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Anonymous
January 23, 2025
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Refused a smart meter due to work at height?

  • January 23, 2025
  • 51 replies
  • 1339 views

Hi,

 

After the constant nagging from OVO to install smart meters, I finally gave in about a year ago. The installer came and refused to fit it, because they were unable to climb a ladder (the meter box is above the front door).

 

We share a common entrance wirth next door and their smart meter (fitted by Utility Warehouse) is next to ours in the same place.

 

I am now not able to request a SMART meter. We are looking to rent our property out soon so it would be very useful (I don’t think the tenants will want to climb a ladder to read the meter!)

The gas meter is outside the front door and easy to access.

Any suggestions for a way forward?

 

    Best answer by Ben_OVO

    Updated on 10/12/25 by Abby_OVO

     

    Hi ​ 

     

    Thanks for your post, and a warm welcome to the OVO Forum! 😁

     

    If the meter is at height, then the advisor who books the job must clearly note this in the job booking. The reason you won’t be able to book an appointment at the moment is because of the previous aborted attempt.

     

    My advice here is to contact our Support Team, as they will need to remove the appointment blocker so that this can be re-booked. When you do re-book the job make sure to tell the advisor that the meter is positioned at height, so that the engineer can bring the necessary kit. You’ll need to let them know exactly how high the meter is off the ground. Please note, if the meter is above six feet off the ground then we may not be able to do the job, in which case your District Network Operator will need to move the meter.

     

    You can find some useful information on all of this in the previous topic below:

     

     

    I hope this helps.

    51 replies

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    Emmanuelle_OVO
    Retired Moderator
    Emmanuelle_OVO
    Retired Moderator
    April 23, 2025

    I’m really sorry to hear this ​@kirsmith, what a frustrating experience. As part of the complaint resolution I’m sure an agent can call the installer company directly the day of the appointment to ensure the engineer brings the proper equipment. There is also the option to add extra information into the booking request. It seems there has been a consistent missed communication somewhere. 

    Unfortunately we can’t access customer accounts on the forum or make outbound calls. You can find out more information about our complaints procedure on the website. Here is a brief overview of the escalation process:
     

    Step 1: get in touch

    The quickest way to raise a complaint is to call or email us. You can reach us via a British Sign Language Interpreter too. Please let us know as much as you can about the problem. We'll also need your OVO account number, address, and contact details.

    We’ll sort your complaint straight away if we can. If we’re not able to, we'll:

    • Let you know what will happen next and how long we expect it to take
    • Ask how you'd like us to contact you
    • Keep you updated along the way
    • Share if there's any support available from services outside of OVO

    About 75% of complaints are resolved by the next working day. The rest, we aim to resolve within 8 weeks.

     

    Step 2: we’ll escalate your complaint within OVO

    Sometimes, we’ll need to pass your complaint to our specialist complaints team. They’re highly trained and speak to people across the business to help us put things right. We use the complaints team if:

    • The issue is more complicated than usual, and needs a more specialist skill or other team members to resolve it
    • The customer care team isn’t able to solve your complaint quickly
    • You’re not satisfied with what we’ve suggested

    If you feel that our specialist complaints team hasn’t been able to sort your issue, you can email the team of our CEO, David Buttress.

    Please include your complaint case reference, your OVO account number, address, and a summary of what’s happened, including why you feel your complaint hasn't been resolved.

     

    Step 3: taking your complaint outside of OVO

    If your complaint has taken over 8 weeks to be resolved, you can speak to the Energy Ombudsman. You can also speak to them if you’re unhappy with our actions or if we’ve written to you with a final decision that you disagree with. This is called a “deadlock” letter. 

    The Energy Ombudsman gives a free, independent service. They’ll review what’s happened so far, and how we’ve handled your complaint. Then they’ll decide if we should have done more – and what we need to do to put it right.

    Please keep us posted with how you get on.

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