On 19th February occurred the latest in a long line of blunders since I first applied to switch to Ovo Energy back in August last year. After running a comparison against my previous providers and the wider market, I decided I would switch to Ovo Energy’s Greener Energy (all online) tarriff.
First Ovo tried to switch the wrong gas account (i.e. not mine!). Because of where I live I am supplied through an independent gas transporter which means I was told it would take 4-12 weeks to transfer. By December I realised that time was now up and still my transfer hadn’t completed. There had been no contact from Ovo in this time to tell me anything was amiss and I was told at least once that I just needed to wait.
Sure enough, after me chasing Ovo, it eventually turned out they’d been trying to move the wrong account. If I recall they asked for my meter number when I signed up, but somewhere this got converted into an MPRN (Meter Point Registration Number) – but the one in my Ovo account wasn’t the one on my bills from my old supplier.
I gave them the correct details and was told that they would reapply for the transfer of the correct MPRN and that would be that. During this time my contract start date shifted from around September time to December. Since the delays were not caused by me I asked, and Ovo agreed, to change this to align with my electricity date.
However in early 2015 there was still something not right. Ovo were now telling me that my previous supplier had blocked the transfer. When I contacted them, they said they hadn’t received any transfer request for my Gas. At this point I was really starting to wonder why on Earth I was the one trying to sort out the problems of two energy companies, and why I even knew what an MPRN or Independent Gas Transporter was! A good customer experience, this was not.
More phone calls and more promises that it would get sorted out by “the right team”. Obviously this team wasn’t someone I could actually speak to so I asked the advisor to make sure I was kept up to date at each step, particularly in the case of problems, as communication from Ovo had been practically non-existent so far.
Skip forward a month or more and it seems the account is finally set up – however I now receive an email “thanking” me for “staying with” Ovo and telling me I’ve been put on the standard tariff, not the Greener Energy one that I’d asked for (which had shown in my online account for the whole of the last 6 months – right up until Ovo finally managed to switch me over).
I thought switching would be fairly simple. All I have ever wanted was to be put on the the Greener Energy tariff with an end date aligned to the electricity one you actually did manage to switch over in the first place, which I have at least once now been promised. I really don’t think that’s asking too much.
However given the amount of time I’ve had to waste on repeated phone calls and emails, not to mention incurring the expense of being trapped on my previous suppliers’ standard tariff for 6 months or so unable to switch to a cheaper fix because Ovo were supposed to be taking over my supply. I therefore have both out of pocket costs and the inconvenience and wasted time and effort on my part, and so I believe Ovo have a duty to compensate me for this.
The actual message I sent Ovo is much shorter because they limit your complaints to 2000 characters (understandable, with service like this I expect they get a lot of them!)
On 19th Feb I saw the latest in a line of blunders since I applied to Ovo back in August. With an independent gas transporter involved, I was told it would take 4-12 weeks. By December I realised that time was now up and still my transfer hadn’t completed. No word from Ovo in this time to tell me anything was amiss. I called and was told I needed to wait.
December: by me chasing Ovo, it emerges you’d tried to move the wrong account. I gave my meter number when I signed up, and Ovo converted it into the wrong MPRN. I gave the right MPRN and was told that Ovo would reapply for the transfer of the correct account. At this time my contract start date was delayed to December. Since the delays were not my fault I asked, and Ovo agreed, to change this to align with my electricity date.
Jan: still something not right. Ovo now say my previous supplier had blocked the transfer. When I called, they said they hadn’t received any request! I was starting to wonder why I was the only one trying to sort this out! More phone calls, more promises it would get sorted out by “the right team”. But I couldn’t speak to them so I asked the advisor to make sure I was kept up to date, as communication from Ovo had been practically non-existent. I wasn’t.
Feb: account finally set up – I now get an email “thanking” me for “staying with” Ovo on their standard tariff, not the Greener Energy one I wanted (which had shown in My Ovo for the the last 6 months – just on someone else’s gas meter). All I wanted was what I signed up for – the Greener Energy tariff, ending in Sept. 2015. I really don’t think that’s asking too much.
I’ve wasted a lot of time on phone calls and emails, not to mention the expense of my previous suppliers’ standard tariff for 6 months, unable to switch to a cheaper one as Ovo were supposed to be taking over. I have both out of pocket costs and the inconvenience and wasted time and effort on my part, and so I believe Ovo have a duty to compensate me for this.
