Latest news with #OvoEnergy
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
I can't persuade Ovo that my gas meter really does exist
Ovo switched customers' accounts to a new system, whereupon my gas account disappeared from my bills. Eventually, it was discovered that my gas meter is not registered at this property, and never has been. I have lived here for 15 years and have been paying gas bills all that time. A letter from the network operator said I'd have to pay any shortfall accumulated, which terrifies me. I am a dyslexic single parent and find managing the household finances challenging. Six months later, it's still unresolved and I'm only being billed for electricity so the gas debt is mounting. Now Ovo says it might not be able to take me back as a gas customer. I just want the gas meter registered, to be paying for that account, and not worrying about unexpected bills for thousands of pounds. CF, Dunbar You are the owner of what is known as a 'shipperless meter'. For reasons unclear, your meter point reference number disappeared from the national database, Ovo tells me, which is why your account was closed. It was an error, the company said, after I waded in. It then managed to resurrect it in days and has said it will not charge you for the six months you were 'shipperless'. Your account was reinstated with a clean slate and the meter has been registered so you officially exist, and £100 in compensation has been paid. We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions.
Telegraph
27-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Watch: British flying taxi takes to skies for first time
Britain has conducted its first-ever air taxi flight after an electric aircraft took a cross-country trip over the Cotswolds. The prototype VX4 electric aircraft, designed to be capable of taking off and landing vertically like a helicopter, made the conventional 'wing-borne' flight in open airspace for the first time. The aircraft, flown by pilot Simon Davies and developed by Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace, took off and landed using Cotswolds Airport's runway after receiving approval from the Civil Aviation Authority. The flight marked the first time the aircraft had flown in normal airspace outside of strict test conditions. Mr Davies said: 'Taking the aircraft beyond the airfield and cruising over the Cotswolds for the first time was truly special and a career highlight for me. 'Our performance predictions were absolutely spot on, and the aircraft took off as a natural extension of all the ground tests and preparation we've done.' Vertical Aerospace is among a cluster of companies developing what have been dubbed flying taxis, which can ferry passengers in quiet, zero-emissions aircraft in or between urban areas. The Government has set a target to make flying taxis a reality by 2028. Rivals have undertaken test flights in Dubai and the US, but Vertical Aerospace's flight is the first time a flying taxi has performed a journey in open airspace in Europe. The start-up previously carried out a hover test of its aircraft in January. Founded by Stephen Fitzpatrick, the Ovo Energy entrepreneur, Vertical Aerospace has received millions of pounds in UK government funding to develop the VX4, as well as raising tens of millions of pounds from private investors. The aircraft is designed to take off vertically or on a runway, with its propellers either holding it in a hovering pattern or tilting to operate more like a traditional light aircraft. It can carry one pilot and four passengers, and offers a range of up to 100 miles and speeds of 150mph. The VX4's next major test flight will seek to demonstrate its vertical take-off capabilities and its shift from hovering to cruising using its wings. Earlier this year, the start-up received a £70m bailout from Mudrick Capital, a US investment fund, with Mr Fitzpatrick ceding control of the business as part of the rescue plan. The business said it had cash reserves of £65m following the deal but needs to raise fresh funding to avoid running out of cash within a year.
Business Mayor
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Can Britons be persuaded to switch off when the wind doesn't blow?
At home in Sunderland, north-east England, Walt Scales and wife Alexis try to finish their washing and cooking by 5pm. Ovo Energy, their electricity supplier, enters them into a prize draw for cutting usage from the mains supply between 5pm and 7pm on weekdays. For the retired bus driver, who switches to a small household battery for essentials in the evening, the benefits are more than financial. 'It means we can relax totally from 5pm, so it's kind of enriched [our lives]. There's more time for each other,' he said. The couple are responding to a push by energy companies and officials to encourage households and businesses to change their habits and adjust electricity use according to supply, as part of the government's goal of decarbonising the electricity system by 2030. This could mean avoiding peak times, such as the teatime rush, or using more power at times of high wind. Along with zonal electricity pricing, it is one way to lessen the amount of new grid capacity that needs to be built and potentially keep costs down. New tariffs, trials and schemes are under way around the country, and the National Energy System Operator wants to see up to five times the current level of flexible power demand in order to meet the national 2030 clean power target. But NESO concedes there are a 'broad range of views' about the feasibility of that goal, which will require technological and commercial developments — and big changes for consumers. 'I think it [demand flexibility] has to happen,' said Laura Sandys, chair of the Green Alliance and board member at EV charging company Ohme Global. '[But] it's probably the most complex part of the jigsaw. This is all about customers.' Walt Scales switches to a small household battery for essentials in the evening © Ian Forsyth/FT Consumers have been encouraged to use electricity outside of peak hours for decades, through 'Economy 7' tariffs offering cheaper power at night, or lower network charges for factories outside peak times. But the idea is taking on more importance given the effort to shift away from fossil fuels, which involves moving from petrol cars and gas-fired boilers to electric cars and heat pumps powered by renewable electricity. Electricity supply and demand have to be matched second by second to maintain system stability. But unlike coal and gas-fired power plants, wind and solar farms depend on the weather and cannot be so easily controlled in line with consumer needs. Demand needs to adjust instead. Excess power can be stored in the form of batteries or hydropower plants, ready to be discharged when needed. But officials believe households and businesses adjusting their behaviour could also help, by, for example, charging electric cars when it is sunny and windy, or turning down industrial freezers when it is not. This is the second part in a series on the future of Britain's electricity grid Spreading demand across the day could also cut the investment required in electricity networks, since they would not have to cope with such heavy peak loads. British wind farms often have to switch off if they are producing more than consumers can use at that time, owing to a lack of grid capacity. 'Flexibility services are crucial for transitioning to a net zero network,' said Northern Powergrid, which serves swaths of northern England. The Berkshire Hathaway-owned company has been offering up to £900 per megawatt hour — more than 10 times the typical rate for electricity bought a day ahead — for business and household consumers to shift their consumption when needed. UK Power Networks, which serves London and south-east England, said it had 100,000 'assets' registered on its network whose demand can be increased or reduced as needed. The network companies' offerings come on top of NESO's national voluntary 'demand-flexibility service', under which households are paid to cut electricity use if a shortage looms. Introduced at the height of the energy crisis in winter 2022, the scheme was initially popular, but critics fear the recent removal of a guaranteed payment level will dent enthusiasm. 'Customers [need] to see and feel good value from doing this,' said Kieron Stopforth, head of flexibility at Octopus Energy, the UK's largest household energy supplier. 'A bit of funding early on can help seed growth.' Octopus and other companies offer or are developing time-of-use tariffs where prices incentivise consumers to respond to constant fluctuations in supply, boosted by market reforms and the rollout of smart meters, which are in about 60 per cent of homes. Combined with plans for regional electricity pricing, the tariffs could lead to consumers in Scotland charging their cars very cheaply when it is windy in the North Sea. The time-of-use model has many enthusiastic proponents. 'Essentially, my fuel for the car is two pence per mile,' said Tesla owner Iain Turner, a customer of Octopus's Intelligent Go tariff. He also sets his washing machine, tumble dryer and, in the summer, swimming pool pump to come on at night. 'About 50-60 per cent of my electricity is now at a cheap rate,' added the Colchester resident. Yet there is also the risk of consumers missing out on benefits if they are less engaged, or get caught out by surge pricing, the flip side of some tariffs offering ultra-cheap electricity at certain times. 'Overall we see [flexibility] as an opportunity for consumers,' said Andy Manning, head of energy systems transformation at consumer watchdog Citizens Advice. '[But] it needs to be underpinned by effective protections [for them].' Industrial users' appetite for shifting their electricity use varies. Some factories are already running power-hungry machinery during brief spells of negative electricity prices triggered by surges in supply. But dialling up and down is not always suitable because it can damage equipment. Getting users on board is not the only challenge. A study in November of 900 homes, 408 of which had electric vehicles or an electric vehicle charger, showed their electricity demand peaked in the middle of the night when cheap overnight tariffs kicked in. 'There's a certain critical mass where you've created a peak somewhere else through herding behaviour,' said Claire Rowland, at Energy Systems Catapult, a government-backed research and technology organisation, that carried out the study. Iain Turner sets his car, washing machine, tumble dryer and swimming pool pump to come on at night © Daniel Jones/FT Trials are also under way to see whether households can be flexible about when they run heat pumps. That could involve switching them on a few hours before they come home and then off during peak times, relying on the home to hold warmth for a few hours. In a survey at the end of a trial run by National Grid and others last year, known as Equinox, about half of the participants reported discomfort 'sometimes' for themselves or other household residents from using power more flexibly. But almost all — 91 per cent — said this was 'mild'. The University of Wales Trinity St David, Lampeter, has installed technology that automatically turns down electric heating in students' rooms when the local network provider is looking for electricity savings. Dan Priddy, head of sustainability at the university, said it might be rolled out further, but noted 'we wouldn't want it to come on midway during a washing [machine] cycle'. Voltalis, the French company behind the technology, has said it plans to invest £1bn in Britain by 2030, following market reforms last year that allow aggregators to be paid for saving, rather than generating, electricity. Randall Bowen, managing director in the UK for Voltalis, said: 'The opportunity is greater in the UK than we've seen in other countries.' Despite many uncertainties Scales, whose prize draw entries could win him a year's worth of free energy, is happy to be at the forefront of a changing system. 'I never stop talking about it,' he said. 'It's important that people pay attention to national consideration.' Data visualisation by Janina Conboye
Business Mayor
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Energy firms paying out £25 million a year to customers for ‘breaking rules'
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Energy companies in the UK have paid out £152 million over the past six years for failing to meet licence conditions, industry regulator Ofgem has revealed. Averaging £25 million a year since 2018, this money has been used to support vulnerable customers and fund initiatives promoting energy efficiency and net-zero policies. These funds come from payments and fines levied against companies for various infractions, which are then channeled through the Energy Redress Scheme. These infractions include issues such as inaccurate billing, subpar customer service, and manipulation of wholesale energy markets. Since 2018, the scheme has supported 647 projects aimed at assisting vulnerable consumers, offering energy-saving advice, and furthering the development of net-zero strategies. Recent examples of companies contributing to the scheme include Ovo Energy, which paid £2 million for mishandling customer complaints, and Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited, which paid £33.14 million for breaching energy market regulations. More than 700 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union in Glasgow, London and Cardiff will vote in the coming weeks (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Archive) This substantial sum highlights the potential financial consequences for companies that fail to comply with Ofgem's rules. The redress scheme ensures that these funds are used to benefit consumers and promote positive change within the energy sector. Ofgem said more than £55 million had been allocated to fuel voucher projects, providing help to vulnerable customers at risk of disconnection from their energy supply. Cathryn Scott, director for market oversight and enforcement at Ofgem, said: 'Protecting customers and ensuring they're treated fairly is at the heart of Ofgem's mission. 'That's why we make sure that when energy companies break the rules, they make amends by contributing to projects that make our energy system fairer and support those in need. '£152 million is a huge sum of money and has helped thousands of people all over the country struggling with bills, as well as contributing to projects that help people decarbonise and learn more about their energy consumption. 'Ofgem's enforcement function is a powerful weapon in our regulatory arsenal, evidenced by the more than £92 million in compensation to customers, redress payments and fines successfully handed out in 2024 alone. 'The latest milestone of securing £150 million in redress payments for good causes could not have happened without the thorough investigative work of our compliance and enforcement teams or the Energy Saving Trust who ensure the money is targeted to reach those in need.' The Citizens Advice Energyworks project in Brighton and Hove was recently awarded almost £528,000 by the scheme to help all city residents in fuel poverty with free and impartial energy advice. At the end of last year, research showed that more than 16,000 households in Brighton and Hove were living in fuel poverty, Ofgem said.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Energy firms paying out £25 million a year to customers for ‘breaking rules'
Energy companies in the UK have paid out £152 million over the past six years for failing to meet licence conditions, industry regulator Ofgem has revealed. Averaging £25 million a year since 2018, this money has been used to support vulnerable customers and fund initiatives promoting energy efficiency and net-zero policies. These funds come from payments and fines levied against companies for various infractions, which are then channeled through the Energy Redress Scheme. These infractions include issues such as inaccurate billing, subpar customer service, and manipulation of wholesale energy markets. Since 2018, the scheme has supported 647 projects aimed at assisting vulnerable consumers, offering energy-saving advice, and furthering the development of net-zero strategies. Recent examples of companies contributing to the scheme include Ovo Energy, which paid £2 million for mishandling customer complaints, and Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited, which paid £33.14 million for breaching energy market regulations. This substantial sum highlights the potential financial consequences for companies that fail to comply with Ofgem's rules. The redress scheme ensures that these funds are used to benefit consumers and promote positive change within the energy sector. Ofgem said more than £55 million had been allocated to fuel voucher projects, providing help to vulnerable customers at risk of disconnection from their energy supply. Cathryn Scott, director for market oversight and enforcement at Ofgem, said: "Protecting customers and ensuring they're treated fairly is at the heart of Ofgem's mission. "That's why we make sure that when energy companies break the rules, they make amends by contributing to projects that make our energy system fairer and support those in need. "£152 million is a huge sum of money and has helped thousands of people all over the country struggling with bills, as well as contributing to projects that help people decarbonise and learn more about their energy consumption. "Ofgem's enforcement function is a powerful weapon in our regulatory arsenal, evidenced by the more than £92 million in compensation to customers, redress payments and fines successfully handed out in 2024 alone. "The latest milestone of securing £150 million in redress payments for good causes could not have happened without the thorough investigative work of our compliance and enforcement teams or the Energy Saving Trust who ensure the money is targeted to reach those in need." The Citizens Advice Energyworks project in Brighton and Hove was recently awarded almost £528,000 by the scheme to help all city residents in fuel poverty with free and impartial energy advice. At the end of last year, research showed that more than 16,000 households in Brighton and Hove were living in fuel poverty, Ofgem said.
