My PAYG meter showing 'Low Battery'- What should I do?

Hi @ecremer ,

Let support know! :)

https://ovoenergy.com/help .

Some years ago I had a British Gas PAYG meter that started showing ‘low battery’.

The BG engineer came out the next day and took a look, then said ‘It will be OK they last a long time on low battery, call us again when it finally fails’.

Two years later when I moved out of there it was still working fine and still showing low battery.

Our gas meter is showing a message that implies the battery is failing.   How long before the gas stops?   OVO say the next appt to replace it is 2 July!

Should we be worried?   
 

Will gas cut off at some point?

You'll be ok. Those warnings start flagging several months ahead.

You won't be disconnected if you’re PAYM

Last time I had a PAYG gas meter that started showing the ‘Low Battery’ warning I called the supplier and an engineer came out.
He took a quick look and said that it would last for a year or two.

it was still working and still showing ‘Low Battery’ 2-1/2 years later when I  moved out of that flat.

PS. If you should happen to go off supply then it becomes an emergency, call your supplier and an engineer can be there that day.

Hey ​@wkeithg,

As ​@Nukecad suggested, it's best to schedule an appointment for an engineer to replace the battery. If you experience any power outages, we can expedite the appointment for same-day service. Your meter uses minimal power, so the warning doesn't indicate an immediate issue.

I have a visit scheduled for 2nd July.   According to info I can find the battery isn’t replaceable so have to fit a new meter. This is needed anyway as my gas meter hasn’t talked to the electric one since it was installed.   I’m surprised the battery has failed as we’ve only had the smart gas meter since 2020 though maybe it’s been trying so hard to make a connection it’s worn itself out!

it seems crazy that the battery isn’t replaceable but I suspect it’s to stop unscrupulous users removing the battery to get free power. 

Hey ​@wkeithg, 

Great to hear that you wen’t with the appointment I wasn’t sure you’d booked it. 

I understand your point about the battery not being replaceable. If I remember correctly, Smart Meters are sealed units to prevent tampering and modular work, which reduces their failure rate. I'll tag ​@Lukepeniket_OVO so he can provide a more accurate answer from an engineering perspective when he has time.

It would be good to learn the real reason why a gas meter with a flat battery has to be exchanged rather than just having the battery replaced. The last I heard, it is an H&S diktat that requires major modifications to engineers’ vans to mitigate the fire/explosion risk when they’re being used to transport lithium batteries around the countryside.  

I wonder if the same person has considered the risk of a lithium battery beside a gas pipe !

A lithium battery is considered ‘safe’ when installed. It’s just when carried ‘loose’ they seem to present an additional danger. It’s the same on aircraft travel

Hey, 

​@Lukepeniket_OVO has kindly left an update above regarding our previous discussions around meter batteries. I’ll tag you so you don’t miss it ​@wkeithg, ​@Firedog ​@BPLightlog & ​@Nukecad and for future reference.