Smart meter error left me £12,500 in debt – I got rejected for a job and my credit score was ruined
Q) I AM struggling to get a refund from OVO following an error with my energy meter.
My meter recorded a whole year’s worth of usage over a six-week period and I was billed £12,500, which was later reduced to £4,500.
This is so much more than my usual energy usage and I have a screenshot from an internal system showing my meter was faulty, but OVO is refusing to admit there was a fault.
I’ve had this debt hanging over me for years and it’s ruining my life.
Can you help get this fixed?
Shaun Waterman, West London
A) YOU first contacted OVO in 2020 after you noticed your meter readings looked excessive.
But when you were erroneously billed £12,500, you knew something was seriously wrong.
You pleaded with OVO to fix the error and eventually it reduced the debt to £4,500, but this was still more than you would usually pay in a whole year billed for a six-week period.
OVO refused to admit there was an error with the reading, but you have a screenshot of an internal system showing there was a fault with your meter.
Your faulty meter was finally replaced last year and is now working normally, but you still have this historic debt hanging on your account.
As a result, you now have negative marks on your credit report and this has had a huge impact on your life. You recently failed a background check for a job because of it
After years of going round in circles with OVO, you asked me to intervene.
When I asked OVO to investigate your case, it did indeed find there was an error with your meter and immediately contacted you to apologise.
It has wiped the remaining debt, putting your account £3,240 in credit, and offered an extra goodwill payment too.
It has also requested to remove any negative markers from your credit record, which should be actioned in the next couple of days, and has booked in a smart meter appointment for January.
I can’t imagine how stressful this has been for you – I hope it helps you celebrate this Christmas.
Our Squeeze Team was won back a total of £209,233 for readers.
How to contact our Squeeze Team
Our Squeeze Team wins back money for readers who have had a refund or billing issue with a company and are struggling to get it resolved.
We’ve won back thousands of pounds for readers including £22,000 for a man asked to pay back benefits to the DWP, £2,800 for a family who had a hellish holiday and £635 for a seller scammed on eBay.
To get help, write to our consumer champion, Laura Purkess.
I love getting your letters and emails, so do write to me at squeezeteam@thesun.co.uk or Laura Purkess, The Sun, 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF.
Tell me what happened and don’t forget to provide your phone number so I can ring you if I need more information. Share with me any reference number the company has given you relating to your case, or any account name/number if you’re a customer.
Include the following line so I can go to the firm on your behalf: “I give permission for [company’s name] to discuss my case with Laura Purkess at The Sun”.
Please include your full name and location in your email/letter.