Leaving OVO? Here’s what to do

How to let us know you're leaving

• You don’t actually need to tell us. When you sign up with your new energy supplier, they’ll let us know.

• Your new energy supplier will send us the opening meter readings you give to them.

• It’s recommended that you send these readings to OVO too, in the usual way. This should help avoid any errors.

• Then we’ll work out the final balance on your OVO energy account.

• After this, you’ll either get a refund from us or a final bill to pay.

If there’s a balance to pay:

• You won’t be able to leave OVO until your balance is paid

• If you need financial support, our team can help – please get in touch

• You might want to set up an affordable payment plan to spread your costs

How long does a switch take? Your step-by-step guide

1. Sign up to another supplier online or over the phone

Find a new supplier and start your switch. Before you leave, you might want to check whether you have to pay an early exit fee.

This won’t be the case if you’re on our standard variable tariff, Simpler.

2. You get a 14-day cooling-off period

That way, you can decide if you’re sure about your switch. If you change your mind, you can cancel and stay with OVO. You won’t be charged any exit fees.

3. Your new supplier will speak to us after your cooling-off period

They’ll let us know you’re leaving, and they’ll ask to take over your home’s energy supply.

4. Giving your new supplier and OVO your opening meter readings

A few days before your switch date, your new supplier will ask for your first meter readings.

We really recommend giving us those readings too, to help your switch run as smoothly as possible.

You get a 10-day window to give your opening meter readings. It begins 5 days before your switch date, and finishes 5 days after.

Your new supplier will then send off your readings to be checked by a central database. All energy suppliers must do this.

5. Preparing your final statement

Your new supplier lets us know once your readings are confirmed. Then we use those to create your final statement. Gas and electricity readings are sent separately, which means you might get 2 final statements.

This process can take up to 6 weeks.

6. You’ll either get a final bill or a refund from OVO

If you’re owed a refund from OVO: you’ll get this straight to your bank account within 10 working days when you pay by Direct Debit. We have to send your refund by cheque if you don’t pay by Direct Debit – or if you’re on Pay As You Go.

If you have a balance to pay before you leave: we’ll need to raise an objection, as you can’t leave OVO officially until your balance is paid. You can still get financial support from us – speak to our team about this and they’ll be able to help.

When you’re on Pay As You Go, it’s slightly different. You can take any debt of up to £500 for each fuel with you to a new energy supplier. This is called the Debt Assignment Protocol. If you want to do that, you'll need to speak to your new supplier.

Switching suppliers: frequently asked questions

If you’ve got any questions not answered here, chat to one of our advisers online. They’re here to help.

Will I be charged an early exit fee?

This depends on what tariff you’re on. You won’t if you’re on our variable tariff, which is called Simpler. You also won’t be charged an exit fee on Pay As You Go. You might be charged one if you’re leaving a fixed tariff, and you’ve got more than 53 days to go before your contract ends. It’s worth checking when your contract finishes, to see which date you can leave without being charged. You also won’t be charged exit fees if:

• You’re in your 14-day cooling-off period with your new supplier

• Your contract’s about to expire and it’s time to renew – this happens 53 days before the end of your contract

• If you want to upgrade your fixed plan to another with OVO – except for our variable tariff, Simpler 

Exit fees vary depending on which tariff you’re on.

Will my smart meter work with my new supplier?

This depends on the type of smart meter you have installed. It could be a SMETS1 or a SMETS2. The new generation SMETS2 meters should work with every supplier. But the older SMETS1 meters have been known to have some issues, and are in the process of being upgraded.

How to tell what kind of smart meter you have:

• Take a look at the numbers on the front of your meter. The first 2 digits of the meter are the year of manufacture. If that’s followed by a P, it’s a SMETS1 – and if it’s followed by M or K, you have a SMETS2 meter.

• SMETS1 meters also have numbered keypads, whereas SMETS2 meters don’t.

If you don’t know whether you have a SMETS1 or SMETS2, you can contact our Support team via the Help Centre or try our online chat.

What happens to my In-Home Display (IHD) if I switch suppliers?

If you have an IHD and your new supplier uses the same system to communicate with your meter as we do, the IHD should still be able to display your energy use. 

This should update automatically. Your new supplier will also reprogram your meter remotely, so that the IHD can show how much your energy is costing. 

If your unit rates and standing charges haven't updated, give your new supplier a call and they should be able to fix this for you so that you can see your new prices.

What can slow down my switch, and how will delays be resolved?

Sometimes, one of these issues can delay your switch.

1. Your meter readings might take longer than normal to be checked

When you sign up to your new supplier, they ask for your electricity and gas opening readings. We also recommend you give us your final readings too.

Then, your new supplier has to get these readings checked by another company, against the meter readings we give them. This is industry regulation.

The checks are carried out by different companies. That means your readings might not come back at the same time. This can cause delays to you getting your final statement sometimes. If the figures don’t match, there might be a reading dispute.

2. Your meter details or your address might be wrong

It might be that your new supplier is missing one of your meter numbers, or they haven't got your home’s full address. Make sure you give them all these details to help avoid delays.

3. There could be what’s known as an “erroneous transfer”

This is an industry term. It refers to someone else’s home being switched by mistake, instead of yours. To help avoid this happening, make sure you double check your meter details are correct when your new supplier asks you to.

You can find out more about erroneous transfers in our help page.

I’m trying to switch away from OVO. Why have you raised an objection?

If we raise an objection, it’s because you’re not able to leave OVO yet. This might need to happen if:

• You still have a balance to pay

• You’re breaking the terms of your contract

• Your energy supply has been switched accidentally – known as an “erroneous transfer”

• You spot an erroneous transfer and ask us to block it

• You've got a “related” meter or meters, which have 2 or more meter point administration numbers (MPANs) – and your new supplier hasn't switched both at the same time

If we do raise an objection, we have to let you know as soon as possible and we must explain:

• The reason we’ve raised the objection

• Anything you can do that will help resolve the objection and mean we can remove it