Energy firm Ovo has been accused of threatening a customer with the forced installation of a prepayment meter – days after the regulator Ofgem asked all suppliers to stop the practice.
The threat was made to David Jones, of Bristol, in a ‘notice of default’ letter dated February 9. He was told that unless he paid the billed amount, Ovo would pass his details to a debt collector – who could apply for a court warrant allowing them to enter his home and install a prepayment meter.
Ofgem asked suppliers to stop using such court orders at the start of this month after an investigation by The Times revealed that debt collectors working for British Gas were forcing their way into homes to install prepayment meters.
Disarray: Ovo’s letter to David Jones after it failed to credit his account
David received Ovo’s letter despite spending hours on the phone explaining there were errors on his account. These came from a monthly bill payment made by cheque not being credited promptly. David pays all his bills on time and by cheque.
The four-week payment delay – David’s cheque was dated January 9, cashed by Ovo 11 days later, but not credited to his account until February 10 – triggered a series of demands from Ovo to pay sums he did not owe, ending in the payment default letter.
‘The company’s billing seems to be in disarray,’ says David. ‘But irrespective of that, it shouldn’t be threatening a customer who pays his bills on time.’
The Mail on Sunday asked Ovo why it had issued David with the threat. It said: ‘We have spoken to the customer and explained that our usual collections process was started due to an unpaid bill. We have recommended alternative payment options to prevent this happening in future and apologise for the initial confusion caused.’
David’s surname has been changed to protect his identity.
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