Ovo Energy, which billed dying Portsmouth man with brain tumour, must pay compensation for overcharging people

Electricity and heating provider Ovo Energy refused to stop charging Peter Sims, 65, who has a terminal brain tumour and is in an unresponsive state. His son, Deucalion Mcgregor-Sims, of Fratton, blasted the company for ‘unethical’ behaviour.

The bills were charged for Peter’s former residence at an assisted living complex in Waterlooville. Mr Mcgregor-Sims said other companies had complied, but Ovo’s policy states that they would need a power of attorney to fulfil the request.

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Ovo Energy and Good Energy are set to pay £4m after overcharging customers. Ofgem said 18,000 households did not receive protection they were due.

The energy regulator said it was ‘totally unacceptable’ that people overcharged during an ‘already so challenging and stressful time’ for consumers.

Errors by the two suppliers meant some were charged above the maximum rates allowed under either the energy price cap or the government’s Energy Price Guarantee scheme. The government’s scheme brought the typical household energy bill down to around £2,500 a year in Britain.

Ovo overcharged nearly 11,000 customers between October 2022 and March 2023, with Good Energy overcharging 6,900 people. The affected households will receive a combined total of £2.7 million from the two companies while an extra £1.25 million will go to vulnerable customers in the UK under Ofgem’s voluntary redress fund.

The average amount paid to Good Energy customers will be £109 while Ovo customers will receive an average of £181, Ofgem said. Dan Norton, deputy director of retail at Ofgem, said protecting consumers is their ‘top priority’.

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He added: ‘It is totally unacceptable that Good Energy and Ovo Energy customers were overcharged, particularly at a time that is already so challenging and stressful for consumers across the UK. Energy suppliers should hear this loud and clear: we expect suppliers to act with the utmost care and integrity.’

Both suppliers self-reported the issues to Ofgem. An Ovo spokesperson said: ‘We’re very sorry to some of our fixed-price customers who experienced a delay in receiving the Energy Price Guarantee discount.’

Good Energy chief executive, Nigel Pocklington, added: ‘We are very sorry that we let some of our customers down and promise to put things right.’