Hi @Scorpio71168 , the maximum loading capability varies by supplier and it’s also different for electric and gas. Generally £249 is the limit for electric but for gas it can be £999+. I’ve no idea what OVO use

If you have legacy Key/Card based Prepayment Meters, this is absolutely NOT recommended. If the meter(s) break for any reason and/or you lose the key/card, all your credit goes down the drain with little to no chance of recovery.

If you still want to do this, I strongly recommend upgrading to Smart Meters where the balance at least comes with a nightly backup to the supplier systems. From there, definitely consider moving to Pay Monthly where you can stash away as much credit as you want with the supplier - and with zero risk of loss if the meter goes kaput.

Hey @Scorpio71168,

Thanks for your great question,

For Traditional meters, the electricity meter holds £250 maximum, and the most you top up in one transaction is £99. For gas traditional the maximum a meter holds is £999 and can top up up to £49 in one transaction.

For Smart a meters, for both gas and electricity, the meters hold up to £999 and maximum top up in one transaction is £200.

Hope this helps. 

I think its stupid. You should be able to top up as much as you want. If I load 250 into my meter that is not enough for the month, even though I live in a 1 bedroom flat and am out all day. I have 1 oil filled heater (electric powered) which I use to heat 1 room. So by the time the 250 runs out I am skint but still need to find at least another 50 a month to cover it until the next payday. If I could put more on I would do it on payday to see me through to the next payday. I am constantly cold and using a hot waterbottle in bed which I go to straight after dinner justbto keep warm under the duvet. 

There are reasons for this. If you DON’T have Smart Meters, regular top-ups are necessary to ensure the supplier gets regular meter readings and helps to prevent fraud. By enforcing limits on the value of each top-up and meter balance, it encourages the customer to top-up on a regular basis and ensures the supplier can meet their own obligations.

If you DO have Smart Meters, this restriction is more about fraud prevention and preventing excessive meter balances - it will not be modified just because one person wants higher limits.

If you want to throw more credit onto your account than the limits allow, Prepayment may not be suitable for you and I’d encourage you to consider switching to Pay Monthly. Switching supplier will not result in the limits being changed either - it’s a global restriction applied everywhere.

Hey @Simmo909,

Sorry to hear this, it sounds like a very stressful situation to be in.

 Our Winter Support Package might be helpful to you.

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. You’ll be able to set up automatic monthly payments in the form of direct debits, make top up payments and won’t have to worry about going off supply.