SSE taken over by Ovo Energy: Plans & Reviews in 2022

SSE: The move to OVO Energy

At the start of 2020, SSE was purchased by OVO at a cost of £550m. This was after SSE abandoned a planned merger with NPower in 2018 amid concerns that NPower would not be able to serve its customers, employees, or shareholders effectively. The purchase saw SSE triple OVO’s customer base practically overnight bringing all 3.5 million of their customers to the group.

What happens with the current SSE customers?

Regarding the SSE tariffs, it is important to have in mind that SSE, while still operating under the same brand name, is now a subsidiary of OVO Energy who took on their customers in January of 2020. Since then customers have been slowly been transferred to OVO's tariffs in a way that ensured no SSE customers would experience any noticeable change in their customer experience following the transfer. Nonetheless, while SSE still does offer tariffs to its remaining customers, OVO plans to continue transferring customers to their own tariffs until SSE can be fully dissolved as a supplier.

Having that in mind, when you want to open a new account with SSE, you will automatically be transferred to the website and service of OVO.

SSE tariffs now merged with OVO Energy tariffs: All the details

As a result, we've broken down a basic list of OVO's tariffs in the recent past to display what some of their tariff options may look like. Fortunately, their tariff options are very similar to energy plans that were offered by SSE in the past.

SSE: OVO tariffs in 2022

When choosing a new energy provider, it’s important that their range of tariffs allows you to choose something that complements your usage. SSE offered a fairly wide range of tariffs, certainly enough to cater to a range of priorities. These included single tariffs, as well as dual-fuel, including fixed, variable and a prepayment plan.

Below you can find the cost information associated with these tariffs.

SSE Variable Rate: OVO Variable Rate Tariffs

OVO for now only has one variable rate available, which is their standard variable rate. With variable rates the rate you pay is subject to daily change but you can also always leave your contract if you like.

The costs associated with this tariff can be seen here:

SSE Fixed Rate: OVO Fixed Rate Tariffs

OVO has a few fixed tariffs available as well. In the following table is an overview of their fixed rate tariffs.

The pricing on these tariffs can be seen here:

SSE Prepaid: OVO Prepaid Tariffs

If you have a prepayment meter, don´t worry. OVO also has tariffs available for people with prepayment meters.

Costs associated with this tariff plan can be seen here:

SSE E7: OVO Economy 7 Tariffs

Sometimes called double electricity, OVO offers economy 7 plans for those who possess an economy 7 meter.

These tariffs have two separate unit rates, one for peak hours of consumption and another for off-peak.

Pricing on these tariffs can be seen here:

SSE Reviews: What do the customers think?

Renewability and a good range of tariffs are both important factors. But when choosing a potential energy supplier, you need to know that they will prioritise you as their customer and give you the standard of service you expect from a supplier of their size and resources.

The opinions of their existing customers can yield valuable insights as to whether or not they are a good fit for you. Looking at the SSE reviews on Trustpilot, we can see that they are fairly positive. They have a total of 48,885 reviews that have left them with an average review of 4.2 out of 5 possible stars.

Of these:

1. 72% were "Excellent"
2. 10% were "Great"
3. 3% were "Average"
4. 2% were "Poor"
5. 13% were "Bad"

The most commonly praised things about SSE were warm and friendly and helpful staff, responsive and helpful live chat, ease of moving account and fast issue resolution. Some reviews mention the member of staff who helped them by name, which is often a good indicator that a member of the team has gone above and beyond.

Among the most commonly criticised were difficulty topping up prepayment cards online, egregiously expensive billing inaccuracies, and a belligerent attitude to outstanding bills — even when the customer was not at fault.

Customer service & complaint resolution

SSE generally fared best in terms of complaint handling and customer service. However, as with all the bigger suppliers, customers have encountered their share of frustrations.

Among the most cited frustrations were:

• Long delays (with some customers stating that they were kept waiting for an hour or more).
• Being kept on hold for long periods of time.
• Aggressive chasing of unpaid bills with one customer stating "when you are late paying, bombarded with emails and texts".

Who is SSE?

In its current form, SSE has had a presence in the energy market since 1998. However, their roots can be traced way back to 1947 when they were known as the ‘Southern Electricity Board’, later becoming known as ‘Southern Electric’. A merger with Scottish Hydro around 20 years ago resulted in the current brand: SSE.

Some of the major steps of that long history:

• In 1943 the Hydro Electric Development Act led to the creation of the Scottish Hydro Electric Company. A company that would play a key role in Scotland’s hydro
  revolution and therefore contribute to delivering Electricity, greater comfort and convenience to thousands of Scots.
• In 1947, the ‘Southern Electricity Board’ was created, later becoming known as ‘Southern Electric ’.
• In 1998, Scottish and Southern Energy was founded when Scottish Hydro Electric and Southern Electric merged.
• Since then, SSE has made a number of acquisitions. SSE acquired the SWALEC in 2000, which operated in Wales, while SSE operated in England and Scotland. In 2004, they acquired Ferrybridge and Fiddler's Ferry power stations, and subsequently an Irish wind farm in 2008.
• In 2010, Scottish and Southern Energy changed their name and their branding to SSE, forming the company we know today.

SSE was one of the UK’s "Big Six" energy suppliers, along with E.ON, Centrica / British Gas, Scottish Power, N-Power and EDF. As of 2020, it is part of the OVO group, along with OVO Energy, Boost, and Spark Energy.

What to know about SSE?

• They had around 5 million customers all over the UK.
• They offered 100% renewable Electricity for domestic and commercial customers.
• They supplied both Electricity and gas.
• SSE's headquarters remains in Perth, Scotland.

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SSE Energy mix: OVO and Renewability

Similar to its competitor Scottish Power, SSE would generate power as well as supply its own energy. As such, it was able to offer 100% renewable energy, matching customers' usage with power from offshore and onshore wind farms as well as renewable hydro energy.

Along with its parent company, OVO, providing green energy is a high priority for SSE. It aims to increase last year’s renewable energy output by 300% by 2030 to 30TWh. SSE was aiming for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Did SSE have a renewable energy plan?

With their Go Green Tariff, there is the option to pay £3 more to have 100% renewable domestic energy.
For business energy, SSE has created a different tariffs offering businesses 100% renewable, clean energy, that is generated from wind and hydropower. The eligibility of these tariffs depend on the size of the business.

What is SSE Airtricity?

SSE Airtricity is a subsidiary company of SSE plc. Before a 2002 rebranding, they were called Airtricity. Airtricity generates 100% green energy and works out of the Republic of Ireland. They supply natural gas to domestic and business customers, and have a fairly large market share across the country, in third place.

SSE Airtricity offers a variety of tariffs, all of which provide 100% green energy to their customers.

Can I get a smart meter installed with SSE?

Smart meters take the place of your existing gas and electricity meters and give you more information about the energy consumption in your home. SSE tariffs offer free Smart Meters. Here are some things you should know about installing a smart meter with SSE:

• Firstly, SSE will check your eligibility for a smart meter. They are being handed out bit by bit to customers around the country, so there might be a little bit of a wait.
• Having a smart meter installed also means that you can track your energy consumption, allowing you to consume energy more wisely, and also track your spending. You can see when you are using energy, and which appliances are wasting the most energy.
• You can also log into your online account to see a more exhaustive breakdown of your energy consumption.
• If you do not have an updated smart meter and would like to have one installed, then you should head over to their website and book an installation appointment.
• Moreover, you are also eligible for an In-Home Display, which is a smart display that connects to your smart meter so you can track your energy usage in real time.

Did SSE offer any additional services?

SSE did offer additional services to their customers which included support programs, such as the Warm Home Discount, or services like their boiler cover services. These services remain available to existing customers of SSE that are still on an active SSE tariff contract, however, these services are also offered by OVO, so once transferred to OVO it is unlikely that your customer experience will change.

Could I get boiler cover with SSE?

Yes, if you are already an SSE customer, you can take out Heating Cover for 12 months through SSE Boiler Rescue. Prices start at £4.95 a month with a Boiler Breakdown Cover. For £23.95 a month you can get the Boiler and Heating in one package.

OVO also offers boiler cover, so even if you are concerned about your boiler cover if you are a current SSE customer, there is no need to fear. OVO Energy will be able to provide you with quality boiler coverage, just as SSE did in the past.

What kind of support do SSE offer?

SSE offers the Warm Home Discount to their customers who are financially struggling with their energy bills. The Warm Home Discount is a government scheme aimed at assisting those who cannot afford to pay their energy bills during the colder winter months. This is because, during the winter, the price of energy increases to match demand.

Fortunately, OVO energy offers the Warm Home Discount as well, which means that once again you will not have to worry about missing out on this support if you are transferred from SSE to OVO. You can apply for the Warm Home Discount through OVO's application page on its website.

Contacting SSE

Customers can contact SSE in a number of ways:

• Their official website.
• The SSE mobile app.
• SSE social media channels.

The SSE website

If you would like to reach them the first place you can check is their website, there you can either access your online customer account portal where many of your questions may be answered. However, if you attempt to get a quote or seak out customer services on their website, you will likely be forwarded to OVO's homepage.

App

You can download the MySSE mobile app for free where you can submit meter readings, get in touch with customer services and top up your prepayment card.

However, as a result of the takeover by OVO Group, the MySSE mobile app is slowly being phased out and customers are encouraged to use the OVO mobile app to access their new customer information.

SSE Social Media

SSE has an active social media presence. On Twitter, they respond to customer complaints in particular. You should check out their Twitter and Facebook pages if you want up-to-date information about offers, or wish to make a complaint.

Address

Do you want to chat with someone face-to-face? Or send SSE a letter? This is the address you need:

Customer Service SSE,
Inveralmond House,
200 Dunkeld Road,
Perth,
PH1 3GH

FAQ

What does SSE stand for?

It stands for Scottish and Southern Energy. It is so-called because it is a merger of Scottish Hydro and Southern Electric.

Has OVO taken over SSE?

SSE Energy Services (the part of the SSE Group that supplied your electricity) became part of the OVO family in January 2020.

Will the SSE energy supply be interrupted?

Over time, all of the SSE energy customers will be moving to OVO Energy. This will happen gradually, so there will no energy interruption occur.

Will my smart meter still work with OVO?

There will be no problem with the smart meters. Even with the smart meter installation, the engineer could be from SSE or OVO, as they'll work cross brand.