If it’s Traditional Prepayment, you need Boost, not OVO. https://boostpower.co.uk 

OVO sent me to boost first. They said no. Multiple people have said I have to first go to the OVO pay as you go. They check the address, see that meter type, and pass me on to another person. And so the cycle continues. None of them try to help me, just pass me around.

I will try boost again directly. 

I’ve checked backstage with the other forum volunteers and the forum moderators previously. We’ve had it confirmed that OVO PAYG is for Smart Meters only - Boost focuses on Traditional PAYG these days.

Your answer is wrong. This is what boost said.

“So the property is showing that it is with OVO PAYG so I will have to transfer you to them.”

The meter is not smart. It has a key you put in it to add credit. Boost don’t want to help either.

My own sources are absolutely solid on this one. I have access to internal teams via the forum moderators so I know it’s accurate.

I will flag this up to see what can be done, but it’s probably a Boost issue.

Hey @richard c 

Sorry to hear about this.

I’m going to have the Forum Support reach out to you to see if they can help get this sorted. Look out for a PM here soon:  https://forum.ovoenergy.com/inbox/overview 

Have finally found someone at OVO who wants to help and has been very good at working on fixing this for me. After an hour on the phone where she called other departments to get this sorted she has passed the issue on higher up and has reassured me that she will call back at 4pm.

The issue is that the system can not cope with me having an old account that was closed. A new one was made but the system would not let her change the address to my new one. As a software engineer of 25+ years (degree and masters in software engineering) this inability of the system not to be able to cope with a user that has had an account with OVO, which was closed, but now needs a new one is a clear indication of a lack of basic software engineering. If the requirements elicitation has been carried out properly and interviews with all stake holders this basic use case will have been factored in. This is not a rare use case. For example,

A customer moves out and into a new partners address. Their account is closed as their new partner handles the energy and so the account is not needed. Then a few months later the relationship ends and the former customer moves to a new property that has a traditional pay-as-you-go-meter.

This is a user story that is basic to the operation of your system. It should have been catered for. But instead, if this is your story, you are in of world of pain.

And so the saga continues, I STILL can not buy credit for my meter. I now have a new account, when I login I am sent to a page telling me to install an app. But the meter will not work with the app, it’s an old pay as you go. I have had to ring again to ask for a new key, the one I have is very old SSE, was told will not work. I have also just booked in for a new smart meter on the 19th. Will I finally be able to buy electric?? I have medication in the fridge that MUST be refrigerated. If I loose electric I loose my meds. And if that happens I WIll contact my MP and the press.

Will the engineer go to the right house??? The system is still showing my old address are the billing address, which is not and the people on the phone can change it, the system will not let them change it! The new address is set as the supply address. The faster I can leave OVO the better. 11th August this started, will not be fixed till the 19th September. (I hope) and I have little confidence that it will be. I will never use OVO again and I will be encouraging anyone I know that uses them to move. OVO systems are awful. What has made it has is that as the property has the old style pay as you go meter I have to phone, you can not use the online chat. They moment you say you have pay as you go it stops, telling you to ring.

OVO are the worst company ever. 

Hey @richard c,

I’m really sorry to hear this,

You may have already tried the below:

Topping up for the first time?

To register your new electricity key or gas card, put it into the correct meter for at least a minute. The electricity meter will show a message to let you know it's registered, and the gas meter will beep.

For gas meters

• Insert your card into the gas meter and follow the instructions on the screen.

• Make sure the gold-coloured chip is facing the meter display. Press and hold the red ‘A’ button, and the credit will appear on your meter.

For electricity meters

• Insert your key into the electricity meter, and follow the instructions on the screen. 

• Make sure the arrow on the key is facing upwards. The new credit should show automatically.

If you’ve topped up at a shop, keep your receipt each time just in case. If the money doesn’t appear in your meter, we’ll need to look into it for you.

My key/card isn’t working – what should I do?

We recommend taking the key/card out of the meter and wiping the chip with a clean, dry cloth. If you re-insert it in the meter and it still doesn’t work, please get in touch with us and we can send you a replacement.

Is your meter showing an ‘error code’ when you insert your key/card? Was there an error code when the shop assistant popped your key or card in a PayPoint terminal? If so, note the error code down and compare it to the list of codes we’ve listed in our guide on error codes here. That’ll help us work out how to fix the issue quicker when you contact our Support team (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, and 9am to 5pm on weekends).

Please contact OVO Pay As You Go, the best way to get in touch is via chat here. Just click the green chat icon on the bottom right of your screen. We’re here to help anytime from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm on Saturday. Or call 0330 175 9669 during the same times.

If you go off supply they can book in an emergency appointment, if you are on the priority services register and explain you have refrigerated medication they can get someone out to you faster.

It is likely with an emergency appointment that a smart meter will be installed as this is what we have in stock, this means you’ll be able to top up remotely using an app. 

But I'd advise switching to pay monthly to ensure you do not go off supply. If you are unhappy about the service you've received I'd advise raising a complaint.

I hope this helps. 

Thanks for the info, I was advised not to try to use the key and PAYG meter as I could loose any credit placed on it. I think now that I have to wait till the 19th September I have no choice but hope the old key (very old still has SSE logo on it) will work. If it does not work then I am out of luck.

Although I now have an account for my new property the agent said yesterday that my old address is set as the billing address. This is incorrect, I have told OVO to remove all reference of this old address from my account, but the agents can not do this. It is my understanding (and I have studied GDPR for my masters) that OVO have now broken the GDPR rules by not correcting my data. See below.

“Individuals have the right to have personal data rectified. You can rectify personal data if it is inaccurate or incomplete. You must rectify any inaccurate personal data that relates to the individual without undue delay, and in any event within one month.”

Hey @richard c,

Sorry the issues you’re having are on-going,

So you have not tried topping up with the existing key? Have you been issued a new key/card? If so, the following topic should be helpful:

You can top up via:

•  Any PayPoint shop. Find your nearest at paypoint.co.uk or call 0330 400 0000.

• Any Post Office. Find your nearest at postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder

• Any Payzone shop. Find your nearest at storelocator.payzone.co.uk

I’m surprised customer support have advised they are unable to change the billing address on your new account. Are they able to give you discretionary credit until you get your smart meter installed? As I say, if you went off supply they could book a meter exchange for you.

How much credit is on the meter? How was this credit applied to the meter? I’m wondering if your meter is in ‘non-disconnect’ mode. 

Hey @richard c,

Forum Support have been in touch also, please respond to your private message.

Check here @richard c

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/inbox/overview

No, I did not say that. They can not change it. The OVO system will not allow them to change it, they have tried and computer says no. It’s why they had to make a new second account. But the billing address is still wrong. They have tried to change it but the system will not do it. The system is broken. It is fixated on my old closed account, like it has a crush on my old home. Whatever the agents try to do, it still keeps giving them my old address. I say at least the supply address is correct now. But I would not be surprised if on the 19th September they go and fit the new meter no the wrong house. I have no confidence in OVO doing anything right.

I was advised that if I used the old key I could loose any credit I put on the meter.

Hey @richard c,

I can assure you the engineer appointment would be for the supply address. I don’t have access to your account, so can’t advise why they aren’t able to change your billing address.

It might be worth raising a complaint in regards to this. 

Hope this gets sorted soon.

Thanks for the link Emmanuelle. I will have to send a complaint in. A couple days ago I got some more letters to do with the new account, sent to the wrong address again!

What clowns