Accessibility
What do we mean when we talk about being “accessible”? Well, we mean that we want OVO Energy to work for all our members – whether you need extra help for a short while, or practical support throughout your time with us. We understand everyone's needs are different.
Part of being accessible is making our website easy to use – but it’s about more than that. It's also about different ways to contact us, accessible formats for bills, and practical support with things like reading meters or checking appliances.
We’re always looking for ways to make accessibility better across OVO Energy. Most recently we’ve started working with the Business Disability Forum.
Help you can find online
If you need to do something, or just want to find out more about a certain topic, it's worth taking a look at what you can do on our website. You might find you can get things sorted online here and now.
Online account
There's a lot you can do with an OVO Energy online account – like renewing your energy tariff, giving meter readings, and keeping track of the energy your home uses. And with the OVO Energy app, you can manage your account on the go.
Help guides and forum
Our online help guides have lots of useful information and we're always adding more. And we have a Community forum, where you can post your questions for first-hand advice from other members.
Ways to contact us
We have plenty of ways you can get in touch so you can choose what suits you best. It might be you'll want to call us. Or you might prefer one of these other options.
Write to us
If you want to spend some time putting together what you want to say, you can email us at [email protected]. Or send us a letter at OVO Energy Services, PO Box 3130, Worthing, BN99 9HG.
Use our free service for British Sign Language (BSL) users
SignVideo is a free service that connects BSL users to our advisers through an online interpreter. It's available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
You only need an internet connection and your phone, computer or tablet to use this service. Just go to SignVideo, select OVO Energy and you're ready to go.
Have someone talk to us for you
If you’re eligible for our Priority Services Register, you can nominate someone to talk to us on your behalf.
Practical support from Priority Services
The Priority Services Register (PSR) is here to ensure help for those who need it. You can sign up if you or anyone in your household might need practical support when it comes to managing your energy. That could be because of a medical reason, you’re pregnant, you have children under 5, you’re over 65, or you don’t read or speak English with confidence.
If you’re eligible, we’ll work out exactly how to support you when you apply. But here are some of the things you can get help with if you're on the register:
- Free gas safety checks by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Notice of planned power cuts – something that’s especially important if you have medical equipment that needs power.
- Moving your meter if you find it difficult to read or reach.
- Sending an engineer to read your meter – you can also ask our OVO engineer to use a password, so you know who you’re letting in.
Get bills in the right format for you
One of the services the PSR includes is getting your bills and letters in a way that works for you. We can provide bills and statements in:
- Black and white
- Large print
- Audio
- Braille
We can even give you a call to read out your bills and statements to you if you prefer. And we can send any written communication to you and/or a family member or carer.
You'll find more about all the help we offer and how you can apply to be on the register on our Priority Services page.
What's next for accessibility at OVO?
We know that we’ve got more to do when it comes to accessibility.
One step we’ve already taken is to be a founding signatory of the Vulnerability Commitment. This is a set of voluntary principles and commitments to support members in vulnerable situations. And we're now working with the Business Disability Forum, learning and making improvements with their support and expertise.
When it comes to our website, our aim is to reach the AA standard of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1). We've already started looking at our website navigation and have more improvements on the way.
You may find the guides from AbilityNet’s website My Computer My Way, or the BBC’s My Web My Way useful. They explain how to adjust your computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet to better suit your needs.