OVO Energy has come under pressure from energy regulator Ofgem due to “serious concerns” over its customer complaints service.
Ofgem confirmed that concerns had been mounting as a result of extended waiting periods and unresolved customer complaints.
The energy regulator has now opened compliance engagement with OVO Energy’s licensed supply companies regarding the resolution of Citizens Advice Extra Help Unit (EHU) complaints, a consumer complaints service managed by Citizens Advice Scotland, and the implementation of Energy Ombudsman (EO) remedies.
Both the EO and EHU have raised concerns with Ofgem regarding the handling and resolution of consumer complaints by OVO.
The EO raised that OVO has issues implementing EO remedies in respect of complaints that are often referred to it. Despite engagement by the EO, the situation has become “progressively worse over time”.
The EHU, which assists vulnerable customers, stated that OVO had accounted for a “significant volume of its open cases and is an outlier for aged cases”. The EHU added that OVO has struggled to effectively organise and manage complaints despite ongoing discussions.
Ofgem has now intervened and requested detailed reporting on a range of complaint metrics and has also set OVO the objective of addressing all outstanding complaints, implementing all outstanding EO decisions and reducing complaint resolution times and the volume of referrals to EHU and EO.