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Cid296
Rank 3
October 22, 2023
Solved

Traditional PAYG meter with blank screen

  • October 22, 2023
  • 88 replies
  • 16355 views

Good Afternoon.

We recently had a power cut in our building. Shortly after that, when we got electricity back, i realized my meter had a blank screen and I could not see how much credit I had left.

I contacted OVO assistance to book an engineer to come fix it, which they did, but I was worried that I could run out of credit before they come (almost a week later). They told me I should not be worried because when that happens the meter basically starts working as a billing meter, so there’s no possibility of me running out of electricity in the meantime.

Could someone confirm if this is really the case? I really don’t want to call 105 in the evening and wait in the dark for three or more hours waiting for help to come.

Thanks very much.

Best answer by Blastoise186

Updated on 29/04/26 by Ben_OVO

 

Hi @Cid296 ,

 

Just a heads up, I’m one of the Forum Volunteers here, rather than an OVO employee.

 

I can confirm that what you’ve been told is correct. The meter will have gone into Free Vend Mode as a result of the power cut. Obviously, you won’t be charged any usage for the time the power was out, since you can’t have used anything during that time. Oh, and you won’t be charged a fee for the engineer visit either as it’s not your fault.

 

However, to avoid disruption in case of a fault, Free Vend Mode triggers in these situations. You’ll still need to pay back what you used later, but you will not be disconnected in the meantime. You basically have unlimited credit until the meter is reset by an engineer. Try not to go too power hungry in the meantime though as the meter is still tracking your usage!

 

You can pay back the usage via future top-ups after the reset. It might be worth upgrading to Smart Meters though to avoid this situation. :)

 

We’ve got some similar topics which may also be helpful here:

 

 

If you need to get in touch with our PAYG Support Team, the contact details can be found here:

 

​​​​​​

88 replies

Show previous replies
Blastoise186
Super User
Blastoise186Super User
Super User
December 10, 2025

Hi ​@Limits ,

This… Is a tricky one…

Please bear with us. I need to discuss this with the other forum volunteers for a bit.

Hang in there - we’ll be back on this soon.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
    L
    Newcomer
    Limits
    Newcomer
    December 10, 2025

    Whilst topping up on a pay as you go meter, and not knowing it’s on free vend mode then landed with a large debt 9 years later ? Who is responsible? 

    Nukecad
    Super User
    NukecadSuper User
    Super User
    December 10, 2025

    ​@Limits just a couple of questions that might help us understand better what is/has been happening here.

    I ask because what you describe doesn’t sound like what is generaly meant by “Free Vend mode”.
    So your issue may be something different, there does seem to be a lot more to this than you have told us so far.
    ie. You seem to be saying that you had 6-years of Free Vend, that you got billed for 3-years later?

    1. Was the display on your meter blank?
    2. If the display was blank then how were you managing to top up?

    And just in case:

    6 years, (or is it 9 years?), is a long time not to notice if you are in Free Vend mode.

    However do you have any way of showing at least some of the topups being made?
    eg, shop receipts, bank records if you paid by card, etc.

     

    BTW. I am in no way doubting you here.
    I myself was not billed at all for electricity for a number of years, but that wasn’t a PAYG meter, and it wasn’t OVO. It was only after I moved and left that supplier they then decided to bill. It took me another 3 years with the Ombudsman to get that sorted out.

    I said, Hey - Watts going on.
    Ben_OVO
    Community Manager
    Ben_OVO
    Community Manager
    December 10, 2025

    ​@Limits we’ll await your answers to ​@Nukecad’s questions before offering further advice.

     

    To confirm, you’ll need to speak to our Support Team to get this resolved. 

     

    If you’ve been topping up then there should hopefully be a record of your top ups held in the third party platform that manages traditional PAYG meters. Our Support Team should hopefully be able to see this information.

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    Newcomer
    NessaS123
    Newcomer
    June 21, 2026

    I have a traditional PAYG meter that has never been a problem before, even with brief power cuts. However, earlier this week, there was a longer power outage in my area and it came back on after about 10 minutes. I didn’t check the meter, as I was rushing out the door to head off to work. When I went to check the amount on the meter, with the intention of topping it up shortly, I found the screen was blank and from other conversations, it appears that my meter has gone into ‘vend mode’, as I still have power. As it is a Sunday, I shall have to wait until business hours to contact someone, but in the meantime, does this happen a lot with PAYG meters? I also read that today (21st June, 2026) there was a scheduled outage so I wouldn’t have been able to top up today anyway. Is it possible that the meter could reset itself, or would an engineer need to come and look at the meter? Thanks   

      Blastoise186
      Super User
      Blastoise186Super User
      Super User
      June 21, 2026

      Howdy ​@NessaS123 ,

      Gonna have to be a Rip N’ Replace job I’m afraid - these units are no longer reset when they hit Free Vend Mode because they become a pain when it happens again and causes yet another engineer visit. It’s a safety feature to prevent faults from nuking the supply, so you have “unlimited” juice until it’s fixed - however it’ll also rack up a debt that needs to be repaid later so please don’t use too much just because you can.

      Happens to the Traditional PAYG Meters a lot more than I’d like to admit… Another reason to get rid of those old dinosaurs...

      The scheduled outage today is unrelated - that’s for Smart Meters.

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      Abby_OVO
      Community Manager
      Abby_OVO
      Community Manager
      June 22, 2026

      Hey ​@NessaS123 

       

      Blastoise186 already left some advice on this one, if you’ve not had a chance to check it out and follow that please check out the topics below and contact the Support Team to get the meter exchanged:

       

       

      Do let us know how you get on.

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      Newcomer
      NessaS123
      Newcomer
      June 22, 2026

      HI. Thanks for your advice. I have contacted the Support Team who will be in touch within a couple of days. I have a nagging suspicion they may suggest getting a smart meter, as I know the old key meters will one day become a thing of the past as technology moves forward. For now, I’m not using the electricity excessively. Only what I need. 

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