OVO Energy Australia, your choice for affordable green power

OVO Energy prides itself on offering only one plan. Stating that “life’s too long for expensive bills and boring admin”, and so OVO Energy introduced The One Plan. The One Plan comes with 10 per cent green power as a standard, is 100 per cent carbon neutral and has zero transaction or exit fees. 

Customers can upgrade their plan to have 100 per cent green power for, what OVO estimates, an extra $17 per month. Customers can select this upgrade anytime and cancel whenever. It’s also worth mentioning that OVO Energy’s GreenPower is accredited by the Australian government. By choosing green power, customers are investing in Australia’s renewable energy future.

By default, customers signing up for The One Plan benefit from “bill smoothing”. This can help customers avoid bill shock. How? OVO Energy allows customers to pay the same amount for electricity every month. Using various criteria and indicators, such as past consumption and home size, OVO Energy estimates energy consumption for a typical year and divides this by 12 to calculate a monthly bill. 

Even though you may sometimes use more electricity and sometimes less, bill smoothing may help even out your annual balance. OVO Energy conducts regular usage reviews to ensure that the calculated monthly average is accurate. Anytime your account is in credit, OVO Energy pays 3 per cent interest on the balance. If your account is in debit, you won’t be charged any interest. You’ll simply have to settle the account to bring your balance to zero.

As with any supplier and plan, it’s sensible to carefully review all the details for your specific circumstances before signing up. OVO Energy customers can choose between fixed or flexible supply rates. The figures below can give you an idea of what you might pay, but the tariffs that will apply will depend on your region and also your power distributor. For this reason, it is best to visit the OVO Energy website and request a quote that will factor in your personal circumstances. Despite offering at least 10 per cent renewable energy and being 100 per cent carbon neutral, OVO Energy tariffs are not comparably higher than other suppliers in the market.

New South Wales

In New South Wales, customers opting for fixed supply rates could expect to payapproximately 23 cents per kWh and a supply charge of between 60 to 120 cents per day. Customers with solar panels may benefit from a solar feed-in tariff of approximately 8 cents per kWh. Customers could pay about 26 per cent less on their final bill than the reference price set by the Australian Energy Regulator.

Queensland

In Queensland, customers opting for the fixed supply rates can expect to pay approximately 20 cents per kWh and a supply charge of 80 to 100 cents per day. Additionally, customers with solar panels may benefit from a solar feed-in tariff of approximately 8 cents per kWh. As a result, customers could pay around 20 per cent less than the reference price set by the Australian Energy Regulator.

South Australia

South Australian customers who choose fixed supply rates can expect to pay approximately 27.5 cents per kWh and a supply charge of roughly 85 cents per day. In addition, customers with solar panels may benefit from a solar feed-in tariff of approximately 8 cents per kWh. When OVO Energy charges are compared to the reference price set by the Australian Energy Regulator, South Australian customers could save 23 per cent on their final bill.

Victoria

Customers in Victoria who choose fixed supply rates can expect to pay between 19 to 24 cents per kWh and a supply charge of approximately 75 cents per day. Victorian customers with solar panels may benefit from a solar feed-in tariff of approximately 10 cents per kWh. As a result, customers in Victoria could pay a final bill of about 20 per cent less than the Victorian Default Offer.

OVO Energy offers customers an online portal called MyOVO, where they can make payments, view previous payments, track their usage, and more. All OVO Energy customers are required to set up a direct debit to pay their monthly bills. This can minimise administrative work and assist with paying bills on time. When settling your account, if you’re in debit, you can make additional payments to get the balance of your account to zero through MyOVO.

You can update your direct debit details by contacting the OVO Energy customer care team. It’s also possible to change your direct debit date but only after the first payment has been made. The direct debit amount is based on the calculated monthly average of your usage. If you want to change this amount, it’s not very straightforward and requires you to contact customer care. Also, if the criteria for estimating your usage changes, you can contact the OVO Energy customer care and request a recalculation of your monthly average.

To switch to OVO Energy, simply visit the website, enter your details and get a quote. First, you’ll be asked to enter basic information such as your address and if you want to switch from an existing supplier, or if you’re trying to connect electricity at the address for the first time. After providing the required information, you’ll be offered a quote. You may be able to tailor your quote by determining if your typical usage will be low, medium, or high. Once you’re ready to proceed with switching to OVO Energy, enter your personal details, payment details and confirm your request.

If you’re moving home and would like to close your account, you need to contact OVO Energy customer care at least four days before you move. This will allow the provider enough time to arrange the final meter reading and disconnection. Remember that you’re liable for your account until the disconnection is final, even if you move out earlier. If you would like to take your connection to your new property, make sure to let the customer care consultant know and they will assist you with your move.

Should you want to transfer to another electricity supplier at the same property, you don’t need to contact OVO Energy. Instead, your new electricity retailer will process the transfer and let OVO Energy know. Once the transfer is complete, your OVO Energy account should close automatically, and you’ll receive a final bill.

OVO Energy, being relatively new in Australia, doesn’t have a lot of Australian specific customer feedback or reviews. OVO Energy, as a brand, which includes their UK operations, is highly rated and most customers seem to be very satisfied. Most OVO Energy customer reviews across multiple review websites talk about how helpful the customer service team has been and overall satisfaction with the company.