blank Display on Key Meter After Power cut

Howdy ​@Old Smokie ,

It’s gone into Free Vend Mode as a safety measure, a type of Fail Safe so to speak. It will NEVER run out of credit until an engineer shows up. I’ll give ​@Ben_OVO a heads up so he can monitor this thread.

If you’re able to, I’d suggest using Live Chat for which the link is below - tell the agent the meter is in Free Vend Mode and requires replacement due to a blank screen meter fault. That usually gets the message through.

Your credit can be recovered by an engineer so don’t worry.

Unfortunately, the only solution these days is to replace the entire meter. I’d accept the earliest possible date as you will rack up a meter debt if the credit runs out as this is still being tracked - you just won’t get disconnected at this time.

Hi thanks for the reply, tried live chat it was as much use as a chocolate fireguard they told me nothing I don't know why they just can't send an engineer.

Anyone know if I can change supplier while this is going on

Unfortunately that’s not recommended either - you wouldn’t be able to register the key if the meter is dead.

Best I can think of is the Complaints Process via https://ovoenergy.com/feedback - I’ve also let the Forum Moderators know about this thread.

thanks, but I doubt it will make any differance

tried to get a new smart meter fitted 3 times a few years ago but the engineers that turned up would not fit one, because they claimed  asbestos was present complete nonsense, it was checked by the council 3 times and there was no asbestos present

How do I go about getting the supply disconnected by OVO

Good morning ​@Old Smokie.

I’m sorry to hear of the issue with the meter. This is something we see relatively often with traditional Pay As You Go meters, especially after power cuts. 

The reason we have offered a standard appointment date, and not an emergency appointment, is because the meter is on supply. If you had no power, then we would come out within three to four hours to change the meter. We only reserve these same day appointments for customers that have no power at all, as this is a safety risk. You’ve mentioned that the supply keeps going on and off. Was this following the main power cut? Is the supply still going on and off now? If so I’d recommend contacting your District Network Operator to see if they’re aware of outages in your area.

Once the meter is exchanged, information will be taken  from the internal memory of the old meter, including the remaining credit balance and readings. With this information, we’ll be able to ensure that your credit is put onto the new meter. If the credit balance and/or readings on the old meter can’t be seen, then we’ll estimate what was on the old meter, based upon your last top up and average usage. 

You’ll see other Forum members have had similar experiences:

It’s highly likely that our engineer will come to fit a smart meter in place of your current meter. If the council have confirmed that there’s no asbestos on site, then there should be no issue with the installation. It’ll be worth you sending over any confirmation you’ve received from the council that there’s no asbestos, to ensure we’re aware before the installation. You can email this over to hello@ovoenergy.com, and we’ll update our systems to outline that there’s no asbestos on site.

Lastly, regarding your illness, I’d recommend signing up to the Priority Services Register if you haven’t already. This is a free service with a number of benefits, the main one being that the Grid will contact you when possible to alert you of an incoming power outage and, if there’s a power cut, they’ll look to get your property back on supply with priority. You can sign up on our website here, and see more info in this Forum post:

When the new smart meter is installed, it might be worth considering switching to become a Pay Monthly customer, so that you’ll pay your bills by manual payment, or by Direct Debit, rather than topping up the meter. This means that there’s no risk of your meter running out of credit and you going off supply.

I hope this helps - please do let us know if you have any further questions.

Thanks for the reply and in answer to your questions. 

The supply is still going off and on mostly for a few seconds, why is that not a safety risk. What if a fire develops because of this issue. I have spoken to an electrician and they have told me the meter should have been checked because of the issue of power going off and on.

This only started happening after the power cut. I have contacted the district network operator and they have told me there are no outages in the area.

I know exactly what the credit balance was on the meter before the power cut I checked the meter in the morning and the balance was £48.15p in credit I then went to the shop and topped the meter up with £60 of credit which brought the total meter credit up to £108.15 before the power cut. I have kept the receipts for the top ups on Monday (20/04/2026) both £60 and the £10 top up which I tried after the power cut as I was advised to do.

I have sent copies of the report from the council regarding the asbestos issue to OVO on three separate occasions but that has made no difference when the engineers turn up.

I am on the priority service register but it makes no difference to me I have never been notified of outages or power cuts I have always had to phone. I don't want to pay monthly had DD before and it was nightmare monthly charge going up an down.

Upon checking the meter again last night I noticed that the so called dark grey asbestos board was missing ? the background board is now white see photo below, there is also writing on the cables. I don't know why I have not noticed this before, this must have been done either when I have been in hospital or on holiday, I have never been informed about this, is there any way to check who changed the back panel and when. The last check on the meter according to the sticker was 2013

quick update

had a phone call this afternoon from OVO asking me if I could get an electrician in to check things out and then the electrician would be able to tell me if the meter was faulty, but I would have to pay for it 😡 their having a laugh, the meter is OVO’s responsibility not mine, so I have decided to have the electric meter disconnected and removed its worth the £141 price tag then I won't have anything more to do with OVO, plenty other suppliers out there that offer a better service

You’ll end up paying over £300 for no benefit if you do that. £160 to disconnect the supply and another £160 to reconnect - and it WILL be a Smart Meter anyway. Why do that when you can just have OVO replace the current one for free? You’ll also be waiting for potentially several weeks with no supply. It’s not worth it, trust me.

If the electrician finds the meter is faulty, OVO might be able to reimburse that - keep the receipt/invoice. I’ll be able to ask the Forum Moderators for further advice in the morning but I’m currently travelling so can’t respond further.

This sounds very strange. Your picture shows three separate items: the backboard, the meter and the service head (the grey excrescence at the end of the black incoming cable). These items are the responsibility of the property owner, the electricity supplier and the DNO respectively. The backboard can only be replaced with the owner’s permission and with technicians from both the DNO and the supplier in attendance. If asbestos were involved, special training and equipment would be required.

Changing the backboard couldn’t have happened without your approval, unless of course you aren’t the property owner. I must say your picture doesn’t seem to show a new backboard.  

​@Old Smokie, ​@Blastoise186 is right. Having the meter disconnected is an incredibly expensive and unnecessary way to go about this. If you get an electrician out and they confirm it’s a problem with the meter, then we can reimburse the cost of the job if necessary. 

Regarding your previous top ups and balance, we’ll ensure you’re reimbursed accordingly, as per your receipts etc, so don’t worry about that side of things.

As for the removal of the asbestos board - I’m sorry but I’m not sure who would have done this. if you’re in a rental property then you should ask your Landlord or Agency / Association. If this is the case, then you should also ask them to send an electrician to check things over. 

Lastly - if you believe that you should have been served better by your DNO under the Priority Services Register, then you should contact them about this, and make sure that you’re definitely registered correctly with them.