Ovo Energy (2023) review: Not one of the best suppliers
Unimpressive customer service and value for money but has options for environmentally minded customers
Pros
- Quick at resolving complaints
- Clearer bills than other suppliers
Cons
- One of the slowest at replying to customers
- Well above average complaint numbers
Ovo Energy became one of Great Britain’s largest suppliers when it took over SSE’s home energy business in January 2020, increasing its customers to almost five million. It now has 13% of the home electricity market and 11% of the gas market.
It was launched in 2009 with the aim of making energy ‘cheaper, greener and simpler’. Currently, 45% of all the electricity it supplies is renewable, which it buys directly from UK generators. It promises to plant one million trees in the UK every year and says it’s already planted over four million, plus it’s committed to being a net zero carbon business by 2035.
Customers who upgrade to Greener Energy for £10/mth get 100% renewable electricity and 100% carbon neutral gas. For every customer with Greener Energy, Ovo also contributes £20/yr to support new independent generators in the UK.
Ovo did relatively well in some categories of our Expert Reviews Energy Awards 2023, picking up two highly commended awards for its value for money and bills.
In our survey conducted in conjunction with YouGov, Ovo Energy had the third-lowest percentage of customers who said they would recommend it to a friend at 39% – way behind the overall winner Octopus Energy, which had 79% of its customers saying they would recommend it.
Ovo Energy (2023) review: Customer service
Ovo came fourth for its customer service in our survey of energy customers, with 38% saying they were very or fairly satisfied. This compares to 72% for the top supplier Octopus and 46% for the next best, Scottish Power. While Ovo scored significantly lower than Octopus, it still did better than the worst supplier EDF Energy, with 32%.
Ovo Energy (2023) review: Value for money
The company was in second place for its value for money along with Scottish Power, though only around a third (32%) of Ovo and Scottish Power customers said they were very or fairly satisfied compared to 64% for Octopus. The worst supplier, Shell Energy, had 27% satisfied.
Ovo still had many more dissatisfied customers than the top supplier, with 35% saying they were very or fairly dissatisfied compared to just 13% for Octopus.
READ NEXT: Best energy supplier
Ovo Energy (2023) review: Clarity and accuracy of bills
Ovo was the third-best supplier for the clarity of its bills, with 73% of customers saying they found their bills very or fairly easy to understand. E.ON Next was ahead with 77% but Octopus was easily the front runner, with 84%.
Despite doing well for the clarity of its bills, Ovo came bottom for accuracy. Just 36% of its customers said their bills were always accurate compared to 52% for Octopus.
Ovo Energy (2023) review: Complaints
Ovo received an above average number of complaints, according to the latest data from the energy regulator Ofgem for the third quarter of 2023. It had 2,104 complaints per 100,000 customer accounts – the second-highest number of all the suppliers in our survey – while the industry average was 1,578. Only EDF Energy received more complaints than Ovo with 2,562.
The company was the quickest at resolving them though. It resolved 80% by the end of the next working day and 97% within eight weeks. Shell Energy only managed to resolve a poor 43% of complaints by the end of the next working day.
Ofgem complaints data
| Complaints per 100,000 customer accounts | Industry average complaints per 100,000 customer accounts | Complaints resolved by end of next working day | Complaints resolved within eight weeks |
| 2,104 | 1,578 | 80% | 97% |
Notes: Data is for the third quarter of 2023
Along with customer satisfaction and complaints, the cost of energy suppliers’ tariffs will also determine whether they’re worth switching to. There are currently very few deals that are likely to save you money compared to your suppliers’ standard variable tariffs, which are subject to the price cap set by Ofgem, and many of the best deals on offer right now are for existing customers only.
To compare costs, you should see what your current suppliers are offering existing customers as well as gathering quotes to find out how much tariffs from different suppliers will cost you based on your energy usage. For more on how to get the best deal, visit our guide to the best energy suppliers.
Ovo Energy (2023) review: Verdict
Ovo Energy has options for anyone wanting to reduce their carbon footprint and a reasonable number of customers who are happy with its value for money. It also resolves complaints quickly. It’s nowhere near as highly rated as Octopus, though, and receives a high number of complaints.
Methodology
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,006 adults, of which 151 were Ovo Energy gas or electricity customers. Fieldwork was undertaken between 13th – 16th October 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). *Figures used, based on calculations by Expert Reviews.