Spark Energy is now Ovo: your questions answered

As one of the first energy companies to focus on the letting industry, Spark Energy prides itself on making it easy for new customers to set up their gas and electricity. Read on to find out if Spark Energy is the best supplier for your home.

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FAQs for Spark Energy customers

1) Has Spark Energy gone bust?

Spark Energy ceased trading in late 2018. It cited “increasingly tough tradition conditions” as its reason for closing.

The company received a high number of complaints in the months prior to it closing. It had also failed to pay the £14.4m it owed for the UK’s Renewables Obligation Scheme. The scheme funds renewable energy projects and all UK suppliers are obliged to pay into it.

2) Who has taken over Spark Energy?

Energy regulator Ofgem appointed Ovo Energy to take on the supplier’s then 290,000 customers. Even though customers are now technically supplied by Ovo, the company continues to use the Spark Energy brand and operating company.

3) Will I have to pay more with the new supplier?

If you’re on a fixed rate tariff, your rates will remain unchanged for the duration of the agreement.

The new supplier does offer fixed-rate tariffs with cheaper prices than those under the Spark Energy brand name. Therefore, Spark Energy customers are basically paying more money than Ovo customers for the same energy supply.

4) My account was in credit. Will I get my money back?

All credit on your account will be honoured by the new supplier, even if you are no longer a Spark Energy customer. We recommend you hang on to your meter readings until your credit has been refunded.

5) I don’t want to be with Ovo. Can I move to another supplier?

Customers are not obliged to stay with Spark Energy now that it is supplied by Ovo. We actually recommend comparing energy tariffs in your area to find the best one to suit your household’s energy needs.

Latest Spark Energy tariffs and prices

Spark Energy tariffs include options for all types of meters and payment methods.

Spark Energy offers both variable-rate tariffs (in which the prices fluctuate with the wholesale cost of energy) and fixed-rate tariffs (which guarantee the price will stay the same for the duration of the contract).

As of July 2020, the cheapest Spark Energy tariff has a fixed rate and is paid via a monthly direct debit.

We break down the most popular Spark Energy tariffs and their prices below. Calculations are based on a medium-sized household in London that uses the average consumption levels of energy, which is 2,900 kWh of electricity and 12,000 kWh of gas per year.

Spark Energy variable tariffs

Spark Energy variable tariffs are available for all consumers, no matter the meter type. However, the rates are more expensive for customers with prepayment meters.

The table below shows the latest prices for Spark Energy’s Move In Saver v9 tariff for customers with credit meters. Customers on this Spark Energy tariff must pay via a monthly direct debit.

The following table breaks down the prices for the Move In Saver v9 tariff for pay-as-you-go customers.

Prepayment customers on this tariff will spend almost £40 more per year for the same amount of energy compared to customers on the same tariff who pay via a monthly direct debit.

Spark Energy fixed tariffs

Spark Energy tariffs that have a fixed rate are only available for customers with credit meters. Only two suppliers in the UK, EDF Energy and Nabuh Energy, provide fixed-rate tariffs for prepayment energy customers.

Customers on Spark Energy’s Tili Select Saver tariff will likely save more than £100 a year compared to direct debit customers on the Move In Saver v9 tariff.

You can find the fixed rates and estimated yearly spend in the table below.

What’s the best deal?

Compared to other energy suppliers, Spark Energy tariffs are not among the cheapest. Even if you pay your energy bill via a direct debit (which is the cheapest payment method), Spark Energy’s variable tariff comes out right at the maximum price companies can charge with regards to the industry’s price cap.

If you’re looking to save money, you’ll need to switch to a different supplier to get the best deal on the market.

Do you need help comparing? Check out the following guides for help finding the best deal:

• Cheapest electricity supplier
• Cheapest gas supplier
• Best energy supplier

You can also give us a call at Selectra for a free comparison. We offer exclusive deals that are not available on supplier websites.

Spark Energy review: What do customers say?

On customer review site Trustpilot, Spark Energy has an average rating of four out of five. Of the over 30,000 customers who left a Spark Energy review, 71% rated the supplier as either good or excellent, while 21% of customers gave the company a bad rating.

While Spark Energy’s Trustpilot score is relatively high for an energy supplier, Citizens Advice ranked Spark Energy as one of the UK’s worst energy companies in terms of customer service. Spark Energy came in thirty-ninth place out of 41 suppliers, just in front of Utilita and Nabuh Energy.

For a more detailed analysis, check out our Spark Energy reviews guide.

Does Spark Energy use smart meters?

Would you like to have a Spark Energy smart meter installed? The energy supplier has already begun rolling out the second generation of smart meters (SMETS2). These SMETS2 meters are interoperable between suppliers, meaning they will continue to function properly even if you switch to a different energy supplier.

With a smart meter, prepayment customers can top up their meters online. Customers with their smart meter in credit mode no longer have to worry about submitting meter readings because the meter automatically sends this information to the supplier.

Smart meters also allow you to monitor your energy consumption in near real time, thus helping to cut back on consumption and save on your bills.

If you would like to have a Spark Energy smart meter installed, you can either contact the supplier’s customer service department or submit a form online.

Spark Energy top up for prepayment customers

Customers with a standard prepayment meter must top up their key or card at a local PayPoint or Payzone.

If you’re out of credit and your Spark Energy top up location is closed, you may be eligible for Friendly Credit. This means that if you run out of credit Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 pm and 8 am, as well as any time during the weekend, your electricity supply will remain on until the following day.

If you have a Spark Energy smart meter, you can either top up your meter online or via Spark Energy’s Swift app. The Swift app is free to download and allows you to top up your meter in just a few seconds. It will also store all of your payment history and unique top-up codes.

How do I submit my Spark Energy meter reading?

Do you need to submit a Spark Energy meter reading? There are various ways to go about doing so.

The easiest way to submit a meter reading is via your online account. You can also call the Spark Energy customer service department to submit your meter readings over the phone. However, since the supplier tends to have a long call-wait time, you’ll save time doing it online.

Do you need help taking a Spark Energy meter reading? Head to our guide on how to read gas and electricity meters for assistance.

To save you a bit of time in the future, we would also recommend having a smart meter installed. With a smart meter, you will no longer have to worry about submitting meter readings because the meter will automatically send them directly to the supplier.

Call us today on 020 3966 4692 to speak with one of our agents about getting a smart meter installed for free.

Does Spark Energy provide the Warm Home Discount?

If you’re a Spark Energy customer, you may be able to receive the Warm Home Discount. This government scheme is designed to help households at risk of fuel poverty during the fuel-intensive winter months. It takes the form of a one-off credit of £140 on your energy bills from October to March.

If you’re not eligible for the Warm Home Discount, there is lots of other financial help available. Check out our guide to government grants and schemes to see what help you can get with your energy bills.

No matter your elegibility, it’s also likely that you could save even more money simply by switching to a cheaper energy tariff than you would get from the Warm Home Discount. Give us a call on 020 3966 4692 to get a free comparison of the tariffs available in your area.

Account login: How do I sign in?

Through your Spark Energy online account, you’ll be able to manage your energy account twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

To access the Spark Energy login page, simply go to the provider’s webpage and click on where it says My Online Account in the top right corner.

You will then be prompted to enter the email address and password associated with the account.

If you’re having trouble logging in, head to our Spark Energy login guide for more information.

Contact Spark Energy

There are various ways to contact Spark Energy. The table below lists the main Spark Energy contact numbers. For more contact details, such as who to call in an emergency and how to issue a complaint, head to our complete Spark Energy contact guide.

How do I cancel my Spark Energy account?

If you’re moving to a new property, you will need to contact Spark Energy’s customer service department. We recommend calling a day or two before you move out of the current property.

If you are switching to a different energy supplier, the new supplier will take care of getting in touch with Spark Energy to close the account for you. We recommend hanging on to your final meter readings until the account has been completely closed and any remaining credit or debt has been sorted.