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boone67
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August 21, 2023
Solved

got a meter in but not smart is not displaying

  • August 21, 2023
  • 7 replies
  • 152 views

if my meter is not displaying or making any sound how do i top up with a keyi put money on card and put it in but dont no if gone on  i was told by ovo it would still work but its not saying anything just blank  im disabled and need my meds in the fridge so if electric goes then what they just dont want to no very rude on the phone they was

    Best answer by Blastoise186

    Hello @boone67 ,

    This is a message from a Forum Volunteer. We each have our specialities (mine is heavily around tech stuff, meters and Smart Meters), but we do not work for OVO ourselves.

    If your supply is currently ON, then it’s likely the meter detected a fault and has entered Free Vend Mode to avoid disruption. In this state, you still have to pay for your energy, but the supply will remain on and disregard the remaining credit balance. It will not accept further Top-Ups while in Free Vend Mode - they’ll remain on the key - and you’ll have unlimited Credit until an engineer either resets or replaces the meter. You’ll be asked to pay that back of course, but OVO will agree options with you that work for you, such as immediately paying it off, or paying it off slowly over time, or a mixture of both. Please report this as a fault and in the meantime, put the money aside.

    If your supply is currently OFF due to this fault, please call 105 immediately. I consider you to be a vulnerable customer due to that fridge, so your DNO will assist if you call them. This will be a temporary recovery, but you’ll need to call OVO in the morning to perform a proper fix.

    As per the arrangements we have here, the Forum Moderators have been informed of this thread. They will check on you in the morning.

    7 replies

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super UserSolved
    Super User
    August 21, 2023

    Hello @boone67 ,

    This is a message from a Forum Volunteer. We each have our specialities (mine is heavily around tech stuff, meters and Smart Meters), but we do not work for OVO ourselves.

    If your supply is currently ON, then it’s likely the meter detected a fault and has entered Free Vend Mode to avoid disruption. In this state, you still have to pay for your energy, but the supply will remain on and disregard the remaining credit balance. It will not accept further Top-Ups while in Free Vend Mode - they’ll remain on the key - and you’ll have unlimited Credit until an engineer either resets or replaces the meter. You’ll be asked to pay that back of course, but OVO will agree options with you that work for you, such as immediately paying it off, or paying it off slowly over time, or a mixture of both. Please report this as a fault and in the meantime, put the money aside.

    If your supply is currently OFF due to this fault, please call 105 immediately. I consider you to be a vulnerable customer due to that fridge, so your DNO will assist if you call them. This will be a temporary recovery, but you’ll need to call OVO in the morning to perform a proper fix.

    As per the arrangements we have here, the Forum Moderators have been informed of this thread. They will check on you in the morning.

    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!
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    boone67Author
    Rank 1
    August 21, 2023

    Blastoise186 thank you kindly and yes been on the phone for 3 days running now all you get is call back in a month and we will make an appointment i will ring 105 in the morning and see what they say thanks again for all your help 

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    August 21, 2023

    You're welcome. 

    I would strongly encourage you to consider switching to Pay Monthly however. Neither myself nor OVO can safely recommend being on PAYG if you're medically dependent on electricity, such as with your medication fridge.

    If OVO finds out, they'll probably be very keen to move your supply to Pay Monthly for your safety. They can't force you, but I definitely would be able to sleep more soundly at night if I knew you were safe. 

    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!
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    boone67Author
    Rank 1
    August 21, 2023

    i will get back in  touch again tomorrow with them and see if they can do pay monthly  cant thank you enough you have been very helpful thanks again 

     

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    August 21, 2023

    No worries. I’ll be here until around 10pm so please post in this thread if you need more advice and I’ll be notified.

    The Forum Moderators patrol the forum during office hours and the moderation queue I sent this thread to is one of the first places they check when they come online. They will definitely see the flag I placed against it. Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble - we just use that same queue for things like your situation where it needs their assistance.

    If you do go off-supply in the meantime, your DNO will get it going again.

    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!
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    Rank 1
    boone67Author
    Rank 1
    August 21, 2023

    ok thats great thanks again 

     

    Abby_OVO
    Community Manager
    Abby_OVO
    Community Manager
    August 22, 2023

    Hey @boone67 

     

    I’m sorry to hear about this, I’m glad Blastoise186 was around last night to give that really great advice. Moving onto Pay Monthly might be a good option for your safety as it will prevent risk of the supply being cut off due to circumstances like these that prevent you from being able to top up.

     

    Are you still on supply now?

     

    I think it may be good to discuss with the Support Team the option of having the meter changed to a Pay Monthly smart meter. This way you can ensure you have constant supply to the fridge without ever worrying about topping up to make sure it stays on. You can even change it to Pay as you Go later if you really wanted to, all without having to change the meter again. 

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