tempted to nip out and chop down some of their precious trees to feed my fire.
… the section on 30 day notice for changes to the variable rate plan tariff has been removed in the most recent Terms and Conditions
[Sorry, you didn’t, but BP did 😶]
I took my quotation from Ofgem: 30-day-rule-280311.pdf (ofgem.gov.uk) and a search of the site didn’t find anything newer. I don’t think they could wriggle out of that if it came to the crunch.
Interesting i think the opposite. You aren't on the tariff yet so the 30 days doesn't apply?
In normal times the rates would go up on 1st Jan.
The renewals page has always had the old variable rate tariff info right up to the switch date to the updated price cap. We went through an example like this with my switch over and the variable rate when Jess was around. It makes the variable rate tariff info on the Renewal page of rather limited value, particularly with quarterly updates to the variable from 1st Jan in normal times.
I will see if I can find the thread again.
We didn't get 30 days notice last time for the variable rate.
Fixed rates would be eye watering expensive at the moment as the wholesale gas price has shot up again, up 60% since October, feeding through to electricity prices. We had a record next day electricity price recently.
The 20% increase in the Energy Price Cap on 1st April from 2500 to 3000 could be better communicated as well... Am not sure how many people are budgeting for this... This was in the Autumn statement.
+3That 20% increase ought to be mentioned by us when people are appalled by their raised dd.
+2That 20% increase ought to be mentioned by us when people are appalled by their raised dd.
I think it will be a shock for some just how high their bills will be over the summer and how high their DDs get after 1st April.
The DD calculator doesn't include the 1st April increase yet as far as i know, be interesting to see when OVO tweak the DDs. I expect this will cause a run of posts on the forum as the calculator will then look ahead 12 months after the update with the higher rates, including next winter. All the increase will fall on the unit rates i suspect. We can probably work out illustrative figures for a few customers if necessary on a few threads in the future.
Also the Energy Bill Support scheme finishes in March and won't be available as a universal offer next winter.
It is going to get much harder for a cohort of customers unfortunately.
More important than ever for people to get smart meters to get to know their usage. Or at the very least take manual readings more frequently than they usually do.
I assume both are in fact variable plans as the exit fee is zero and there is no plan length so the rates could change at any time up to the Energy Price Guarantee rates.
The only fixed feature being the Energy Price Guarantee?
I expect the rates will change come 1st April which ever option you choose when the EPG changes
The tariff name is different in both examples. We have seen different tariff names with slightly different rates before but i think i would get something in writing personally from ovo if you wanted to confirm, of course with the caveat that the rates could change anyway with either plan up to the EPG
Jeff, I don’t know who marked this as the answer to my question, but IMO it’s not. Both images illustrate the standard variable E7 tariff for my postcode in the EMEB region. The renewal page shows the rates for 1 Oct - 31 Dec 2022. The switch page shows the rates as they will be from 1 Jan 2023 until they change again. It’s underhand to suggest that if I do nothing, the renewal rates shown will apply. This could have misled me and dissuaded me from switching to a different supplier. I can see no reason why the two TILs can’t show the same data.
As regards the EPG, there’s very little room for further increases. To arrive at the advertised Estimated Annual Cost of £881, we have to assume that 42% of the Assumed Annual Consumption is charged at the cheaper rate. I’ve no idea where this figure comes from.
2190 x .42 = 919.8 x .2298 = £211.37
2190 x .58 = 1270.2 x .3955 = £502.36
Cost of electricity = 211.37 + 502.36 = £713.73
Standing charge: 365 x .4585 = £167.35
Annual cost = 713.73 + 167.35 = £881 as advertised above.
£713.73 for 2190kWh equates to 71373/2190 = 32.59p/kWh
which is only 0.7% below the EPG rate of 31.25 X 1.05 = 32.81p (East Midlands Region, Jan-Mar 2023)
Hey
I’ve responded to you on this thread:
They are showing you the current rates as of now, because that is what you’d pay now. VS what the rates will go up to as the rates for your region will be changing shortly.
So you have both the current rates, and what they will go up to in January. If you were currently on the Variable Tariff you would have been sent a communication advising you what your rates will increase to.
OVO aren’t offering a ‘renewal’ option at the moment, as there is no point having fixed tariffs. So all customers will ‘roll onto’ the variable plan at the end of their contract.
Just wanted to add that you are in the rare situation of being on the old, current rates for a short period of time at the end of the month, then you’ll move onto the new rates in January.
So if you wanted to work it out you could use the current variable rates multiplied by the days at the end of December you’ll be on the Variable plan. Then after that, you’ll be on the January rates, until these change in April.
Thanks, Emmanuelle, but that won’t wash. Rates are either today’s rates, which are current, or they’re next month’s rates, which aren’t current. The Renewal page, showing today’s rates as if they are the ones I’d be charged, is the one I’m directed to from the OVO account home page. The Switch page, showing the true picture, I was referred to from a third-party comparison site. Deliberately misleading existing customers to dissuade them from switching to another provider is sharp practice. But perhaps ‘renewal’ means something different in OVO-speak.
While I’ve got your attention, could I pose a supplementary question?
Because the E7 rates have increased so dramatically, I can no longer afford to heat my house with electricity. Even so, I have so far been able to make use of the (2020) E7 tariff to minimize the costs. This will no longer be the case once I’m rolled on to the SVT, based on my usage pattern for the past six months. It would in fact be slightly cheaper, and much more convenient, to use the single-rate tariff.
I can’t do anything about the wiring or the meter (it’s a rented property), but I understand it is possible to apply the same single rate to both registers, which would have the same effect. How do I go about arranging this - quickly - without using the telephone which I’m afraid I’m unable to use for making calls?
The last time I asked for a tariff update to the meter (they’d got it wrong at one stage), I did it by email and it took weeks, and even then it was still wrong. The right figures have always been used for billing, so I’ve let it ride. But now I gather that even the email option is no longer available. I’m sure I’m not the only customer not able to use the phone …
Updated on 30/12/22 by Emmanuelle_OVO
Hey
The transfer process from one supplier to another takes a minimum of the next working day so if the current rates were given to new customers, this would be inaccurate as they will be on January’s rates from the moment they are on supply with us.
If a customer is on the Variable Tariff currently they would have already been advised of the price increases in January if they are affected.
You seem to be in the less common situation of rolling onto the variable contract just before the price increases in January.
Great question! You are able to choose to be on a single rate tariff if you’re Economy 7. However as the rates will need to be verbally agreed, I’m afraid you will need to call Support.
Hope this helps.
+1If you need to, you can use SignVideo with OVO now, as well as Relay UK.
The Relay UK number to call is 18001 0330 303 5063. Or for SignVideo, you can select OVO from the list at https://signvideo.co.uk/sign-directory/
+2Just to correct what you said, a switch can be done in as little as 2 days (as per the thread you linked to), not a minimum of 5 working days as you've said.
You seem to be in the less common situation of rolling onto the variable contract just before the price increases in January.
Thanks again. No, my fixed-rate plan ends on 8 January. I’ve now been able to calculate the likely costs using the single-rate and dual-rate figures for 1 January - 31 March, using data from the past six months. The single rate tariff is definitely more advantageous.
I decided to brave the webchat option. I only waited about 15 minutes for an advisor to pitch up, and I think he understood what I wanted to do. The chat ended a bit oddly, though, leaving me scratching my head:
| Business said: I see you wish to change your tarrif You said: Yes, when the current contract expires next week. Business said: I will make a not on the account, please wait for a reference number You said: <puzzled emoji> Business said: Case Number [nnnnnnnn] You said: Thank you. What do I do now? Business said: pop the kettle on You said: Good idea! Business said: always Business said: happy new year to you and yours, all the best You said: Thanks, and to you. You said: What do I do with the case number? Business said: keep it for your records, it shows our interactions today |
How do I make sure that the SMART team gets the message? There was no mention of a requirement for oral confirmation.
Happy New Year, everybody 🍾🍾🍾
+1No worries. Relay UK is a free service that anyone can use for any reason. While it is designed for people with hearing or speech difficulties, there’s no strict rule saying you have to have such difficulties to be able to use the service. If you’ve just lost your voice temporarily due to a cold but still need to make phone calls for example, that’s perfectly cool with them too.
All I’d suggest is that it’s worth reading the user guides at https://www.relayuk.bt.com/ first as they’ll make your life a lot easier.
They never ask you the reason why you use the service either. It’s provided there for anyone who may benefit from it. If it’s easier, you can just use the Relay UK app on any smartphone rather than playing with the desktop software. Or if you’d rather use a full mouse and keyboard, you can get the desktop app instead.
Just for accessibility reasons (and because I really do genuinely like to recommend this thing to people a lot!):
Windows 10/11 (Via Microsoft Store): https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/relay-uk/9N6QLQ67VWVG?hl=en-gb&gl=gb
Mac: Search Relay UK Desktop App on the Mac App Store
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bt.relayuk
iOS/iPadOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/relay-uk/id1483202788
No worries.
Thanks again. I got the app for PC and had it set up in no time to make calls (apart from the usual round-the-houses to get Bluetooth to pair properly, that is). I’m not quite sure about persuading people to use it when calling me, though.
How do you suppose it works when you call OVO and you’re no. 385 in the queue? Are you tying up a whole Relay assistant on hold? I’d hate to do that …
Is there any prioritization of voice calls and webchat for those on the PSR, ? I’d hate to be jumping the queue if there is.
+1They’ve considered that exact possibility. The Relay Assistant stays with you during the entire call, but if necessary they can move the call to another Relay Assistant - you’ll always be notified if that happens. BT has loads of them so the chances of you blocking another call are pretty low. And emergency calls always take priority anyway.
They won’t mind if the call takes a while to reach an agent, and you can talk to the Relay Assistant at anytime if you need to, such ask to ask for advice on what to do to make the call work.
As for OVO’s priority queue thing? It does exist, but not for PSR. If you have an account management flag against your account (like I do) you get redirected to your squad rather than the general queue whenever possible. It effectively speeds up queue times massively. :)
Hey
If you don’t get written confirmation of your new plan, It might be worth contacting Support with the case number just to ensure you are moved to single tariff rates when the plan expires.
There may have been some confusion as you’ll just roll onto the Variable contract at the end of your current fixed term, always best to double check 🙂
Hope this helps.
No account yet? Create an account
Enter your E-mail address. We'll send you an e-mail with instructions to reset your password.
