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PAYG meter and OVO keep sending emails saying I'm using gas and not paying! ( gas is off )

Been on  a Payg gas metre with SSE now OVO. Twice now since OVO took over had email saying I'm using gas and not paying. Last email saying I owe money, even though metre in credit.

Now the funny part is, my gas isn't even on! I'm not living in the property, Gas boiler doesn't work and I have it switched off at the metre. So I only need to top it up on the card here and there to cover the standing charge. 

I phoned helpdesk both times and was told to ignore the email, but why is this even happening?

It seems to me the system doesn't like the fact I'm not using gas, so assumes that I must be and just makes something up out of literally nothing. 

Please please 🙏 OVO can you sort yourselves out!! 

If it happens again, I'm seriously thinking about just permanent disconnect. And or switching to another company. 

Seems like I'm not the only one on PAYG that has these problems. 

12 replies

Blastoise186
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Hi @AndreH ,

Is the gas meter a Smart Meter or a Card Meter?

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
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Hi. It's a card metre. I top it up at the post office. Metre says owe nothing. Yet I had an email saying I owe £86. Which I do not. Helpdesk say ignore it and it'll be sorted. Getting a bit tiresome, and I bet it'll happen again.

Blastoise186
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I see.

If you are NOT using any gas, I’d still recommend you Top-Up at least £1 a month on a consistent monthly basis so that OVO (or whoever the supplier may be) can grab the meter readings. Without those Top-Ups, your supplier cannot know that you’re not using gas and may assume something fishy is going on - which is well within their rights.

It sounds like you’re not doing that very often, which is throwing things out of line and making things worse. Try this solution and see if it helps. Doing it via PayPoint is recommended if you can find one, otherwise just go wherever the OVO card is accepted at:

  1. Set a consistent date in your calendar for a meter top-up
  2. On that date, go to the property first before you visit the shop
  3. Insert the card into the meter and follow the prompts to have it read the card
  4. After the meter is done processing the card (requires at least 60 seconds after the screen wakes up) take the card out of the meter and head to the shop
  5. Top-Up by at least £1 - exactly what you top-up with is up to your discretion
  6. Return to the property and transfer the credit to the meter
  7. (Optional) go back to the shop and do another £1 top-up, then transfer that to the meter as well
  8. Wait 2 hours and contact OVO PAYG Support to get the latest status of your account - do this at least once in a while so you know what’s going on

This should help. Ultimately however, if gas is NEVER going to be used again at the property, you’re wasting your money by keeping the gas supply active. Disconnection MIGHT be the right move in those cases.

Please read this guide below very, very carefully before making a decision. There’s no going back if you commit to it.

 

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I see, the problem I have with that is I live on the isle of man and can't visit that often. But that is a good point and is what I will try to do. 

Thing is I've explained this to OVO twice now and they said they will sort it.

The reason I've kept it going is because I plan on moving in to the property and when I do fit a new boiler.

It's been in the process of refurbishment, but can only do it when I get a holiday from work here. 

 

Blastoise186
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Gotcha. If you know someone who lives closer, feel free to ask them to do the top-ups on your behalf for now. OVO permits anyone to do it for you if they’ve got the top-up keys/cards - just make sure not to lose them!

In the future, it may be worth upgrading to Smart Meters so that you can simply top-up by remote control from anywhere in the UK.

Let me throw this thread into my bookmarks for a bit. I’ve got a hunch about something...

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
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Thanks very much. I don't know anyone that could do it for me. The next time I have time off work is end August, so won't be checking it until then unfortunately. But I know I've left enough credit on it and took a picture of it too.

Chris_OVO
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Hey @AndreH, 

 

I’m sorry to hear that the emails have caused some confusion! Sadly, we don’t have account access here that would tell us the cause of the issue but our Support Team will be able to keep you right. 

 

Our volunteer @Blastoise186 has already provided some really helpful information. I thought I would share a few links with you that may also help: 

 

I hope this helps! 

Renewable energy jokes never get old.
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Thanks for the reply. 

The confusion only seems to be since OVO took over, because I've had the property four years and never had this issue with SSE.

I have explained twice already to the support team my situation, and both times was told to ignore the email sent. 

The latest email says I owe for gas I've used! And if not paid by July 27th the amount will be put on the metre! Gas is off so that's not possible.

Yet that isn't even how the metre works, if you don't top up the metre it'll give emergency credit then once that is used up the metre cuts supply and just takes the daily standing charge. So in effect you can't use gas unless you top up.

My guess here is either it's a new AI system that doesn't work or OVO trying to force the issue with smart meter installation. 

So the Lady I spoke to about it on the 1st of July was very polite and helpful and says ignore it and it's been noted on my account. So I suppose it's wait and see for me ATM, because I won't be able to check until August. I did however leave enough credit to cover the standing charge for 10 weeks.

I'll check in here if anything else happens in the meantime. 

Thing is how many people actually pay the money that's not even owed. Many people would just because of the stress that it can bring. 

 

 

Blastoise186
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Debts can still be applied to a PAYG Meter, even if the supply isn’t being used - and this will build up if they aren’t paid back. They either get taken from future Top-Ups - up to 70% of each Top-Up (usually the case for Gas) - or on a fixed Daily Rate (usually the case for Electricity) until the balance reaches zero. If you hit the max repayments for the week, nothing further gets taken until the following week.

This is also true if you’re Off-Supply for running out of credit - any charges just get added as a debt to repay later.

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Yes I know this. But the metre is and has been in credit for a long time. The only thing coming out is standing charge because my gas is off. 

Metre says in credit and zero in dept.

Yet I got an email to say I owe for gas used. That's what is stupid. 

I'm fully aware that if not topped up it can continue to go into dept. But the metre will cut gas supply until dept is cleared. Which is irrelevant anyway to my situation.

A
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I have pictures of the metre in credit and showing zero dept and that gas is off too. Just because I have zero trust in energy companies. I took the pictures same day I made the call to support. 

Emmanuelle_OVO
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Userlevel 7

Hey @AndreH,

 

I’m really sorry for the issue you’re having,

 

If you don’t believe the debt that has built up is standing charge & there’s been no usage, my advice would be to reach out to the support team about this so that they can investigate further.

 

How to get in contact about my OVO Pay As You Go account

 

  • The best way to get in touch with us 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 us on 0330 175 9669 during the same times.

 

If you’re with Boost

 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.

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