My electricity bill has just tripled: how about yours? Alternative suppliers?

[CH1]

Ovo pay interest on your balance, upto 3% iirc - which for at least the last 10 years is way better then you get on a current account

You are talking with hindsight - or you would be if you were me. I agree - but I must say I prefer the freedon of not having a monthly direct debit calculated by the Ovo algorithm, and only paying for what I use - 3% or no 3%.
I bet this 3% on credit balances is not agreed by guaranteed by OFGEM BTW.

 

[CH1]

I’m pretty sure if it was actually unsafe they’d be turning it off and fixing it.

Last time anyone bothered to send a meter reader it Atlantic Electric & Gas (part of SSE) about 7 years ago.
Country's gone to the dogs!

 

[alex_]

You are talking with hindsight - or you would be if you were me. I agree - but I must say I prefer the freedon of not having a monthly direct debit calculated by the Ovo algorithm, and only paying for what I use - 3% or no 3%.
I bet this 3% on credit balances is not agreed by guaranteed by OFGEM BTW.

You can adjust what ovo calculated and they warn you it won’t be enough - but you can do it.

I checked it’s 5%, and it’s added to your balance so it must be covered by the guarantee.

 

[CH1]

You can adjust what ovo calculated and they warn you it won’t be enough - but you can do it.

I checked it’s 5%, and it’s added to your balance so it must be covered by the guarantee.

I don't think you are right about 5%. Do your have proof?
According to This is Money in 2014 Ovo were told to stop paying interest

Ovo Energy ordered to stop paying interest on bills overpayments

Customers who have built up a credit with the firm get 3 per cent interest on their balance. But now Ofgem says the interest payment breaks its new rules.

www.thisismoney.co.uk

This is Money seems to belong to the Daily Mail - so this might be fantasy. If its true shows how inefficient OFGEM are - 8 years on and Ovo are still at it!

 

[alex_]

I don't think you are right about 5%. Do your have proof?
According to This is Money in 2014 Ovo were told to stop paying interest

Ovo Energy ordered to stop paying interest on bills overpayments

Customers who have built up a credit with the firm get 3 per cent interest on their balance. But now Ofgem says the interest payment breaks its new rules.

www.thisismoney.co.uk

This is Money seems to belong to the Daily Mail - so this might be fantasy. If its true shows how inefficient OFGEM are - 8 years on and Ovo are still at it!

My most recent ovo bill shows an “interest reward”, basic calculation shows an interest rate of somewhere between 4 and 5%.

 

[CH1]

My most recent ovo bill shows an “interest reward”, basic calculation shows an interest rate of somewhere between 4 and 5%.

Have you "grossed up" to account for interest taxed at source - and do Ovo provide a tax voucher every year?
They are supposed to do this.
Even Halifax which has a major aversion to posting anything except changes to terms and conditions used to certify the tax paid on its Reward Accounts (until they abolished the Reward!!)

 

[alex_]

Have you "grossed up" to account for interest taxed at source - and do Ovo provide a tax voucher every year?
They are supposed to do this.
Even Halifax which has a major aversion to posting anything except changes to terms and conditions used to certify the tax paid on its Reward Accounts (until they abolished the Reward!!)

I’ve wondered about this ! ( but no ! )

 

[Artaxerxes]

CEO of EDF quoted in the guardian as “warning customers are facing a dire winter”

Dude, you literally run the electricity company, lower the bills you fucker.

 

[alex_]

CEO of EDF quoted in the guardian as “warning customers are facing a dire winter”

Dude, you literally run the electricity company, lower the bills you fucker.

EDF are Wholly owned by the French government who have capped French consumer prices, so British consumers are paying to cap French consumers prices.

 

[contadino]

EDF are Wholly owned by the French government who have capped French consumer prices, so British consumers are paying to cap French consumers prices.

Intertesting angle to see it from. Not UK govt aiding/encouraging EDF to gouge their customers?

 

[Pickman's model]

EDF are Wholly owned by the French government who have capped French consumer prices, so British consumers are paying to cap French consumers prices.

slightly more complicated, edf owned by electricite de france, who are 85% owned by the french government

 

[alex_]

Intertesting angle to see it from. Not UK govt aiding/encouraging EDF to gouge their customers?

Both are true.

 

[alex_]

slightly more complicated, edf owned by electricite de france, who are 85% owned by the french government

The French are currently buying the other 15%

 

[Pickman's model]

The French are currently buying the other 15%

grateful for your mea culpa

 

[cupid_stunt]

Y'haven't got it yet. There's still mileage in this

I blame you for this.

Today's the ombudsman's deadline for OVO to have acted on the ombudsman's decision, which was very clear in the body text that my bills from both the SSE & OVO systems needed to be re-billed, so the correct meter reading is transferred over from the SSE to OVO system.

OVO Energy have advised that based on the meter readings you provided of 26 January 2022 - 13847 and 21 May 2022 – 14420, they explain your meter reading can be amended from 16682 to 13668 and your account with SSE will need to be rebilled. Then your OVO account would be rebilled and use the meter readings you have provided.

It says the SSE bills need to be re-issued and THEN the OVO ones, it mentioned meter readings, but not balance.

Now I assumed, and I expect most people would, that today I should have all the re-issued bills, and see the correct meter reading AND balance transferred over, but no the SSE bills haven't been re-issued, and whilst the ones on the OVO system have been re-issued with the correct start reading, they don't have the correct start balance of £600+ and still shows -£105 when I was transferred, which is frankly pointless.

I was expecting to see the account in credit by about £700 and not just £75.

I spoke to OVO, and they have basically ignored the body text of the decisions, and instead just quoted this bit at the end -

REMEDY
Issue an apology
Provide a goodwill gesture of £150 to your energy account
Raise dispute to change closing SSE read to 13668 and opening OVO read to 13668

- and claim they only had to raise the dispute with SSE*, remember they are part of OVO not some totally separate company, and they didn't have to make sure that was resolved before today, so they would have the correct balance before the re-issue of the OVO bills, they accept those will need to get re-billed yet again once they have the correct balance, and don't get why I am miffed.

* Despite them admitting to the ombudsman back in mid-June that they needed to re-issue the SSE bills, they didn't bother to raise the matter with the SSE team until 1st August, and it has to be done within 12 weeks, so up to another 9 weeks.

Needless to say I am waiting on the ombudsman to return my call.

 

[cesare]

Bloody hell

 

[High Voltage]

I blame you for this.

In other news:-

My DD with Bulb is sorted, my balance now sits at zero, I'm only paying for what I use

My bulk LPG tank has been refilled at last years price and, if frugal, I should have enough gas for this winter, next summer and winter 2023/4

I've enough wood to see most of this coming winter and enough smokeless coal to see out the balance. The coal and wood was, again, bought at pre-energry crisis prices

It's really not that difficult

Oh! Yes, I'm currently in discussion with Taunton District Council to get our lane widened to enable other bulk LPG suppliers to deliver to our house thus giving us the benefit of access to cheaper gas in the future - I'm confident that this will be completed before you get you electricity bill sorted

<blows kiss to Mr Stunt>

 

[Dogsauce]

Prices are going up next week aren’t they? Is it worth sending in a meter reading now to pay for what we’ve used under the old pricing? There’s been builders in running and charging power tools for the last six months so likely to be above normal usage.

 

[MickiQ]

Prices are going up next week aren’t they? Is it worth sending in a meter reading now to pay for what we’ve used under the old pricing? There’s been builders in running and charging power tools for the last six months so likely to be above normal usage.

I believe they announce what the cap will be this Friday but I don't believe any more blood will be wrung out of the stone until October

 

[High Voltage]

Prices are going up next week aren’t they? Is it worth sending in a meter reading now to pay for what we’ve used under the old pricing? There’s been builders in running and charging power tools for the last six months so likely to be above normal usage.

Yes. However all the world and his dog will also be doing this so get one in now and then daily(?) until the system goes into melt down

 

[High Voltage]

I blame you for this.

Today's the ombudsman's deadline for OVO to have acted on the ombudsman's decision, which was very clear in the body text that my bills from both the SSE & OVO systems needed to be re-billed, so the correct meter reading is transferred over from the SSE to OVO system.



It says the SSE bills need to be re-issued and THEN the OVO ones, it mentioned meter readings, but not balance.

Now I assumed, and I expect most people would, that today I should have all the re-issued bills, and see the correct meter reading AND balance transferred over, but no the SSE bills haven't been re-issued, and whilst the ones on the OVO system have been re-issued with the correct start reading, they don't have the correct start balance of £600+ and still shows -£105 when I was transferred, which is frankly pointless.

I was expecting to see the account in credit by about £700 and not just £75.

I spoke to OVO, and they have basically ignored the body text of the decisions, and instead just quoted this bit at the end -



- and claim they only had to raise the dispute with SSE*, remember they are part of OVO not some totally separate company, and they didn't have to make sure that was resolved before today, so they would have the correct balance before the re-issue of the OVO bills, they accept those will need to get re-billed yet again once they have the correct balance, and don't get why I am miffed.

* Despite them admitting to the ombudsman back in mid-June that they needed to re-issue the SSE bills, they didn't bother to raise the matter with the SSE team until 1st August, and it has to be done within 12 weeks, so up to another 9 weeks.

Needless to say I am waiting on the ombudsman to return my call.

Mate, I am laughing, but I'm not iykwim, what's your middle name? Lucky?

If you hadn't documented this no one would believe you otherwise

 

[emanymton]

If you hadn't documented this no one would believe you otherwise

They should turn it into a film.


Be a bloody boring film mind.

 

[High Voltage]

They should turn it into a film.

'Twould have to be a trilogy, to rival Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit to match the scale of the spectacle - a saga of a lonesome homeowner heroically battling the might of the bureaucratically evil Lord Ovo - one bill to pay it all

 

[cupid_stunt]

Oh! Yes, I'm currently in discussion with Taunton District Council to get our lane widened to enable other bulk LPG suppliers to deliver to our house thus giving us the benefit of access to cheaper gas in the future - I'm confident that this will be completed before you get you electricity bill sorted

I thought you lived in the soon to be abolished Mendip District Council area.

 

[High Voltage]

I thought you lived in the soon to be abolished Mendip District Council area.

I do but roadworks are still covered by Taunton, Mendip are responsible for sweeping the road, something that's never been done in the 15+ years we've lived here... That maybe another battle

 

[cupid_stunt]

I do but roadworks are still covered by Taunton, Mendip are responsible for sweeping the road, something that's never been done in the 15+ years we've lived here... That maybe another battle

Surely roadworks are down to Somerset County Council?

 

[High Voltage]

Surely roadworks are down to Somerset County Council?

Sorry, I meant Somerset CC, who're based in Taunton, you're correct.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Sorry, I meant Somerset CC, who're based in Taunton, you're correct.

Good job someone knows which councils are responsible for your area.

Back to OVO, I was angry at first yesterday, but TBH I am laughing about it now, I can't believe they are so fucking useless in dealing with complaints, esp. when the ombudsman is involved.

It'll be interesting to find out what the ombudsman thinks about this latest situation, I should get a call today, it would be nice if they can put a rocket up OVO's arse, if not it's only another couple of months of waiting, and it's been over 7 months so far.

 

[alex_]

Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband)

New renewable power is now NINE TIMES cheaper than gas. This energy crisis is a fossil fuel crisis. The way to solve it for good - whilst strengthening our energy security and tackling the climate crisis - is to get on with the clean energy sprint that Labour has called for.

nitter.it

Gas prices currently 9x recent renewables contracts.

Look at the trend lines for solar and wind

https://nitter.it/pic/orig/enc/bWVkaWEvRmE3Z1BUT1ZRQUFtNUpMLmpwZw==

 

[CH1]

Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband)

New renewable power is now NINE TIMES cheaper than gas. This energy crisis is a fossil fuel crisis. The way to solve it for good - whilst strengthening our energy security and tackling the climate crisis - is to get on with the clean energy sprint that Labour has called for.

nitter.it

Gas prices currently 9x recent renewables contracts.

Look at the trend lines for solar and wind

https://nitter.it/pic/orig/enc/bWVkaWEvRmE3Z1BUT1ZRQUFtNUpMLmpwZw==

Manias, Panics and Crashes By Charles Poor Kindleberger | Used | 9780471161714 | World of Books

Buy Manias, Panics and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises By Charles Poor Kindleberger. Available in used condition with free delivery in the UK. ISBN: 9780471161714. ISBN-10: 0471161713

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Tulipomania all over again?