Does OVO have an out of hours emergency number?

Sorry I can’t help with your issues with Key I don’t have a prepayment meter well not in nearly 40yrs We used 10p to feed it back then  

anyway my reason for contributing is should the lights go out  you’re fridge freezer are at risk You can help slow down any defrost by filling/packing the freezer so no air can circulate by filling in any gaps with clothing, maybe use towels, but anything you can put your hands on easily, and pack it tight  it will slow down any defrost considerably  

Make sure your phones are charged and any power packs before your meter turns off  

I hope this is helpful  

Do you have young children elderly or disabled living in household the sign up for Priority Services Register You get prioritised help if you have vulnerable person/ people living in property 

Hope you get sorted quickly 

New update. Our electricity supply has now gone off as they only agreed to let us not run out over the weekend. In a new twist, we are now told that they won't send an engineer to turn it back on again unless we let them put in a smart meter!

It's a massive joke of the unfunniest kind. OVO is a massive pile of unmentionable.

So we actually will be sitting in the dark with no light or heat until a new key may show up. Given royal mail's record for timely delivery at the moment I don't have much optimism.

That’s entirely your choice - 

You don’t have to sit in the dark.

You can have a shiny new meter in a few hours, or you can wait a few days for a card for your old meter.

And yes a new meter will be a smart meter, nobody makes ‘dumb’ meters anymore and all new meters are smart meters.
It’s the only type of new meter that engineers have on their vans to be fitted.

Your existing meter is going to need replacing anyway, when it’s certification runs out which will  probably be fairly soon, so why not do it now?

(Or to put it another way - Why freeze off your nose to spite ypur face?)

Yes, thanks Nukecad but you're kind of missing the point. 

I don't need a new meter, they are just trying to force us to have one rather than keeping our supply on. They CAN keep it on when they choose to, they CAN top it up from their end as they have done before during different circumstances, they CAN do many things rather than force us to have a meter we don't want. The constant problems I read and see from people who have them doesn't fill me with confidence that it's an 'upgrade'. 

So once again, thanks but I don't find you patronising me helpful. 

The point made is their refusal to help in ways they can, rather than ways they want.

Lastly, we do actually intend to get a smart meter when we are ready to do so. A company should not be forcing us to change rather than do what is in their means to do.

Actually, topping up a key meter is impossible to do remotely - an engineer has to be sent out with a Portable Support Unit and plugging it into the meter itself for that as it’s the only way.

You’re thinking of RTI (Remote Token Issue) Codes which are only useful if your key is working, which it is not. Sure, OVO could issue one, but with no working key you can’t use it.

Smart Meters are the only ones that can be topped up remotely.

Glad you like that Abby. Your company is crap.

Thanks to those that were kind and tried to be of assistance. Obviously the OVO support group isn't for me. I expect a company that has me as a customer to do ALL it can to help me and my family. They haven't done that. They CAN, but won't. As soon as I am able I will take my custom elsewhere. God bless all.

No need for more responses as I won't be back. (Good riddance to some(Abby))

“That’s entirely your choice - 

You don’t have to sit in the dark.

You can have a shiny new meter in a few hours, or you can wait a few days for a card for your old meter.”

An offer you cant refuse, ey?

Thats a completely shocking response.



The fact that if you request a key you could be waiting 3-5 days knowing full well that the Friendly Credit period isnt as long as that and weekends wouldnt count as part of that 3-5 days is actually the cause.

Any other company, you ask for a key, you go to the shop they tell you to and they program one for you. Might have to wait till tomorrow but NEVER 5 days.

Just like when you turn your emergnecy on its automatic, smart meters are not automatic.

Im using “automatic” loosely here, I know the bots are frothing at the bit….

When I say automatically I mean, once you put the key back in the meter your emergency comes on. instantly. Its automatic, there is no request forwarding waiting and checking and accepting and waiting again…

​@Vincethecreator 
if you dont owe anything to OVO over 28 days old you can request to leave.

Actually a dead key can sometimes indicate a dead meter - it’s better to have the engineer out to check and replace the meter if needed.

Putting key in meter to accept and enable EmCr = manual activation. Pressing button on smart meter to accept and enable EmCr = manual activation. Same thing, different method.

Likewise, half the shops don’t have stocks of keys/cards anymore anyway - making it a wild goose chase. I’ve had to help folks out far too many times with that...

That is all I’ll say.

That response was my personal opinion based on the story as we have been told it so far.

Personally I’m shocked that anyone would choose to sit in the dark with no electricity for several days when they have been offered reconnection within a few hours by means of a new meter.

Let’s be clear about this, - It was entirely Vincethecreator’s own choice not to have a replacement meter fitted.

An engineer coould have been out in a matter of hours to reconnect the supply with a replacement meter.

It was Vincethecreator who refused that replacement meter.

If he had simply accepted the new meter then he would have been back on supply in a few hours.

​@Vincethecreator I hope you’re back on supply now following the advice given to you by Forum members on this thread.

Please note that the only reason a smart meter will be fitted in place of your traditional meter is because the Industry has not manufactured traditional meters for many years now, so smart meters are the only type of meter being circulated. This is not an OVO decision.

Having a smart meter installed will allow you top top up via an app, without having to go to a Paypoint. You’ll also then be able to go on Pay Monthly rather than prepayment if you’d like to, which will mean your meter won’t run out of credit and go off supply.

Please do let us know if you have any further questions, and please remember to keep your replies civil and within our Forum guidelines and house rules.