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I've just moved into a new home- It's PAYG & I want to change to PAYM?


Just moved into new home. Trying to take meter reading for electricity but it appears it could be prepayment which I wasn’t told. What does Smets mean and can I change from ovo to another supplier with this meter please 

Best answer by Emmanuelle_OVO

Hey ​@Mazzz 

Welcome to the OVO Online Community
 

Blastoise186 wrote:

Hi ​@Mazzz ,

Please call 0330 175 9669 to get an account set up if you haven’t already. If you want to switch to Pay Monthly, you’ll be able to do that in the same call and have the Meter switched to Credit Mode by remote control - that Meter does not need to be replaced in order to action said migration.

You can also switch supplier freely if you wish, but you MUST register your own account with the Existing Supplier first - you cannot leave until you have done that.

SMETS stands for Smart Meter Engineering Technical Specifications, basically a long boring document that defines a standard for how Smart Meters work in the UK.

 


Moving in

 

One of the most important things to remember when moving into a new home is to take meter readings. You can note these somewhere safe or photograph them with your phone. Remember this step: if the property has a smart meter, it automatically sends us a reading. Otherwise, you'll use an estimated reading until we get the first one.

 

If OVO already supplies your new home, contact us, and we can arrange to open the account at your address. If you had an OVO plan at your last address, we'll close that account for you and open a new one at the new address. If you’re not sure who supplies your new home, use our guide to find out. And if your meter isn't with OVO, but you'd like to join, you can switch to us.

 

We know moving is busy, so get in touch when you can via online chat or phone, on the move day or afterwards. Please have a few details ready so we can help you quickly.

 

We'll ask you:

the date you moved in

for meter readings from your move-in date

the complete address and postcode of your new home

if you'd like a smart meter, if there isn't one already installed

 

We'll email you a welcome pack with everything you need to know about your rates and how to top up. If previous residents left any top-up keys or cards, please throw these away. You'll need to top up using the details we send you, as they're linked to your OVO account.

 

Here's the online top up portal page for OVO Pay As You Go customers with a smart meter

 

For OVO Pay As You Go customers with a smart meter, here’s a link to download our app for Android. 

 

For OVO Pay As You Go customers with a smart meter, here’s a link to download our app for Apple.

 

View original

16 replies

  • Carbon Cutter*
  • 3 replies
  • July 21, 2024

I am in the process of purchasing a house that has prepaid/PAYG meters for the gas and electricity. What it the process to have these replaced for a standard/smart meter.


Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
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  • Plan Zero Hero
  • 7929 replies
  • July 21, 2024

Hi @Lozza ,

Generally, the process is to sign up with the existing supplier first - you need to do this anyway even for Prepayment Meters.

Once that’s done, you can ask that supplier to move you to Pay Monthly by contacting their customer service team. They’ll do the rest - if the meters need to be replaced, the new meters WILL be Smart Meters by default.


  • Carbon Cutter*
  • 3 replies
  • July 21, 2024

Thank you for your quick reply. 


Chris_OVO
Community Moderator
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  • Community Moderator
  • 730 replies
  • July 22, 2024

Hey @Lozza

 

Congratulations on your house purchase 🎉 I hope everything goes smoothly for you as I know how stressful it can be at times. We have a really useful article that I can share below that has plenty of useful information on what the move in process looks like! 

 

You can also follow this link to get a quote based on your new property: https://products.ovoenergy.com/energy/get-quote

 

@Blastoise186 is correct regarding the smart meter. If you have a traditional meters that use a key/card then once you choose a supplier they can arrange to have these meters exchanged for smart meters at your convenience. We don’t charge for this service so please keep that in mind. 

 

If you have any follow up questions then don’t hesitate to let us know. Keep us updated with your journey! 


  • Carbon Cutter*
  • 3 replies
  • July 28, 2024

Hi @ChristopherS_OVO 

One more question, I have attached a picture of pay as you go meter. When I was in the property I couldn't find any way of taking a meter reading. Is it possible to get a meter reading off the pay as you go meter? If so what is the procedure to do that? 

Thanks 

Lauren 


Firedog
Plan Zero Hero
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  • Plan Zero Hero
  • 1995 replies
  • July 28, 2024

Push button 9.

This should answer most of your questions: 

 


BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
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  • Plan Zero Hero
  • 2729 replies
  • July 28, 2024

Just a note that (as the full guide mentions), 9 will bring up the Total Import register as well as any Export reading. 
If the property is on Economy 7, then you will find the peak and off peak readings via button 6.

Sorry to confuse things but just being clear. 


Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
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  • Plan Zero Hero
  • 7929 replies
  • July 28, 2024

Just so you know, you can’t submit manual readings to your supplier if they come from Prepayment Meters and Smart Meters in Prepayment Mode. They get submitted automatically whenever you top-up (for Key/Card Meters) or daily (for Smart Meters).

Taking manual readings will only be useful for your own records in such cases.


Firedog
Plan Zero Hero
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  • Plan Zero Hero
  • 1995 replies
  • July 28, 2024

… Lauren is buying the property where this meter is located. It’s pretty important to take meter readings on takeover, to avoid having to pay any debt owed by the previous owner. 

This is an eight-year-old SMETS1 smart meter, which may or may not be behaving like a SMETS 2 meter. If it’s working properly, there should be no problem changing to credit mode; Support will be able to advise once she’s taken over the supply. If it is working, there’s no need to have it replaced yet; it has at least two years of life left, and probably quite a few more. 

Lauren should also make sure that the In-House Display (IHD) is in the property. It belongs to the supplier and should stay there on change of ownership.

 


Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
  • Community Manager
  • 2562 replies
  • July 29, 2024

I hope this advice helps @Lozza, If you have any other questions pop back anytime 😊


Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
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  • Plan Zero Hero
  • 7929 replies
  • December 21, 2024

Hi ​@Mazzz ,

Please call 0330 175 9669 to get an account set up if you haven’t already. If you want to switch to Pay Monthly, you’ll be able to do that in the same call and have the Meter switched to Credit Mode by remote control - that Meter does not need to be replaced in order to action said migration.

You can also switch supplier freely if you wish, but you MUST register your own account with the Existing Supplier first - you cannot leave until you have done that.

SMETS stands for Smart Meter Engineering Technical Specifications, basically a long boring document that defines a standard for how Smart Meters work in the UK.


Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
  • Community Manager
  • 2562 replies
  • Answer
  • December 23, 2024

Hey ​@Mazzz 

Welcome to the OVO Online Community
 

Blastoise186 wrote:

Hi ​@Mazzz ,

Please call 0330 175 9669 to get an account set up if you haven’t already. If you want to switch to Pay Monthly, you’ll be able to do that in the same call and have the Meter switched to Credit Mode by remote control - that Meter does not need to be replaced in order to action said migration.

You can also switch supplier freely if you wish, but you MUST register your own account with the Existing Supplier first - you cannot leave until you have done that.

SMETS stands for Smart Meter Engineering Technical Specifications, basically a long boring document that defines a standard for how Smart Meters work in the UK.

 


Moving in

 

One of the most important things to remember when moving into a new home is to take meter readings. You can note these somewhere safe or photograph them with your phone. Remember this step: if the property has a smart meter, it automatically sends us a reading. Otherwise, you'll use an estimated reading until we get the first one.

 

If OVO already supplies your new home, contact us, and we can arrange to open the account at your address. If you had an OVO plan at your last address, we'll close that account for you and open a new one at the new address. If you’re not sure who supplies your new home, use our guide to find out. And if your meter isn't with OVO, but you'd like to join, you can switch to us.

 

We know moving is busy, so get in touch when you can via online chat or phone, on the move day or afterwards. Please have a few details ready so we can help you quickly.

 

We'll ask you:

the date you moved in

for meter readings from your move-in date

the complete address and postcode of your new home

if you'd like a smart meter, if there isn't one already installed

 

We'll email you a welcome pack with everything you need to know about your rates and how to top up. If previous residents left any top-up keys or cards, please throw these away. You'll need to top up using the details we send you, as they're linked to your OVO account.

 

Here's the online top up portal page for OVO Pay As You Go customers with a smart meter

 

For OVO Pay As You Go customers with a smart meter, here’s a link to download our app for Android. 

 

For OVO Pay As You Go customers with a smart meter, here’s a link to download our app for Apple.

 


I am a tenant in an apartment and now wish to have a smart meter. I tried to go online but it seems the Landlord's name is listed as the account holder. How can I get a smart meter? 


Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
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  • Plan Zero Hero
  • 7929 replies
  • March 8, 2025

Hi ​@Lordnelson01 ,

I’m guessing you fell into the trap of just using the existing Key/Card as-is without telling OVO you moved in. Would I be right in thinking that? If so, that really isn’t how this is meant to work - you need to create your own account as soon as you move in so that you have control of the supply! For anyone reading this, NEVER just blindly grab the existing key/card and assume it’ll just work fine without you telling the supplier - it won’t.

To fix this, please contact OVO Support and open an account. You can do this via Live Chat at https://ovoenergy.com/help where you can explain the situation and set yourself up properly with an account in your name.

You’ll be able to request Smart Meters and - if you wish - a migration to Pay Monthly at the same time.

Hope this helps!


Nukecad
Plan Zero Hero
  • Plan Zero Hero
  • 746 replies
  • March 9, 2025

And just to add that it is the tenant’s right to choose who supplies their energy, what tariff they have, and whether they want PAYG or credit metering (a smart meter can do either one).

The landlord cannot insist that the tenant uses any particular company. tariff, or metering type.


Chris_OVO
Community Moderator
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  • Community Moderator
  • 730 replies
  • March 10, 2025

Hey ​@Lordnelson01

 

Some of our community members have stopped by with some really good advice so far. 

 

 I've created a guide that you might find helpful, and I'll leave it below:

 

 

Hopefully this helps! 


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