Started in 2009, OVO Energy now has over 5 million customers and has the aim to make energy cheaper, greener and simpler by leveraging technology and using their buying power for good.
In this OVO Energy review I’ll explain how they’re doing on these aims and whether it’s worth switching your energy supply over to them.
Contents
OVO Energy Tariffs and Prices
OVO Energy offers four green tariffs that are backed by 100% renewable energy. They also offer a tariff that goes one step further called OVO Beyond that offers 100% carbon-neutral gas for an extra £6 a month.
For those electric vehicle owners, there is also a tariff where you can access low-cost overnight charging that’s also 100% renewables. This also comes with the perk of having free access to the BP Pulse charging network.
They’re also about to launch a flat-rate EV charging tariff that claims to be 63% cheaper, so if you have an electric vehicle, they definitely could be a solid choice for cheap energy.
Their four green plans include:
| Plans | Better Smart Energy | Better Energy | 2 Year Fixed Energy | Simpler Energy |
| Contract Length | 12 Months | 12 Months | 24 Months | 1 Month |
| Smart Meter Upgrade |  (required) |  (not required) | (not required) | (not required) |
| OVO Beyond Upgrade (£6/month)* | | | | |
| Exit Fees | £30 per fuel | £30 per fuel | £30 per fuel | No Fees |
| OVO Interest Rewards** | | | | |
**Description of interest rewards further in post.
To see what rates they can offer you, head over to OVO Energy and get a quote in seconds.
Exit Fees
As shown in the table above, their three fixed tariffs include a £30 exit fee per fuel whilst you are in the contract term. Once your contract comes to an end, you are then transferred onto their Simpler Energy plan which is a rolling contract where there aren’t any exit fees, although the energy prices can go up and down.
Customer Reviews
On Trustpilot OVO Energy score an average of 4.2 out of 5 with over 40,000 reviews and 86% of them are either great or excellent. Looking through the reviews they are commended on their excellent and quick customer service which is great to see.
For their bad reviews, a lot of them mention delays in resolving problems and their app not being very intuitive. However looking at their app, it isn’t too difficult to operate so don’t think this is a major issue. They are also responding to every negative comment aiming to resolve any issue which helps to demonstrate their commitment to good customer service.
Smart Meter
If you’re wanting a smart meter, OVO energy will install the newest generation SMETS2 completely free. This will take all the hassle out of submitting your meter readings, lets you see your consumption in real-time and a ton of other benefits. Once you sign up you can book your appointment for the installation.
For those people with a smart meter already, if you have an old generation smart meter, the SMETS1, it may stop working if you switch suppliers. However, there is a national upgrade being rolled out to enable the first generation devices to work with every supplier.
To know whether your device is a first or second-generation smart meter, the second-generation SMETS2 have several barcodes and a device ID that looks like this: AA-BB-CC-DD-EE-FF-GG-HH-II.
Refer a Friend
They also offer a refer a friend programme where if you refer friends and family to their service and they switch their energy using your unique link, you’ll both be rewarded with £50 gift card. This gift card can be from John Lewis, Sainsbury’s B&Q, Halfords or Amazon.
You can get your referral link by going to this page on OVO Energy here.
Renewable Energy – How Green?
The electricity that is offered is 100% renewable and for the gas you have an option to select a carbon-neutral plan for an extra £6 per month called OVO Beyond. With this plan they’ll also plant 5 trees for you each year through their conservation programme which is quite unique, so far they’ve planted over a million trees, so definitely making a difference.
They also have a pledge to get to zero carbon by 2030, so definitely a solid choice if you’re wanting to opt for a green energy supplier.
Warm Home Discount
OVO Energy has also signed up to the warm home discount, so if you’re eligible you could get up to £140 off your annual energy bill.
OVO Energy Boost
For those wanting a pay as you go (PAYG) energy service, OVO Energy have introduced a new sister brand called Boost. This was established in 2017 and pay monthly and pay as you go serves are quite different so wanted to make sure the customer experience was the best for each type of user.
If you’re looking for a regular pay monthly service, you can go directly through OVO Energy.
Energy Switch Guarantee
OVO Energy has signed up to the energy switch guarantee which means switching your energy over to them is effortless. As part of this scheme, they have to abide by certain rules and timelines all set up to make the process hassle-free and reliable for the consumer, including completing your switch within 21 days.
Contact / Email
To contact them directly, you can email them at hello@ovoenergy.com or ring them on 0330 303 5063, Monday to Friday at 8am to 6pm, or Saturday 9am to 1pm. You’re also able to submit enquiries through the online form on their website.
Interest Rewards
One unique and quite impressive feature of OVO Energy is their interest rewards. This is where you can earn interest of between 3-5% when your account is in credit.
This was also praised by Uswitch where they won the Uswitch Award for Best Rewards. One thing I particularly like about this offer is that OVO Energy is effectively incentivised to not keep your account in credit, unlike other energy companies where the more accounts they have in credit the more cash they have in the company.
Who is OVO Energy owned by?
OVO Energy is part of the OVO Group which is owned by Imagination Industries Ltd. This holding company is wholly owned by Stephen Fitzpatrick who is also the CEO of OVO Energy. The company was founded in 2009 and has its headquarters in Bristol, UK.
OVO Energy Alternatives
If you’re looking for alternatives, then make sure to check out this post on the cheapest UK energy suppliers. I explain how to find the cheapest deals and what to look out for when comparing suppliers.
OVO energy consistently does very well on prices when compared to other suppliers, although depending on your consumption level other suppliers might be worth considering and comparing.
Conclusion / Verdict
Overall, OVO Energy are a great choice for your energy supplier. They offer good customer service, have been commended for their swift resolution of issues and have 86% of reviews being either great or excellent on Trustpilot.
They’re also developing new and innovative tariffs that will significantly benefit certain people, such as those with high overnight energy consumption, like electric vehicles owners.
For those looking for green energy, they’re also doing their bit for the environment and have a pledge to go zero carbon by 2030, all whilst maintaining competitive prices.
If this sounds appealing, then go to OVO Energy and get a quote and see how they stack up on price.
Hi, I’m John. I’ve always had a keen interest in Finance, so much so that I’ve made a career out of it! This site is a place where I can share everything I’ve learned as well as give me the excuse to research certain topics.
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