Forum Topic

OVO Energy nightmare..

HAS ANYONE HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH OVO ENERGY?                                                                                         One of dozens of messages that I have sent to OVO since January 2023. This one was sent on 13-8-23."I have had an 8 month nightmare with OVO. The Ombudsman upheld my complaint against them in May and I still haven't had an apology, compensation or a final bill."The reply I received on 17-8-23 was: "I have requested for these to be sent out via post, please allow 5-10 working days to receive the documents.Thanks,Nikkita."22 days gone by and still no sign of the promised postal delivery. In the meantime OVO has authorised a debt collector to harass me for an alleged debt of £146 +£20 costs. I emailed the debt company with proof of the now 9 months of OVO incompetence and they put the matter on hold until they contacted OVO. Unbelievably I today had an email from the debt company who have been instructed by OVO: "Please continue to chase the debt."OVO is driving me crazy. Next Wednesday I am seeking legal advise with a view to taken legal action against OVO for the now 9 month nightmare and the stress caused by OVO's incompetence.

Neil Milkins ● 647d20 Comments

It will be interesting to see if other people get in touch with Rip Off Britain.  OVO Energy are billing people for huge amounts of money and is impossible to understand their demands for money.  When I told OVO I wanted to leave them for Octopus, they said that’ll be £80 without any explanation for what.  There were no exit fees on my type of account, but I paid up to get away from them.  Octopus have been great so far.

Martine Guy ● 623d

I watched it and hope Rip Off Britain pursues the matter.

Neil Milkins ● 623d

I caught a bit of Rip Off Britain this morning and they were talking about how some energy company bills are difficult to understand.  I knew it had to be about OVO Energy. Anyway, I just watched the programme on BBC iPlayer and the energy company item was about a really desperate woman in Scotland who was running up huge bills for her flat.  She was being sent demands for just under £5,400.  The energy company she was originally with was SSE who have been taken over by OVO Energy.  The lady thought something was wrong with her billing and OVO were refusing to back down.  Rip Off Britain are sticking with this story and I am hoping OVO Energy will be proved to be in the wrong. One thing the Scottish lady complained about was how she couldn’t understand her energy bills, which is one of my complaints about OVO.  Page after page of figures I can’t follow. Rip Off Britain is a really good consumer programme, and I was pleased to see them cover this story.

Martine Guy ● 623d

Neil, I will check my Octopus bill, but I don’t think so.  Whether I did or not, I think Octopus are wonderful.  We are saving so much money since we moved to them from horrible OVO. I have just finished reading through the Trustpilot OVO Energy reviews.  I do this now everyday.  It is awful the way they are treating their customers.  People are complaining about how their energy bills have increased to huge amounts since they were migrated over from SSE.  They spend hours on the phone to overseas call centres and get nowhere.  
Please let me know if the Facebook group take any action, so that I have opportunity to join in.

Martine Guy ● 628d

Did you get £50 energy credit from Octopus? There is a Facebook group SSE/OVO Complaints that has 8000 members who are or were customers of this corrupt set-up. The stories being told daily by its members are shocking.

Neil Milkins ● 628d

I’d like to add that when we were with OVO Energy, it was like dealing with the Krays of energy companies because of how they used intimidatory language.  Pay your debt now! But I had no debt, I had paid my bill within a few days of receiving it,  but this wasn’t good/quick enough for OVO Energy.  They added on charges too, with no explanation as to what they were for.  So glad to have moved to Octopus.

Martine Guy ● 640d

Neil, totally agree with your post.  OVO Energy are the worst big company I have ever dealt with.  Page after page of confusing bills, intimidating language and HUGE bills.  We have moved to Octopus who issue easy to understand bills and speak to customers in friendly language.  Our monthly bill has gone down from nearly £1000 to £150 to £200 per month. When you read Trustpilot reviews, people are in despair, especially the vulnerable on Pay as You Go meters.  There are 2 Trustpilot sites.  One consistently reviews OVO at 69% good, and another that rates OVO at 5% good.  I know which I think is the correct one and irs not the one at 69%.   OVO seem to ignore the Ombudsman.  They are, in my opinion, disgusting!

Martine Guy ● 640d

OVO has been fined £9million. They have been featured on Watchdog and numerous national, regional and local newspapers and still they are getting away with all sorts of criminal activities.                                                My nightmare with OVO is still ongoing with them threatening me with court action. I have encouraged 7 people to switch to Octopus in the past few months with the following message on my Facebook page and via messenger.                        "I have had an 9 month nightmare with OVO. The Ombudsman upheld my complaint against them in May and I still haven't had an apology, compensation or a final bill. After reading good reviews on Trustpilot and Which magazine regarding Octopus I joined them in May. They are easy to contact and deal with. If you phone them with this referral code we will both get £50 energy credit." https://share.octopus.energy/free-finch-408    Octopus phone number is Customer service: 0808 164 1088. Even if you don't take up this offer, please consider changing to a different provider. OVO are driving people into despair.

Neil Milkins ● 640d

Even though I am always on time with the bills, I read the meter, EDF never come round now to read. They are sending letters out telling everybody you now have to pay monthly and I have always paid quarterly.

Barbara Stevens ● 646d

Good that the free press can pick up and highlight some of these issues.Ultimately it is the failure of government of multiple colours to effectively regulate the market.I guess we could try raising issues with our MP assuming they or their party are not sponsored by the energy companies???

Ed Robinson ● 647d

"Ed, leave and go to Octopus.  Cut your losses, you will feel better for it."Yes I have an account with Octopus and no issues. However it is not a smart meters and trying to get adult kids to read a meter is near impossible (unless you change the Netflix password and link it to the meter reading).I need to calculate the difference but it may exceed £1,000.

Ed Robinson ● 647d

Neil, regarding the media, a few years ago I asked Jill Insley, the Sunday Times Money section to help me with a problem and she was lovely.  Couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. I know the MailOnline Money section had a huge response when they asked for complaints about OVO Energy.  One person on Trustpilot said how helpful the MaiOnline reporter had been.  Without looking up their complaint, I think the person had been billed for £33,000!

Martine Guy ● 647d

I don't trust the media any more than I do OVO.

Neil Milkins ● 647d

The thousands on Facebook all have horror stories to tell. Why don't you join Facebook?

Neil Milkins ● 647d

The stress is unbearable for all concerned with various energy companies.

Neil Milkins ● 647d

Neil, your loss is under £200.  I hate to say it but just pay it and try to claim it back later.  Our last bill from OVO was nearly £3,000 for a quarter including a charge for about £80 with no explanation.  I reckon they owe us about £2,000.  However we are relieved to leave this disgusting company.  Our loss is nothing compared to what some others are suffering.  You read about people on pay as you go meters being in huge debt, but surely that’s impossible. I am trying to get to grips with the last bill they sent us, but it is difficult to understand.  Our latest bill from Octopus was £150!  I wrote a letter of complaint to OVO but have received no reply, but that seems typical for them.  People say they ignore the Ombudsman too. When I can get my head around it all, I am going to the newspapers.  Do you want to join me?

Martine Guy ● 647d

Neil, as per my emails to you, I would like to know what is being said on Facebook.  A few weeks ago, the Facebook group went private and so I am unable to read what people are saying.  I don’t do Facebook.  Maybe suggest a demonstration outside their Bristol HQ, Ed, leave and go to Octopus.  Cut your losses, you will feel better for it.

Martine Guy ● 647d

I have an ongoing issue with Eon Next.It all went wrong when getting a smart meter installed.Of course it has nothing to do with the smart meter. They just can't give me an correct bill.Double billing, wrong tariff..staff born yesterday (do not recognise the year 2022) still waiting for a corect bill for 2022 never mind 2023.Having spent hours on their web chat I shall probably have to calculate my own bill for 2022 & 2023 - perhaps bill the time too?

Ed Robinson ● 647d

There are nearly 8000 members of the Facebook group SSE/OVO Complaints and their stories are harrowing. I can't take much more of OVO. I am seeking legal advise on Wednesday. Octopus are definitely easy to understand and easy to deal with. Keep well.

Neil Milkins ● 647d

Neil, you know what I think about OVO Energy, as I have emailed you privately.  We were migrated over to OVO after they took over SSE. We have saved hundreds of pounds per month since we moved over to Octopus.  Thank you to the person who recommended them (I think it was Lucille).  Octopus provide easy to understand bills, unlike OVO whose bills are, imo, deliberately confusing.  Also OVO added on extra charges to our bill for no reason, as far as I can see. I have never been on a demonstration in my life, but would be willing to stand outside OVO’s head office in Bristol if a demo. were organised. From what I have read, they have many unhappy customers.  People are being overcharged huge amounts of money.  It is a disgrace.

Martine Guy ● 647d