Smart meter isolator and payment options

Hi ​@Spangpan 

I would say no. OVO would only operate in the area of the tails from the output of the DNO fuse (main incoming supply) to the meter and the meter itself. Beyond that is the domain of an electrician you would hire to upgrade any tails from the meter to the consumer unit including adding an isolation switch, the consumer unit itself and the house electrics.

On demand is an option as far as I know but you miss out on any benefits of direct debit such as Power Move etc. The tariffs are also more expensive in that the cheaper ones are DD only.

I think I got that mostly correct.

Peter

Yes you can pay on demand (or even PAYG) with a smart meter.

To see the currently available tariffs for each payment method put your postcode into here, and use the Filters to change the payment method:
https://plans.ovoenergy.com/

I’m not sure just what you are meaning by an isolator switch, could you explain further?

However if you mean a switch to isolate all or part of the supply after the meter then that isn’t something that a meter enginner would normally do; and so you would normally have to engage (and pay) your own electrician for that job.

1. If you ask nicely when the meter exchange is booked, the engineer can certainly fit an isolator instead of the Henley block he would normally use. It seems to be a matter of luck whether you’ll be charged for this, but we’ve seen plenty of cases where an isolator was fitted and nothing ever said about it.
    

   

     
2. Pay on demand is an option whether you have a smart meter or not. Many customers avoid it because it’s considerably more expensive than Direct Debit or prepayment. 

Thanks for the Replies all,

Good to know I can pay on demand (know its not the most cost efficient but It how I like it)

Thanks for the diagram ​@Firedog, nicely illustrates where the isolator sits and who is responsible.

I specifically would like to get the isolator and meter done together to minimise faff. (getting one done otherwise means co-ordinating the DNO and and electrician (have the main fuse pulled (DNO), isolator fitted (electrician) then the fuse replaced and re-sealed (DNO))

I know OVO used to offer this from posts on this forum but I think the most recent was 5Years old and I want to check its still the case (so far two other suppliers have said no, they do not fit isolators)

​@Nukecad in case you are curious about isolators: they are a 2 pole (L&N) switch sitting between meter and fuse board/consumer unit. They aren’t present in old installs like mine (and I think for a time some meters had one built in? smart meters do not, I checked). They are needed to do significant work to your fuse board without getting the DNO out to disconnect you (there are some dodgy alternatives like your electrician  breaking the fuse seals or working live but I want none of that)

​@Spangpan Nukecad sent me a message to say that the SVT is not necessarily the most expensive rate so, as he pointed out, it's best to do a comparison with all the rates and see what is best for you. I had got out of the game of trying to guess whether SVT or Fixed Price would be best by going to a variable rate tariff with another supplier. At the time of leaving FP was definitely cheaper than SVT and that thought had got mummified in my brain and not updated.

Thanks ​@Nukecad

Peter

​@Firedog is right in that you may get OVO to fit an isolation switch. Mine was done by an electrician when I updated from a fuse box (how sad to see the forlorn little card sitting there with different guages of fuse wire wrapped around it) to a consumer unit for my EV.

The Octopus guy who updated my smart meter last October was definitely from the school of ‘minimum effort to do the job’ so I doubt if he would have entertained the idea of fitting an isolation switch. If they are changing a meter would they even carry one with them? He was efficient and quick though.

​@Firedog I'm not sure why he would need to fit a Henley block though. It's remove the fuse, exchange the meter (using the existing cables), fit the fuse and commission. Unless the old cables don't reach the terminals on the new meter because they are in a different position.

Peter 

It may not always be necessary, but there are many cases where the old cabling to the CU isn’t quite right for a new meter. Henley blocks - or isolator switches - make it possible for the engineer to do his bit and leave. This is how my SMETS2 meter was mounted:
  

As I remember it was the old style fuse boxes that had an isolation switch built in and not the meter itself.
With many of them you had to operate the isolation lever on the side before you could even open the box to check and/or rewire a fuse.
Here’s an image of an old Bakelite one, the ones I remember from the 1960’s were similar but cast iron.

Modern home consumer units that use circuit breakers usually still have a main isolating switch but it’s inside the box, so in most home setups you don’t really need another one between the meter and the CU.
This is my current CU.

I remember them well, and believe it or not you can still buy them.

I’m in a rural area and some properties still have the old fuseboxes.

Our local hardware shop has them, and so does Amazon.
They still sell surprisingly well.  This one from Amazon has had 100+ bought in the last month.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Centurion-EA17L-Fuse-Wire-Multi-Color/dp/B0040ADD0A

My 1980s house had a fuse box up to 2021

Good morning ​@Spangpan, and a warm welcome to the OVO Forum community 😁. It’s great to see our Superusers have been so helpful on this thread over the last few days - thanks all!

Just to confirm, the isolation switch needs to be installed by OVO, due to the supply being de-energised via the cut out, which is something that only our engineers can work on. We generally charge for installation of an isolation switch, however this job is free if it’s done during the installation of a smart meter.

​@Spangpan when you book the smart meter installation, make sure to do it over the phone, rather than your online account, as the advisor you speak to will need to book this job in differently. The correct number to call is 0330 303 5063. Let us know how you get on!

Regarding your second question, you can absolutely pay on demand with a smart meter installed. You can find out more about smart meters and In Home Displays (IHDs) in our Forum library section here.

Hi ​@Ben_OVO Free! that's the best price!!! thanks for confirming this is a service OVO still offer and confirming I can pay on demand.

​@Nukecad I’m aware of the isolator in the consumer unit and agree suitable for most stuff. I however will likely need to replace the entire consumer unit* for which upstream isolation is required.

A meter in a previous house had a screwdriver slot in the front above the terminals that I think was to work an isolator tho I never used it and can only half remember

*Mine is plastic, which is no longer allowed in the regs, an electrician doing significant work (such as adding the extra circuits like I'm after) is obligated to upgrade it. If you don’t need this kind of work then old consumer units can still be used, this is why there are so many old style re-wireable fuse boxes still in use

Plastic consumer units are no longer allowed to be installed but if they are in good condition and were compliant when installed then they are still compliant to the wiring regs. You may wish to upgrade to a metal anyway but replacement is not compulsory.

https://www.electrical4less.co.uk/2026/01/04/do-plastic-consumer-units-need-replacing/

Peter