Ovo Energy

Ovo Energy says it set out to make energy better for you, your wallet and the planet. The company now focuses on smart technology and sustainability too.
Sarah IngramsPrincipal researcher & writer
Ovo Energy logo

Ovo Energy started out in 2009 and has since grown to supply more than 4.5 million homes across England, Scotland and Wales. It's currently the fourth-largest energy firm.

Its 'Path to Zero' plan aims to help customers reduce their energy bills and collective carbon footprint. Customers can also get advice from Ovo's Energy Experts to help improve home insulation and efficiency.

The company invests in smart technology too, which includes selling vehicle-to-grid chargers that sell excess power stored in electric car batteries back to the grid.

SSE Energy Services customers had moved to Ovo Energy by October 2023, after Ovo Energy bought SSE's domestic customers. Pay-as-you-go brand Boost is also part of Ovo Energy.

Use our free tool to compare energy prices and see if you could save money.

Ovo Energy score

We combine the results of our customer survey with an in-depth assessment of companies’ behind-the-scenes practices and policies to give you an overall view.

Take a look at our table below to see our score breakdown for Ovo Energy:

Total score59%
Customer survey score54%
Which? assessment score64%

Here's how Ovo Energy's customer and policy assessments break down:

Customer survey score54%
Customer service overall
Accessibility (being able to engage with your firm how you want or need to)
Quality of communications about energy costs
Accuracy of payments
Clarity of statements
Value for money
Which? assessment score64%

Based on a survey of 732 Ovo Energy customers carried out in October 2023, and a Which? energy company request for information and desk research in October 2023.

Find out how Ovo Energy compares with other energy companies – click to see our full results of the best and worst energy companies.

Ovo Energy customer review

Ovo Energy was among the lowest-scoring firms among 16 energy companies rated by 9,025 members of the public in the annual Which? customer survey this year. 

It wasn't alone: Shell Energy received the same customer score, while other big firms EDF Energy, Eon Next and Scottish Power scored similarly.

Ovo Energy had poor two-star ratings for most aspects we asked customers about. It was one of five firms to achieve just one star for value for money.

Its best star rating – an average three stars – was for its customer service overall.

One unhappy customer said: 'They are very poor at communicating with me unless they are sending their bill'. Several former SSE customers also complained about not being able to pay quarterly with Ovo Energy.

But there were positive customer comments too. One said: 'The app works well and sometimes you can earn money by saving electricity.'

Which? verdict on Ovo Energy

  • Pros: Scored well for its customer service setup in our behind-the-scenes assessment
  • Cons: Very poor value for money, and poor in several other areas, according to our customer survey.

Our Ovo Energy supplier assessment

In October 2023 we looked at four aspects of suppliers' business practices and procedures: 

  • customer service – including how and when you can get in touch, and the quality of self-service help online
  • how well they deal with complaints – how many complaints suppliers get and how quickly they resolve them
  • supporting customers who need it – including web accessibility, those in vulnerable situations, in financial difficulty, who use prepayment meters, and those who need materials in languages besides English 
  • smart meter targets performance in 2022 (the most recent).

We did this using a combination of the responses to a survey we sent to suppliers and our own assessments.

Ovo Energy's 64% score was middling compared with other suppliers. Other big firms including EDF Energy and Scottish Power scored similarly. But Octopus Energy scored better and British Gas lower. 

Its best score in our assessment was for customer service, where it achieved 11 points out of a possible 15. It scored well for supporting customers who need it, although several other firms did just as well or better. 

Ovo Energy didn't get any points for how it met its most recent smart meter targets. Along with several other big firms, it recently paid into energy regulator Ofgem's redress fund after missing its 2022 installation targets.

Ovo Energy customer service

Customer service agent

Ovo Energy got its best rating (three stars) in our customer survey for overall customer service. But five other firms out of 18 managed four stars, and one firm achieved the full five stars. 

Similarly, its best rating in our supplier assessment was for customer service. Ovo Energy scored the same as Scottish Power, Utilita and 100Green in this section.

Customers have a range of ways to get in touch with Ovo Energy, and its self-service online help is good for common questions. On the downside, its customer service phone line is open for shorter hours than some other firms'.

Ovo Energy's Customer Support Package

Ovo Energy's £50m Customer Support Package opened on 30 October 2023, offering eligible customers financial and practical support including:

  • emergency top-up
  • payment reductions
  • extended repayment plans
  • free and discounted products and services, including electric throws, self-heating mattress toppers, smart energy kits (with LED bulbs and smart sockets), and free boiler servicing.

Ovo Energy common complaints

In our survey, 5% of Ovo Energy customers said they last contacted the company to make a complaint.

Complaints were most commonly about incorrect bills or statements. More than two in five (44%) of people who made a formal complaint told us it was about this.

Unclear bill or statement (26%) and direct debit set too high or low (24%) were the next most common complaints.

Does Ovo Energy support prepayment meters?

Yes, Ovo Energy supports customers with both traditional prepayment meters and smart meters. Also, Boost is part of Ovo Energy and is a dedicated prepayment supplier.

Here's what you need to know:

  • You can top up your prepayment meter at PayPoint or Payzone outlets, or at the Post Office. 
  • Smart meter customers can also top up over the phone (using Interactive Voice Response, IVR), online or via Ovo Energy's Top-up app. 
  • Emergency credit of £15 per fuel is available if you can't afford to top up. It's the same regardless of the type of meter you have. You'll need to pay it back when you next top up.
  • Smart meter customers can access friendly credit overnight between 5pm and 9am Monday to Friday, after 3pm on Saturday and all day Sunday (timings are an hour later in summer). If you have an older smart meter, hours are longer: 4pm to 10am Monday to Friday and all weekend.
  • Traditional meter customers can get friendly credit on their electricity meter only, between 6pm and 9am Monday to Friday and all weekend.

Find out: is a prepayment energy meter right for you?

Does Ovo sell renewable energy?

Ovo Energy buys some of its electricity directly from renewable generators, including some that don't get subsidies. It supports new renewable generators by entering into contracts with them before they're built.

The company stopped selling 100% renewable electricity tariffs backed by REGO certificates in April 2023. It now only buys REGOs alongside direct contracts with renewable generators (called PPAs). REGOs show that electricity has been generated from renewable sources. Companies use them to match that electricity to what their customers use.

Ovo Energy said: 'REGOs provide little to no benefit to renewable energy generation and will instead become a drain on customer finances if their use is continued.' 

Proportion of renewable electricity sold to customersGenerates renewable electricity?Buys renewable electricity directly from generators (with subsidies)?Buys renewable electricity directly from generators without subsidies?Generates or buys power directly from fossil fuels?Sells green gas?
77.2%NoYes (3.48%)YesNoYes

Proportion of renewable electricity according to Ovo Energy's 2022/23 fuel mix for the Ovo Energy brand. Responses based on information provided by suppliers in August 2023.

In August 2023, we asked energy companies for information on a range of sustainability criteria. We awarded them points based on their responses as well as information published on their websites, including the annual Fuel Mix Disclosure (FMD). Aspects we scored included how much of the electricity they supply is renewable and whether they generate renewable energy or buy it directly from generators.

Customers who buy Ovo Energy's Greener Energy upgrade (or choose its one-year fixed greener energy plan) will have their electricity matched with renewable power bought directly from generators, have 10% of their gas use matched with green gas and the other 90% carbon offset. It costs £10 extra per month and Ovo Energy will also contribute £20 per customer per year to support new independent renewable generators. 

Find out more about green gas.

Ovo Energy told us: 'in 2022 we refreshed our Plan Zero strategy to strengthen our commitment to decarbonisation (by reducing our reliance on offsets to achieve a net zero position from 40% to 10%) and calling out our focus on customers and vulnerability as its own pillar of the strategy'.

Ovo Energy's Kaluza Flex platform lets electric vehicle owners charge them when electricity from the grid is cheapest and greenest, and earn money by exporting power back to the grid when renewable energy generation is low.

When we compared energy companies on their green credentials in November 2023, Ovo Energy scored 60%. This places it in the middle of our table of the 17 companies we rated.

Find out more about the differences between energy companies’ renewable electricity.