vend mode

Hi ​@plen ,

I’m afraid the only resolution path for Free Vend Mode these days is a SMEX (Smart Meter Exchange) as the option to reset the existing meter is no longer available - and hasn’t been for a few years now across all suppliers. The cost of repeatedly sending out engineers to reset Traditional Prepayment Meters outweighs the benefit of keeping customers on a dying platform.

You can be on Free Vend Mode for an unlimited period and use unlimited energy without being cut off, hence the Free Vend Mode term. However, OVO will eventually start nudging you to investigate why you’re not topping up and you will rack up meter debt in the meantime which must be paid back later.

Why do you not want a Smart Meter despite this being the only solution?

blastoise186 i have read about people having trouble with them.

But even more people have problems with Traditional Meters like yours these days. Just because you read something in the media doesn’t mean it’s gospel - you should judge for yourself instead.

One of the most common faults with traditional meters like yours is the fault that you are experiencing now - the blank screen and the meter defaulting to Free Vend Mode. This seems to happen most often after a power cut. The meter will still be recording your usage and you will have to pay for this and every daily standing charge. The longer you let your meter supply you in Free Vend Mode, the bigger your, eventual, debt will be. 

You are right that SOME people have problems with Smart Meters. The vast majority of people with Smart Meters have no problems. However, very few people broadcast this to newspapers, TV and online, so we, generally, only ever see people with problems through the media. 

Often the problem is not with the meter itself, but with the In Home Display which sloppy reporting in both newspapers and on television have led people to believe is their actual Smart Meter.

The most common problem with Smart Meters is that, in some areas, and in some circumstances, the meter cannot send readings which are then passed on to your energy company. This just means that the Smart Meter is behaving like a non-Smart meter and can be treated in the same way as a traditional meter. 

However, one of the greatest advantages of Smart Meters for PAYG customers is the ability to top-up your meter directly from home. No matter what the weather is doing or the time of day, you would be able to make sure that your energy supply is not going to be interrupted. (You will also receive a card that acts much like the key in a traditional PAYG meter if you prefer to top up your meter that way). 

The other BIG factor to consider is that the legacy infrastructure to support Traditional Prepayment Meters is an absolute dinosaur at this point - it’s over 30 years old and basically being held together with strings and duck tape. My understanding is that the industry wants to completely kill it off so your current meter is basically living on borrowed time anyway.

It’s better to get this sorted out before you have even more trouble further down the line.