Ovo Power Hits the Fan: £2.4 Million Fine, 1,395 Angrily Waiting Customers
So, Ovo Energy got slapped with a hefty £2.4 million penalty by Ofgem after the regulator found out that the company dropped the ball on handling complaints. The company apparently left a whopping 1,395 customers hanging and in the worst cases, it took a full 18 months to get something done.
The Numbers You Should Remember
- Customers who got the short end of the stick: 1,395
- Lengthy wait times: some 18 months!
- Customer compensation: about £271 per person
- Ovo’s penalty to the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme: £2 million
Ofgem’s Take‑Home Message
Jacqui Gehrmann, Ofgem’s deputy director of retail compliance, put it bluntly: “Energy is an essential service. When things go wrong, it can cause consumers a lot of distress. In this case Ovo failed to adequately protect and respond to their customers when it was needed most. This is not acceptable.”
She added that consumers deserve “a clear and timely response when they make a complaint,” and that’s why the regulator stepped in once Ovo’s performance dipped beneath acceptable standards.
Ovo’s Response
In a statement, Ovo said: “We recognise that a particular group of our customers in 2023 waited longer than we’d like for a resolution and were overdue a response from us, so we’ve sent them a letter of apology and compensation to help.”
Pretty straightforward, but the fine shows that letting customers wait two years and not addressing their concerns is not the sort of “customer service” that makes the power company look good.
Why It Matters
When the lights go out—literally—the real power isn’t just the kilowatt; it’s how quickly and kindly your energy provider gets back to you. Ovo’s long‑standing delays and the subsequent fine remind everyone that even in the age of instant communication, customer support can lag behind, costing cash and, more importantly, trust.
