OVO GROUP LTD
STATEMENT ON MODERN SLAVERY

May 2017

INTRODUCTION

This is OVO Group Ltd’s first statement on slavery and human trafficking, made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (the Act) for the financial year ending 31 December 2016.

OVO fully supports the aims of the Act and recognises that slavery and human trafficking is a global issue which needs to be addressed by all companies within all industries. 

ABOUT OVO

OVO Group Ltd and its subsidiaries have over 1,200 employees which cover a number of areas, including its core business of supplying electricity and gas to domestic customers within the UK.

OVO’s VALUES 

All members of the OVO group must operate in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and in line with OVO’s values - “Find a Way”, “Being the Good Guys” and “Building Something Great”.

In this context OVO acts ethically and with integrity in all of its business relationships, seeking to deal only with reputable, like-minded manufacturers and suppliers. 

OVO’s SUPPLY CHAINS

OVO Group’s supply chains include the following which are relevant to modern slavery: 

• the procurement of electricity and gas for OVO’s retail business through Shell Energy Europe Ltd, our wholesale commodity provider; and
• the manufacture and supply of gas and electricity meters by third parties, including smart meters.

OVO carefully selects its suppliers and partners based on various criteria, including their industry reputation for dealing ethically and with integrity. As such, we expect them to have appropriate measures and processes in place to avoid slavery and human trafficking in their operations.

Going forwards, we are seeking to formalise our policies and procedures to continue to minimise the risk of slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains. This will involve:

• On-boarding new suppliers: more comprehensive due diligence checks;
• Contractual commitments: incorporating comprehensive contractual provisions to reflect suppliers’ responsibilities in respect of slavery and human trafficking; and
• In-life monitoring: for those suppliers we consider potentially higher risk in the area of slavery and human trafficking (e.g., due to the industry or territories in which they operate) we may conduct more regular audits of their operations.

Chris Houghton
Group Chief Financial Officer
OVO Group Ltd