OVO has announced a new heat pump tariff called Heat Pump Plus that will cut running costs by 50% to 15p/kWh. However, there is a catch: the Heat Pump Plus tariff looks like it will be available to customers who buy a heat pump from OVO.
The Heat Pump Plus tariff is a two-tiered tariff, with a separate rate for heat pump usage and overall household energy consumption. The Heat Pump Plus rate is 15p/kWh, while the standard rate is 28p/kWh.
OVO’s research has shown that 45% of the UK population would install a heat pump if running costs were 40% lower than the current average. The new Heat Pump Plus tariff meets this threshold, making heat pumps a more viable option for homeowners who are looking to switch to a greener form of heating.
In addition to the new tariff, OVO is also offering a Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant of £7,500 for customers who install a heat pump. This means that the upfront cost of an OVO heat pump starts at £500.
As an OVO Customer, and at great expense had a heat pump installed, with promised loans and grants never received from Government I fail to see how OVO could justify this to only offer a better rate to customers who have the heat pump installed by OVO, discrimination? OVO did not do heat pumps when I had mine installed. Dissatisfied OVO customer. Are we not all in the together to cut down emissions and save the planet?
I don’t think this is fair to the rest of us ovo customers that already have a heat pump like myself who are disabled and rely on benefits and could really benefit from this tariff seems like another way for ovo to screw its vounrable customers another way!
They don’t work well in this country
Mine works great, and I’m in Northern Scotland. Secret like all heating systems is a well insulated house. No point in heating your house if it all just leaks away.
Mine works brilliantly and much better than the old solid fuel central heating system I had
Utter rubbish! We’ve had our two years and couldn’t be happier with it
I think this is discrimination and surly is not allowed. when we bought our ASHP and Solar Battery we were told by the salesman that we could get special cheap rates overnight to charge our battery. Also because we were becoming greener get special rates for heat pumps. The only special rates are for electric vehicles why is this. Why is this price not offered to anyone with a ASHP. Seems like we are getting ripped off again being encouraged to go green at great expense and no reward for doing so. Does not seem just to me.
Julie, I completely agree. The fact that OVO can offer such big reductions to customers that have installed systems with them is very problematic.
Just wanted to note that from what I can see on OVO’s terms for this tariff (https://www.ovoenergy.com/terms/heat-pump-plus-add-on), buying the heat pump through them is not the only way to qualify for the tariff. If your ASHP is “a Vaillant aroTHERM 3 post 2016 or an aroTHERM Plus heat pump with a connected myVAILLANT Connect internet gateway”, then you qualify regardless of who installed it.