My Pay As You Go account

Gas top up card stopped working at the paypoint, phones customer support, they gave me a code, wait 2 hours and get new card,.. Nearest place with any cards was 45mins walk, off I go, gets there code wouldn't work, fones back, gets new code,.. Goes back to shop that one didn't work. Fones back up they said they had booked an engineer for between 8pm - 11pm,... Its now 1.10am and guess what? Engineer hasn't turned up. Im Cold, ( no Heating), I'm tired, I've no hot water, it's a gas cooker,..and a gas fire, I'm not impressed.. going to be fun trying to get the kids ready for school in morning. Will I be charged for this engineer, even though he didn't turn up??

Do I repay a gas debt and standing charge whilst running on emergency credit

Hi I am trying to setup a schedule weekly payment on payg meter why can’t I do it

Hi, Can someone tell me or give a link to OVOs payg tariffs. I'm only looking for a single tariff and not an e7 etc. When I look at Renew Your Plan, there is no option to select payg. Why is this? Thanks

My gas smart meter display has always shown how many days I have left in gas after I top up, and obviously goes down, however it's just changed from this to the amount going up like it's now billing me, iv just topped up and it's the same, the credit isn't on my smart meter, and bill is still increasing, anyone else had this? Any suggestions?

Updated on 16/01/25 by Abby_OVO Meter error codes for your traditional Pay As You Go meter Electricity meter screen codes: RESET, TOKEN NO or ERRORS 1, 2, 3, 50 or 99: We need to change your meter – please call 0330 175 9669 as soon as you can, so we can sort it out. Blank screen: if the red light isn’t flashing, there’s no power getting to your meter. Please contact your District Network Operator (DNO). The easiest way to contact them is to call the power cut helpline on 105. If the red light is flashing, insert your key in the meter and hold down the blue button to wake up your meter. If this doesn’t work, give us a ring on 0330 175 9669, as something might be wrong. ERROR 6: you’re using the wrong key, or your key has stopped working. Please contact our Support team and we’ll tell you how to sort out a new one. ERROR 10: this can mean your key needs a clean – so try wiping the chip with a clean, dry cloth and then put it back in. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to pick up a new key. ERROR 11 to 44: you need a new key. Please contact our Support team so we can arrange for you to pick one up from your local PayPoint, Payzone or Post Office. If you see any other onscreen error messages, it probably means you need a new key. Many key error can be resolved by cleaning the key chip or blowing inside the key slot. If the error continues, we’d suggest writing down the error message from your meter display and contact our Support team, so we can arrange a new key for you. Gas meter screen codes: CALL HELP: Please call us on 0330 175 9669 right away. We might need to arrange for an engineer to reset your meter before it runs out of credit and disconnects. Card fail, card fail 34/35 or card fail -----: Try cleaning the card chip, blowing inside the card slot and inserting the card upside down. If it still doesn’t work after trying this, please call us on 0330 175 9669 to request a replacement card. Please know that these error codes are for common traditional Pay As You Go meters. If this doesn’t match what you’re seeing, it might not be relevant for your meter type. Contact our Support team if you’re unsure.

Updated on 20/01/25 by Emmanuelle_OVO: If you’re a pay as you go customer whose vulnerable or relies on your supply for mains powered electrical equipment (supply critical customers) & we’ve been trying to reach you it may be because you’ve not topped up in a while & might be without power. If we aren’t able to get in touch we will send a visitor (after 72 hours of being off supply) to check in and talk about how we can help. ​​​​​​ We also want you to know that if you can’t afford to top up, we’re here to help. Don’t worry if this doesn’t apply to you – we just want to make sure that anyone who needs support gets it quickly. These topics may be helpful: Quick hints and tricks to see if you can get back on supply yourself! - Is my gas supply actually off? & Is my electricity supply actually off? Click on the link for Pay As You Go Smart Meter off supply? Pay As You Go Smart Meter with top up issues? Need financial support or questions about your debt balance? Get advice here ​​​​ Off Supply- Frequently asked questions We understand that it can be worrying going off supply, so we’ve created this helpful guide answering your frequently asked questions about this topic. If your question isn’t included, you can chat to us here – click the green chat icon at the bottom right of your screen. Or call us on 0330 175 9669 and we’ll be able to help. We’re here to help anytime from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm on Saturday. If you’re off supply on the weekend you can still contact our social media team on Facebook or Twitter , they can still arrange an emergency appointment if needed, even on the weekend. If I’ve been disconnected because my credit ran out, how do I reconnect my supply again after I top up? Once you’ve topped up enough to bring your balance above zero, you can reconnect your meter. You can find out ways to top up your Pay As You Go (PAYG) Smart Meter here . If you have a first generation smart meter For safety reasons, you’ll have to reconnect your meter manually. If you're reconnecting your gas meter, make sure all gas appliances are off before you start. Press any button on the keypad of your meter Then wait for the OFF message to change to READY (this can take up to 30 minutes) Next, you can press A, then B, to reconnect Then your meter will say ON With a second generation smart meter using your Chameleon Smart In-Home Display (IHD6): From the home screen, press OK Press the right arrow twice, until you see 'Activate electricity supply’ Press OK If you have an Aclara second generation meter and a Flonidan gas meter: Your electricity meter will have two buttons, A and B, rather than a keypad. For electricity: Once you’ve topped up, press and hold the A and B buttons on your electricity meter at the same time, for about 10 seconds. You should hear a clicking noise when your supply returns If it doesn’t work the first time, wait a couple of minutes before trying again If you’re still having trouble, you can try adding your top-up manually. For gas: Once you’ve topped up, press any button on your gas meter Your meter will automatically begin reconnecting If it doesn’t reconnect, check all your gas appliances are switched off, then try again. Youtube tutorials for re-enabling meters: (Aclara SMETS2 Gas) (Aclara SMETS2 Electricity) (Elster Meter Electricity) (Elster Meter Gas) (Secure Meter Electricity) (Secure Meter Gas) (Landis & Gyr Electricity) (Landis & Gyr Gas) (EDMI Meter Gas) (EDMI Meter Electricity) Need some more information about your smart meter? Check out the following smart meter manuals: SMETS1 Secure Guide SMETS1 Aclara Guide SMETS2 Aclara Guide SMETS1 Elster Guide SMETS2 Elster Guide SMETS2 EDMI Guide SMETS2 LNG Guide What happens if I have a Pay As You Go meter that runs out of credit? Your meter(s) will warn you when your balance is running low. To top up, use your OVO Energy Top-up app, go online or visit a local PayPoint shop. It’s important to know that, if you don’t add credit in time, you could lose power when your credit reaches £0. If this ever happens, each meter has £15 credit to keep you going in emergencies or until you can next top up. Any emergency credit you use will be repaid out of your next top up. If your emergency credit runs out and you can’t afford to top up, please chat with us here . Just click the green chat icon at the bottom right of your screen. Or call us on 0330 175 9669 – we can help. What to do in a power cut Power cut helpline number: 105 Power cuts usually don’t last long, but if it lasts for more than a few hours call the Power Cut Helpline on 105 to speak to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). They’re responsible for problems with the cables supplying electricity to your home. Before you call: Check your trip switch to make sure there’s not a fault with your wiring or electrical items See if your neighbors have power. If they don’t, it’s likely there’s a problem with the local network If you’re not sure Pay As You Go is right for you, and are interested in switching to pay monthly you can contact the Pay As You Go Support Team . Got a question about your Pay As You Go energy use, top-ups, keys, cards, or anything else? Why not see if you can find the answers in our dedicated Pay As You Go Forum category . There are also tons of helpful resources and information available on our OVO Help pages . If you or anyone in your household is vulnerable, or just needs a little extra assistance at a difficult time in your lives, our Priority Services Register is a free support service you might find useful. Struggling with your energy bills? Our Winter Support Package might be helpful to you.

I am a pay as you go customer (PAYG) who was an SSE customer. SSE used to send out a statement every 3 months showing usage and costs. I got changed over 8 months ago and can't get a billing statement sent out to me? I am told look at the app but the app is only for D/D customers so no billing info is available to download for PAYG customers, why? We all pay for our energy so why can't PAYG customers get billing statements sent to them? Customer service send me on a merry-go-round with no ability to assist and the Web site does not offer this service 'O' but they do for D/D customers are payg customers less important OVO energy? Sort out your app that allows PAYG customers the same service as DD customers, SSE offered this service via their app why can't OVO offer the same???

This message here is my last chance to get help. No one at OVO will help. They just pass me around, 10 times!!! Next step it to take legal advice. I have no choice! OVO support staff WILL NOT HELP!!! I spent two hours on the phone and spoke to 10 different people. And not a single one can help. The web site will not allow me fix the issue online as the house has a pre payment meter. I have to phone. My old OVO account was closed when I moved out of my flat a month ago. I could not be sure my purchase would happen. So I had no new address at that time. So the account was closed. I have now purchased a new house. The new house has a pre payment meter with a key I need an OVO account so that I can then buy electric No one at the OVO call centre can help. They just keep passing me from department to department. Why can I not buy electric from you? I want to give you money but you don't want it. My old account number is *edited by moderator* (which was closed)

I was given an RTI code for a £100 refund. I’ve had flu so not been able to go to shop to put on my key. Does the RTI code have an expiry date?

Why can't PAYG customers enjoy the same EV benefits as those who pay by direct debit.

Hi newbie here and need advice. We were with SSE but I believe OVO took over the account some time ago. The last 3 top ups I have done have definitely not added up. We put the emergency 2 days ago which is £15 and we only get notification at 50 pence left. Today I put £30 on the key and went to top up, the meter said about £8 left of emergency,so we owed £7 to my mind. So I put the £30 in and the meter showed the key had £30 on it. The meter then showed that we had only £13 credit whereas it should have been £23, a shortfall of £10. There is no debt with this meter and to be honest we rarely use the emergency except during the colder periods purely because of the lack of warning until 50 pence left. We have got letters from them saying that we haven't topped up in a while but every week for many years at least £25 goes in a week without fail. So are OVO charging £10 every time you use the emergency electric or are they scamming us or have been hacked themselves. Any thoughts welcome but as I've said the last 3 top ups have deducted an extra £10 on what the key needed to replace the emergency electricity used(last 3 weeks £30 lost), thanks.

I’m just going to copy and paste the complaint I just sent any help and advice would be appreciated thanks :) To OVO Complaints Team. I want to make a formal complaint. Recently last week moved into a new property which you already supplied electric and gas so I thought it would be easier just to stick with you. Set up my account with a nice lady who said I had smart meters and meter readings would be sent automatically and I would be paying monthly when it was due for gas and electric. Today (Sat 11th Jan) I woke up to no gas or heating or hot water. I had to call my landlord to get a certified gas engineer out only to be told I have a pre-payment gas meter that I have to top up. It had no credit hence why no gas, This was never mentioned to me. I then tried to call you and your phone lines are closed at weekends! I text chatted to someone they said the gas meter is pre-payment you top up with a code or online. They then said the meter isn’t communicating with OVO and someone would have to come out. This was around 5 Pm and then I was cut off and you closed! Why didn’t anyone tell me when signing up? I have mobility and sight issues I cannot see the display of the meter, bending down to access a gas meter in the ground is not going to work for me. I want to pay monthly. I can’t have pre-payment meters. I’m mentally ill and like to have the bill monthly as it’s easier and stress-free. I have been left without hot water and heating this weekend and it’s peak winter. I’m not happy and I’m freezing. I want the meter changed to monthly or I will be off and will go elsewhere. How can you leave people like this mid-winter without being able to contact someone in an emergency?

My key was stolen. I picked up a blue key from a shop after being given an RTI code from OVO. I’ve been given another RTI code for the £100 that was on my stolen card. I went to the shop and it didn’t work. Did I need to activate my new card?

We have bought a house which has pre payment meters I obviously want to a ) change details over b) get rid of pre payment I just cannot get through on the phone and it’s driving me to dispair there is currently no supply at all

took my electric key to the shop to top up, failed to top up on the shops side, put key back in and now there is a blinking red light? Any idea why this failed to be topped up (was able to top up gas card at the time) and is now doing this?

Given 8 digit code to set up gas card, followed steps to activate card in meter, card reading as invalid in shops. Tried with two separate cards, same result. No emergency credit due to needing to use it (OVO failed to send out gas card after asking for one on multiple occasions or inform us we could get one from shop for almost a month) it is currently -4, two disabled people in the house, no emergency line to call and the gas has now been cut off. What do I do?

We are all electric and on THTC, or so we believe, we moved here in March 2021 and we have been trying to switch since we moved in, due to our apparent meter type we were with SSE then switched over to OVO. Currently going through energy ombusman to get a different meter/tarriff, due to living in the countryside we have to travel to a shop and due to weather it is not always possible and being pay as you go its not sustainable and we were told absolutely no way can we get a different meter and we would just have to wait until the RTS shuts down and hopefully we can get a smart meter(apparently this is not possible at the moment due to signal, yet others on our street have smart meters)OVO have argued that we are on a THTC tarriff..but the rates he gave me dont match the rates on our actual meter, each rate on our meter being 1pence more per kw. We have been told by someone, that our meter is infact an economy 7/10 meter. I cant seem to see the RTS box or the second meter they are claiming we have? We have one meter with 2 rates but that is all. Attached are photos of our electricity cupboard. Can anyone shed some light on what type of meter this is as seem to be passed from pillar to post!

Why would I occasionally keep getting a balance adjustment message on my pay as you go smart meter? Surely the money just goes down as I use it. Why are they taking more from me?

I have a prepayment meter. How can I set up an online account? I am asked to supply an account number from a bill but with a prepayment meter, I don't get a bill.

Hi, We tried to top up our pay as you go “heritage” meter and were met with a flashing display of “call help”. To cut a long story and multiple (poor signal peppered) conversations short, the engineers have failed to show up twice, and we’re still without a gas supply. Has anyone else had a similar problem, and more so, is there any way to circumvent the singular process put in place to deal with our issue? Regards, Customer666

I didn't think it was possible to view meter balance/s on the top-up app, however on the app store, some of the reviews say they are able to see their balances. I cannot seem to see mine on the top-up app?

Hi , I'm hoping for any assistance I can get with my pay as you go kaifa smart meter. Firstly I noticed the IHD stopped giving electricity info 10 days ago. Contacted ovo by web chat and the assistant said they had "unjoined and rejoined" meanwhile I had to switch the IHD off for 30 mins. This didn't work so Immediately started another chat ,told by another assistant that the IHD should be switched off for 24hrs. Didn't work either. Wondered if by any chance I could find out what credit I had or perhaps top up by the meter itself so I had a look (it's outside the property ) and found the display only showing inaccurate local time. Didn't shuffle through any screens only showed me the wrong time. Got no reaction from any of the buttons but the lights were flashing every 5 secs. Started another chat with ovo, established that the electricity meter wasn't communicating with either of us and that I wouldn't see an engineer till end of Feb at the earliest unless I'm out of credit. So just a few insights would be useful whilst I wait for the lights to go out. 1. Would the none disconnect hrs apply to my situation if the meters showing half past one in the afternoon? 2. Would the emergency credit automatically trigger during the night like my old traditional meter. 3. Is there any way I could restart the meter? Ovo's troubleshooting section shows nothing for the meter I have. T.I.A

I moved into a new property (owned) in December. It had pre-payment meters for gas and electricity with a key and card for top up. I had smart meters installed on May 3 and on May 15 received an email from SSE/OVO advising my final bill had arrived and could I log in and pay it. I have not received a bill and have never used emergency credit on either meter. After two hours of phone calls speaking to six different people, a two day chat in Whatsapp and thirty minutes on hold today I am no further! They advise I owe £60.27p however no one on any call or message system could confirm how or why I allegedly owe this amount, or whether it is for gas, electricity or a combination of the two. I have not received a bill and no one has been able to send me another copy of it. I was hoping to transfer to being a direct debit customer but I’m not sure about this as you don’t seem to be able to get finance correct when I pay in advance! Any other pre-payment customers receive random emails about bills that don’t appear to exist?!

Updated on 23/01/25 by Chris_OVO: How to use your Pay As You Go Smart Meter We’ve pulled together some frequently asked questions all about your smart meters and In Home Displays (IHDs). Can the IHD warn me when I’m getting low on credit? Yes, a message will appear on your main menu screen. Then, if you don’t top up straightaway, your IHD will send you another message when your credit is almost used up. At that stage it’ll ask if you want to activate your emergency credit. Want to know more about your IHD? Check out these helpful guides: Why is my IHD balance different from my app balance? The app balance (available in the Apple App Store or Google Play ) gets updated once a day after midnight. If you've used energy or topped up since midnight, then your app balance will be out of date. It might also be that your meter isn’t communicating with us, in which case your balance won't update in the app. But your IHD will usually communicate with your meter throughout the day to stay up to date. How can I check my debt balance or repayment rate on my meter? Help is at hand via your IHD: Press the menu button and use the arrows to flip through the menus until you see 'debt' Select OK on the relevant fuel to see info on your debt and repayment rate How do I activate my emergency credit? (Secure Meter electricity) (Secure Gas) (EDMI) (EDMI Gas) (Landis & Gyr) (Landis & Gyr gas) (Elster) (Elster Gas) Your IHD will prompt you when your balance reaches £2. Don’t worry if you missed your emergency credit prompt – you can still activate it when your balance is below £2. How do I know how much credit I have on my meter? For first generation smart meters (with a keypad), press 7 to see your balance. You can also press 5 to see any debt you have left to pay. For second generation meters (one with 2 buttons on the electricity meter and 3 buttons on the gas, such as our Aclara electricity or Flonidan gas smart meter) your balance will always display on your IHD home screen and on the screen of the meter itself. Not sure if your meter is SMETS1 or SMETS2? Don’t worry, we have the following Tutorials: What if I’m having issues with my smart IHD? If you're experiencing any issues with your IHD, you can chat to us here – click the green chat icon at the bottom right of your screen. Or call us on 0330 175 9669 and we’ll be able to help. Pay As You Go Smart meter guides Have a look below for the guide that matches your meter – just click to open and download it. In these guides, we’ll explain the essentials – like topping up, using emergency credit, and getting help when you need it. We’ll show you how to get the most out of your smart meter and make your home more energy efficient. You should be able to find your meter type on your meter. If you need some help you can contact us by chat here . Just click the green chat icon on the bottom right of your screen (8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturday). Or call us on 0330 175 9669 during the same times. SMETS1 Secure Guide SMETS1 Aclara Guide SMETS2 Aclara Guide SMETS1 Elster Guide SMETS2 Elster Guide SMETS2 EDMI Guide SMETS2 LNG Guide Got a question about your Pay As You Go energy use, top-ups, keys, cards, or anything else? Why not see if you can find the answers in our dedicated Pay As You Go Forum category . There are also tons of helpful resources and information available on our OVO Help pages . If you or anyone in your household is vulnerable, or just needs a little extra assistance at a difficult time in your lives, our Priority Services Register is a free support service you might find useful. Struggling with your energy bills? Our Winter Support Package might be helpful to you.