Author and broadcaster Victoria Coren-Mitchell has threatened legal action, claiming energy provider Ovo Energy wrongly embezzled her with thousands of pounds she “didn’t owe”.
She is the most high-profile Ovo customer who has never received an obviously incorrect bill. Her case has sparked consumer group Which? She called out the “worst performing companies” in the energy sector, It was written that Ovo was included in it.to take urgent steps to improve customer service.
Dozens of people at X shared their experiences with the energy company after Coren Mitchell told the site’s 700,000 followers:arrived at the end of the roadRegarding her contract with Ovo, she claimed that it was “the worst service provider I have ever encountered…There is nothing I can do now but take legal action.”
She claimed that Ovo had “taken thousands of pounds that I did not owe” and that the company had “driven me personally into despair”.
However, after some media reported that the energy company took money from her bank account, she clarified the situation“Ovo wasn’t withdrawing money directly from my bank account. They sent me a large incorrect bill, so I continued to pay (while protesting), but once I found the mistake… , it turned out to be impossible to fix.”
She said she is currently in contact with Ovo’s complaints officer, adding: “I’m able to get in touch with you, but I think I know why. I appreciate it, but I’ve been contacted under the anonymous name that I’m married to. I wish they would have provided the same service when I was a “regular customer”. ”
In response to her case, an Ovo spokesperson did not directly address the issues she raised, but said the company “always strives to provide the best possible experience for all of our customers.” said.
“Our teams have worked extremely hard to provide assistance and support, and we will continue to review the lessons learned.”
Utility customers are already struggling with rising bills, but energy companies are compounding the hit, in some cases with mistakes and poor customer service. Wrong bills, faulty smart meters and unpaid credits are costing some households thousands of pounds.
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In November 2022, The Guardian reported that some Ovo customers were shocked to receive bills of up to £49,000 after a data error led to over-inflated energy forecasts.
At the time, the company acknowledged that meter reading errors had affected some customers, saying the problem was due to problems with some accounts transferred to Ovo after acquiring SSE’s retail division in 2020. insisted.
In 2020, Ovo Energy will pay £8.9m after energy watchdog Ofgem revealed a series of problems, including fraudulent charges made to more than 500,000 customers over almost three years. Agreed.
However, reports of billing problems at the company continue, and the Guardian newspaper reported on the incident in February this year.
Which one? He said customer service at some companies had reached “rock-bottom” levels.
Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at Which?, said: That’s why, which one? We will be running a campaign demanding urgent customer service improvements from the worst performing companies, including our main division Ovo. ”
Collen Mitchell isn’t the only celebrity to complain to X about huge energy bills. In December last year, artist Grayson Perry said his EDF electricity bill had jumped from £300 a month to £39,000.
Another EDF customer, journalist and broadcaster John Sopel, responded that the same thing had happened to him, saying: “They want to increase our amount from £152 to £18,000. “I was,” he posted.
EDF suggested that incorrect meter readings recorded in the system may have been the cause, adding: Can be fixed and prevented without impacting customers. ”
