AN SNP MP has called out a major energy company for its “thuggish” behaviour after he received a letter threatening forced entry with a “dog handler”.
MP for Ochil and South Perthshire John Nicolson posted a letter from OVO Energy on his social media.
Nicolson (below) says the company told him he owed more than £1000 and the letter explained that someone had visited to talk about “overdue debt on your energy account”.
It explained that the company’s next step would be to apply for a “Rights of Entry Warrant” and that “if needed, we’ll bring a dog handler”.
In response to the letter, Nicolson said: “As a @BBCWatchdog presenter & MP I’ve encountered a few unsavoury firms.
“But how about @OVOEnergy for thuggery? They claimed I owed more than £1k (I didn’t – they’d sent an estimate).
“They threatened forced entry with a ‘dog handler’. Imagine someone vulnerable getting this.”
Seems @OVOEnergy don't like the publicity I've given their thuggish letter. They're now pretending the thuggery was uncharacteristic. But they've got form. I got their bosses to compensate a constituent with Parkinson's whom they'd made cry with their nasty brutal behaviour. pic.twitter.com/ywe6AZgHL3
— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. (@MrJohnNicolson) August 23, 2023
Replying to Nicolson on Twitter, OVO said they were “very sorry” he had received the letter and that it “should never have been sent”.
“The language in it does not match the letters we send out today and we are investigating with our agencies how this happened. “The team will also be in touch by private message to fix your billing issue”, a statement said.
However, Nicolson took issue with the reply and said: “Your thuggish letter isn’t historic. You sent it only last month.
“What you mean is you didn’t expect your company publicly shamed – your letter read by tens of thousands of people.”
He later added: “Seems @OVOEnergy don’t like the publicity I’ve given their thuggish letter.
“They’re now pretending the thuggery was uncharacteristic. But they’ve got form. I’ve got their bosses to compensate a constituent with Parkinson’s whom they’d made cry with their nasty, brutal behaviour.”
The National approached OVO Energy for further comment.
