You need the entire code to activate the card. Partial codes won't work 

I know that, what I mean is that they didn’t manage to do anything at all on the shops end but the staff just gave up and just handed me the card regardless.

Could I just put it into my meter, despite the fact that the shop didn’t manage to do anything on their end with it or the TAG code, and get it to associate with my meter or am I forced to have to wait?

Nope, that won’t work. Only an already authorised card will be accepted by the meter - that’s what the TAG Code does.

Best case scenario: The meter will reject and spit the card out for being blank

Worst case scenario: The meter will trigger some kind of anti-tamper protection due to an unauthorised card being inserted

So follow up, just got off the phone again and the woman I just spoke to insisted that the previous code should have worked and that for OVO Gas cards it is in fact a 7 digit code and not an 8 digit one like both the website, and other posts on this forum claim when getting a replacement?


 

You could try the 7 digit code at the shop if you haven’t already. If it’s valid, the terminal will accept it.

However, I’ll do some digging in the forum backstage. Bear with me and I’ll try to get more info!

Been told I have to wait another 3 hours before I can go round and try, but they said they’d place a call back to me in about 3.5 hours to check if it worked or not, they also said that the card the shop gave me, may be the issue as its one that says “SSE part of the OVO Family” card and not one that only has OVO on it.

Yeah, it’d be preferable if it’s an OVO card specifically. Gas Meters get funny about using the wrong supplier cards…

Man, I hate Siemens Quantum sometimes...

So after now having gone through 4 different cards over the last few days, as either the cards/TAG codes just aren’t working, they’re finally sending someone out from emergency team to top it up  or something sometime in next 3 hours ish.

I’m starting to thinking the meter its self is the issue, as I'm not convinced its location in the outside under stairs cubby which is regularly damp/wet is helping things.

It’s probably worth just replacing the meter with a Smart Meter at this point. The Support Team can help arrange that.

Even with the Q-Smart Cards (the ones you’ve been trying to use), I still hate Siemens Quantum for being a massively clunky and outdated infrastructure behemoth. The sooner people get off of it, the better tbh.

Had the hassle with SSE (pre ovo switch) for over 3 years trying to get smart meters installed, but due to property access issues, its one building separated into 3 different sets of flats, and one of the residents either works  odd hours or just plain refuses to ever answer the door, so that unfortunately isn’t doable as have had at least 10 different  engineers attend after retelling this problem every time smart meters are brought up

They show up and after trying to get an answer for 10 min they go , Ahh yea we wont install them on safety grounds as wed have to cut off the entire building and would need access to each flat on the property to make sure that everything was successfully turned back on, and as guy at the very top won’t answer/is never in they can’t do it.


Anyway had a call back about 30 min ago re-booking emergency team sometime in this “next 3 hours” this evening, as something didnt go through the first time, and at the end I was told to expect a call from the people themselves confirming it in about 10/15 min and that if I didn’t answer they wouldn’t attend this evening… and as you can guess, have yet to receive said confirmation call 30 min later.… so now am worried its going to be yet another day of nothing.

That sounds like a Looped Neutral/Shared Neutral… Great...

Does that guy realise that he really does NEED to answer the door if the power needs to be shut off for emergency meter repairs?

The other option is that the DNO just kills the entire building at the sub-station. That’d make it all safe.

I’ve lived here for like 9 years and I have never actually seen or met the guy myself, heard him enter/leave at like 3/4am on a couple of occasions.  And no idea if he’s aware of that.

From what i gathered talking to engineers previously, I think the safety issues is less the shutting down of the power to the building and more them being able to make sure it was turned back on safely, thus why never had smart meters installed.


Anyway just had emergency team guy/engineer arrive and yep meter is buggered and needs replacing as it didn’t even recognise his service card, so got to wait on a call tomorrow morning (or chasing up again if heard nothing by 12) yay ….

Yup. Definitely dead. And I hate to say it, but the supply to the building will have to be shut down in order to fix this. Generally, the electricity needs to be switched off when replacing a gas meter if memory serves.

Hey @tom_j_davey1 

Let us know how things go today.

@Blastoise186 you are most definitely correct in that they will need to turn the supply off, all be it for a small amount of time.

Do keep us updated Tom.

Just got off the phone with the Emergency Team again, Engineers are booked to come out in the next 3 hours and either repair or replace the meter, maybe to a smart meter as apparently traditional ones are in “short supply”, so we shall see how that goes.

Also need to get onto landlord and see about getting a box/cover for the meter given how damp/wet the area the meters are in gets especially after heavy rainfall like last night, or sod it might look at getting one myself as landlord takes forever to sort anything out repairs wise anyway.  How easy are they to get hold of/install do we know?

A lot of hardware stores and builders yards have them - they’re cheap and easy to get.

Do you need a hand to locate one of these boxes? I’m happy to do a quick search for you. Your DNO/Gas Transporter can then assist with the installation if memory serves.

Am sure can probably find some online, or can ask at say Screwfix/Wickes etc in town.

Am more wondering if its something that needs to be installed before/during the meter installation or if its something that can be done after the fact as I now have to stay in waiting for the engineers.

You can do it either before or after. If you ask nicely, it may be possible to do it at the same time - but I don’t know for sure.

Cool if it can be done afterwards I might take a wander down to town tomorrow or have a look online or something then,.

Can add that to the ever growing list of things for my landlord to look into sorting or reimbursing me for taking care of lol.

Maybe your landlord should pay me for my time helping you out as well. You might not have had to come here otherwise. :)

Let’s see… If I did 1p for every Point… That’d cost them over 70,000p or £7,000! XD

Haha good luck getting that out of them, I am still waiting for my living room to be redecorated after the ceiling had to be partially replaced, and part of my utility rooms ceiling still has an almost 1M square hole exposing the semi rotten beams above from it literally falling down at 3am months ago, due to water ingress in the building at top floor, so me and guy above me are chasing up the guy at the top to try get that sorted and I’m constantly chasing up letting agents about the other work… 

Was chatting with upstairs and we both think she’s dragging her heels on all this a bit so that she can milk me for money for as long as possible as its at least some guaranteed income and if she fixes it all and then tries raising the rent as ill be in a “nicer flat” than I was in maybe is worried that I'll threaten to move out lol.

You should definitely talk to Citizens Advice Bureau about that. Landlords are obligated to assist with keeping the property in a good state of repair and it sounds like your landlord is breaching that requirement.

Final update, Meter has been sorted out and gas is back on, now just to wait for new card and get the refund sorted for the £20 I put on one of the cards that doesn’t work.

That’s good. Keep hold of the old cards for now. If OVO is satisfied the credit was never transferred to the meter, then there’s a 100% chance you’ll get that refund. I think they’ll either give it to you in cash (or more likely cheque) or as a voucher code to apply to the new meter - this wouldn’t add a debt to it, just a credit via Remote Token Issue.