Heat Pump Plus add-on for OVO Heat: Terms & Conditions

Last updated: 31 January 2024

1. Agreement

These Heat Pump Plus add-on terms and conditions (the Terms and Conditions) form the agreement between you and us:

(a) “you” are the person who has signed up to the Heat Pump Plus add-on;

(b) “OVO”, “we”, “us” or “our” is OVO Energy Limited. Our address is 1 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS1 6ED and we are registered under company number 06890795 with VAT number 100119879.

These Terms and Conditions are specific to the Heat Pump Plus add-on. They are  separate to the OVO Core Terms and Conditions which govern the supply of energy to you.

Definitions

Certain terms have a particular meaning when they are used in this document. We have listed those terms in clause 12, and they are highlighted in bold when they are used.

Our Partners

We work with Vaillant Group UK Limited and Heat Geek Installations Limited (depending on the make of your heat pump) to access data from your Heat Pump. For information on how Heat Geek and Vaillant use your data, please see their privacy policies (you can find links to both below). 

Heat Geek

Heat Geek Installations Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 11887015, whose registered office is at Dragon Argent Limited, 63 Bermondsey Street London SE1 3XF. For more information about Heat Geek, please click here.

We access consumption data for Heat Pumps installed through our partnership with Heat Geek via their intelligent software platform. Heat Geek will have installed your heat pump for you under a separate contract between you and them. We have no involvement in your installation and have no responsibility for it. Heat Geek will send us your consumption data to allow us to calculate the Heat Pump Plus credit.

Vaillant

Vaillant Group UK Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 00294316 and whose registered office is at Nottingham Road, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1JT. For more information about Vaillant, please click here.

We access consumption and operational data for Vaillant heat pumps eligible for the Heat Pump Plus add-on through the myVAILLANT Connect internet gateway. Vaillant will only share data with OVO following active opt-in and acceptance of their standard Privacy Policy.

2. What is Heat Pump Plus and how does it work?

2.1 Heat Pump Plus is an add-on for OVO customers with an air to water heat pump. Heat Pump Plus provides users with a lower rate for the energy used when heating their home with their air to water heat pump. Home energy rates stay the same. 

2.2 With Heat Pump Plus, your home energy rate will stay the same, but the energy consumed by your home air to water heat pump will be charged at an effective rate of 15p/kWh when in use. You will be charged at your normal OVO electric rate for energy consumed by the rest of the home.  

3. Heat Pump Plus Credits

3.1 With Heat Pump Plus, all electricity you consume will initially be charged at the normal unit rate you pay on your OVO account. These rates will be reflected in your live balance and on your bill, along with your normal standing charges. In the first week of each month, you will receive a credit based on how much of your total electricity usage in the previous month went into using your heat pump to heat your home (as calculated by the OVO team). These will be your Heat Pump Plus credits. The credit reflects the difference between your standard rate charge and the Heat Pump Plus rate.

Example

A customer uses 500 kWh of electricity in August, of which 300 kWh was used by the heat pump, and 200 kWh powered their home. Their Heat Pump Plus rate is 15p/kWh for heating the home and their normal OVO electrical rate is 30p/kWh. 

On 1st of September, the customer’s account will show the following:

House usage - 500kWh x 30p = £150

Heat pump usage 300kWh x 15p = £45

House usage (£150) - Heat pump credit (£45)
Energy account balance = £105

3.2 Only electricity that has been consumed from the grid for heating and hot water of the heat pump will be considered in the Heat Pump Plus Credit calculation. You can still access the Heat Pump Plus Credits if you have the Charge anytime add on. Customers who have OVO’s Smart Export Guarantee tariff are unable to access Heat Pump Plus at this point.

3.3 If you are a Direct Debit customer, your Direct Debit will not be affected by the Heat Pump Plus Credits applied to your account. If you have any Heat Pump Plus Credits left when you leave OVO, this will be offset against your final OVO bill.

3.4 You will need to ensure that your heat pump is connected and sending data to us. In the absence of data from your heat pump OVO won't be able to credit you for the consumption data of your heat pump. See clause 6.2 for more information.

3.5 As Heat Pump Plus is a beta product which we are still reviewing and improving, it is currently  limited to the first 100 customers who sign up. This cap will be reviewed regularly and we hope to be able to roll the product out more widely very soon.

4. Eligibility

4.1 To get Heat Pump Plus, you must:

  • be an OVO customer on any electricity only or dual fuel fixed tariff or on our standard variable tariff (Heat Pump Plus is not available to gas only customers or pre-payment customers); 
  • Use one of the following eligible heat pumps:
    • a heat pump installed by Heat Geek via an introduction by OVO) with a working internet connection that is able to provide kWh consumption data to the installer and OVO or;
    • a Vaillant aroTHERM 3 post 2016 or an aroTHERM Plus heat pump with a connected myVAILLANT Connect internet gateway; 
  • Have an anticipated annual heat pump electricity consumption of  less than 6,000 kWh. Consumption above this 6,000 kWh limit will be charged at the standard unit rate the rest of your property is charged at;
  • have a smart meter that communicates half-hourly data with OVO. 
  • have an active monthly direct debit to pay for your energy.

5. Data sharing

5.1 In order to provide you with Heat Pump Plus OVO will need to access data from your Heat Pump. This data will be shared with OVO by your Heat Pump provider (either Heat Geek or Vaillant).  We will review your consumption data in order to be able to credit your account with your Heat Pump Plus Credits and we will also receive performance data from your heat pump (such as flow temperature, schedules and heat output) which will allow for further development of heat pump propositions in the future. 

5.2 By signing up for the Heat Pump Plus add-on you agree:

(a) to allow Heat Geek or Vaillant to share details relating to your heat pump including make and model, efficiency information (such as set point temperature, flow temperature outside temperature), as well as heat pump consumption data with OVO; and

(b) to be opted in to half-hourly data sharing from your smart meter. 

5.3 We take the protection of your data very seriously. Any data processed will be used in accordance with Heat Geek Installation Limited’s privacy policy or Vaillant Group UK's privacy policy and OVO’s privacy policy. We will also use the consumption data to help us improve our current products and to develop new ones.

6. Data Accuracy and exclusions 

6.1 Heat Pump Plus credits will be added to your account based on the data that we receive from your home heat pump, the accuracy of which may vary. OVO takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the data received from your heat pump and therefore the accuracy of the Heat Pump Plus credits paid using that data. However, if we deem that your device is sending inaccurate data and is therefore not eligible for Heat Pump Plus, OVO reserves the right to remove Heat Pump Plus from you. Please consult with your heat pump manufacturer if you are concerned about the accuracy of data recorded by your heat pump. 

6.2 You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary to ensure your heat pump is connected to the internet and also to your OVO account. If your heat pump goes offline at any point for any reason, or your heat pump is disconnected from the internet for any reason, we will not record heat pump energy consumption during this time. We won't be able to credit you for this time, unless we can retrieve the data from Heat Geek or Vaillant. We will then update your Heat Pump Plus credits in the following month from the captured Heat Geek or Vaillant data. Credit amounts are based on the consumption data we receive from Heat Geek or Vaillant and we are not liable if these are wrong.

7. Changes to the Heat Pump Plus product 

7.1 We reserve the right to reduce, withdraw or amend Heat Pump Plus at any time with 30 days' notice to you. This includes changing the Heat Pump Plus rate. We will explain what will happen when we tell you about the change or its removal. If we make a change and you do not wish to continue using the Heat Pump Plus add-on following this notice, you can remove Heat Pump Plus by following the process outlined in clause 8. 

7.2 If the Heat Pump Plus credits were to stop, the heat pump consumption will be billed at the standard electricity rate depending on what tariff you are on.

8. Removing Heat Pump Plus 

8.1 You’re free to remove Heat Pump Plus at any time. Please contact our Heat Pump support team to do this (see section 14 for more information)

8.2 As soon as you remove Heat Pump Plus, OVO will no longer receive your Heat Pump consumption data and you will no longer be due any Heat Pump Credits. Any Heat Pump Credits accrued to the point of cancellation will be paid to you on the first week of the following month. 

9. Liability

9.1 If we fail to comply with these Terms and Conditions, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaching these Terms and Conditions or our failing to use reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time you accepted these Terms and Conditions, both we and you knew it might happen. 

9.2 We will not be liable to you for any failure to credit your account for reasons outside our reasonable control, including if we aren’t able to gather adequate information from your Heat Pump, you do not leave your Heat Pump connected to the internet, Heat Geek or Vaillant cannot obtain hourly data reads from your heat pump, or you otherwise fail to comply with these Terms and Conditions.

9.3 Nothing in these Terms and Conditions will limit or exclude our liability to you for death or personal injury as a result of our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other matter in respect of which it would be unlawful for us to exclude or limit liability. 

9.4 Save as set out in clause 9.3, our maximum liability to you under these Terms and Conditions if you suffer any loss or damage as a direct result of something we’ve done, will be no more than £10,000 per event or series of events if they’re connected.

10. Suspension and Termination

10.1 You agree to use the Heat Pump Plus add-on in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. If we determine (acting reasonably) that you are in breach of these Terms and Conditions or that you are using the Heat Pump Plus add-on in a fraudulent manner, for example by setting up your Heat Pump in a way which means that the Heat Pump Plus rate applies to energy consumption which isn’t related to the usage of the Heat Pump, we may immediately do any of the following:

  1. provide you with a warning;
  2. suspend the Heat Pump Plus add-on or remove it from your account;
  3. issue legal proceedings against you for reimbursement of all costs resulting from your breach and/or fraudulent use (including, but not limited to, reasonable legal and administrative costs);
  4. take further legal action against you; and/or
  5. disclose such information to law enforcement authorities as we feel is reasonably necessary.

11. General 

11.1 We reserve the right to change these Terms and Conditions. Unless the reason for the change is due to a change in law or for security reasons – in which case we may need to change these Terms and Conditions on shorter notice – we will provide you with at least ten (10) days’ advance notice of any changes. If you do not wish to continue using the Heat Pump Plus add-on following changes to these Terms and Conditions, you can cancel your Heat Pump Plus add-on by following the process outlined in clause 8.

11.2 You must not transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms and Conditions to anyone without our permission. We can transfer any of our rights or obligations under these Terms and Conditions without your permission. If we transfer our rights pursuant to this clause 11.2 and your rights are materially affected, we will notify you and you may cancel your Heat Pump Plus add-on by following the process outlined in clause 8.

11.3 These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales if your property is in England or Wales, and the laws of Scotland if your property is in Scotland. If there is any dispute between us, it will be dealt with by the courts of England and Wales if your property is in England or Wales, and by the courts of Scotland if your property is in Scotland.

12. Definitions

12.1 Heat Pump Plus Credits: the credits paid to your OVO account on the first week of each month to adjust your bill such that your Heat Pump costs are effectively charged at the Heat Pump Plus rate. 

12.2 Heat Pump Plus Rate: the effective rate offered to Heat Pump customers for heating their home. 

12.3 Heat Pump: an air to water heat pump.

13. Other Important Information

13.1 Each of the clauses of these Terms and Conditions operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining clauses will remain in full force and effect.

13.2 Even if we delay in enforcing these Terms and Conditions against you, we can still enforce them later. If we do not immediately insist that you do anything you are required to do under these Terms and Conditions, or if we delay in taking steps against you for breaching them, that will not mean that you do not have to do those things and will not prevent us taking steps against you at a later date.

14. Contact Us

If you need support, you can call our heat pump support team on 0333 0341565 (Mon-Fri (9am-5pm) or email [email protected]. You can also find out more about the Heat Pump Plus add-on by visiting our product page here.