This switch has been a headache!! Is this suspicious, Should I make a complaint?

[Evieanne]

So I called ovo up when me and my friend first got the keys to the house and the lady on the phone got my details and bank details to set up a direct debit as I had chosen an on demand monthly direct debit set up and she said great you’ll receive a letter within 5 working days. So anyways shortly after I receive an email saying they needed a security deposit of £515 because of the credit check results. So yesterday morning I paid this using the live chat feature. I used the chat feature again to ask when I should expect to receive the welcome email since I have paid the deposit and he said 5 working days.

Then today I received an email to my other email address (which I did not give ovo, this one is the one I used when communicating with the letting agent.) from boost saying I’m going to be switched to the new smart paygo metre and that it’s the same tariff rates as the “old one”, bearing in mind I have only just moved in so the previous tenants used the top up card for the metre. The estimated amount is

“Here’s a reminder of what you’re paying:
We've looked at how much you've spent on your electricity in the last year to work out how much we believe you'll pay in the next 12 months - after we've installed your meter:

“Electricity standing charge (perday): 62.11p”
“Electricity unit rate (per kWh): 28.23p”

“This is based on how much energy you normally use in a year
Based on your home's meter readings (and estimates where we didn’t have any), we believe 429 kWh of electricity has been used in the last 12 months”

But this isn’t what I have paid for?

I have no support at all to do this, would quite like some guidance

Do you have an account number for ovo? I’d call them to find out what is happening.

So the previous occupants were on boost? You may have been put on an agreement in principle which covers the electricity you use until your switch to ovo is completed. You should have a meter reading from the day you moved in - you then provide a meter reading to ovo when you take over the account. The difference between the two is paid to boost who currently is your supplier until the switch takes place.

Yeah it seems like boost come under ovo as it has the same address but they appear to specifically deal with the pay as you go metres. So how would I find out if there has been an agreement in principle, and if it has been changed to a new metre do I still just do the reading and see if there are any arrears or anything on our account cos there must not be anything on? The gas and electricity works. How would I do the reading? Sorry I sound stupid but I have never done anything like this before.

Yes, you shouldn't be making any payments to Ovo yet, as the account is still with the previous tenant's supplier, Boost. You need to communicate with them and take over the account before you can switch to Ovo.

Keep details (photos) of meter readings. As it is apparently a smart meter, they may be able to switch you to direct debit rather than top-up fairly easily. Hopefully the deposit request from Ovo was due to the previous tenant's credit rating rather than yours.

OK, so Boost is part of Ovo. That's helpful. You still need to contact Boost to find out what is happening with the account.

As the email address Boost have used is the one the letting agent have, it makes sense that they are dealing with the ongoing charge from the previous tennant and have just been given the details of the new tennant from the letting agency

You should get a letter from Ovo in the 5 days to tell you about switching

Have you got a smart meter? What did the meter reading say when you moved in? The letting agent and yourselves should have made a note of it together so you are only paying for electricity that you have used