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notsosmart
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March 10, 2025
Solved

Switched to PAYG by mistake. Hours spent trying to switch back! - NO SUCCESS!

  • March 10, 2025
  • 29 replies
  • 485 views

I’ve recently had a electricity smart meter installed and within the first day it was switched from Pay Monthly to Prepay Mode with no authorisation from me.  I mentioned to the installer that OVO had recently sent me a “top up” card, and I had contacted them, and they agreed this was a mistake. 

The installer showed me that the meter was in “Credit Mode” but did warn me he had had other customers that had been put into “Prepay mode” without their consent. 

As mentioned, after a day, I have ended up in PrePay Mode, running out of emergency credit. After nearly 6 hours of web chat they have tried switching me to Credit mode twice, giving me codes to type in to the meter to add credit (but all come back with CRC Error). It’s been ridiculous.

What are my legal rights in this? I have no faith they will be able to restore it to credit mode, I have no faith it will STAY in that mode either! I want to go back to a traditional meter with the stress this has caused. If my meter finally “runs out” tomorrow and I am cut off I will also lose earnings as my work is from home. 

Has anyone else had a similar problem?

Best answer by Lukepeniket_OVO

​@Emmanuelle_OVO I'm on it. Priority has been called a mode change has been actioned and the advisor is going to tell me when it's done 🫶 usually pretty quickly so I'll keep an eye ​@notsosmart if it's not completed by 1400 I'll organise an emergency appointment as I don't want you going off supply.

 

Has your IHD changed at all I.e. no longer showing a credit amount rather an amount used so far today? A photo would be good :-) 😀 

29 replies

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Blastoise186
Super User
Blastoise186Super User
Super User
March 11, 2025

Hmm… Sounds like a fault with that specific meter. If the mode switch continues to fail, Luke did say he can try to get an emergency meter exchange - this would still likely be a Smart Meter, but it’d be another one which hopefully won’t have this issue.

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    N
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    notsosmartAuthor
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    March 11, 2025

    Hey ​@notsosmart 

    It sounds like your meter mode has been changed in error. I’m really sorry, it sounds very frustrating.

    Please contact the support team & they’ll be able to change your meter mode back remotely. 
     

     

    I’ve already been on the webchat for probably over 7-8 hours in total now. 

    There have been:

    • Multiple attempts to change to Credit
    • Multiple attempts to add top-up codes to buy me more time (all failed on ‘Invalid CRC’ errors)
    • Multiple requests from me to get an emergency engineer out


    ...and so far, nothing has worked. 

    To compound all that, it’s a whole load of stress for me and my family, and I am losing money through not working while trying to solve it. ! agh!

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    March 11, 2025

    Please allow Luke a chance to intervene. He has faster methods than what you can normally use and it sounds like he’s watching this one closely.

    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!
      N
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      notsosmartAuthor
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      March 11, 2025

      Hmm… Sounds like a fault with that specific meter. If the mode switch continues to fail, Luke did say he can try to get an emergency meter exchange - this would still likely be a Smart Meter, but it’d be another one which hopefully won’t have this issue.

      The engineer that fitted it was waiting and waiting for the IHD to show anything about the meter (it took until around 20 hours later to show ANYTHING other than a “getting data” type message). While he was waiting, he started to mention that “usually these are dead quick to connect” and started telling me about some proprietary radio network that they work on. He was saying that where I am (south east of Manchester) is the “edge” of the network.  

      When I told him that OVO had sent me a top-up card which they later said was sent in error, he began to tell me about meters that had been put into prepay by mistake, and times where he was asked to replace a meter because they could not change it back to Credit remotely. 

      I joked that “I hope that’s not me”…. and here I am riddled with stress that my electric is about to get cut off and I have my family to worry about on a particularly cold night!

      N
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      notsosmartAuthor
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      March 11, 2025

      Please allow Luke a chance to intervene. He has faster methods than what you can normally use and it sounds like he’s watching this one closely.

      Yep, I will do. 

      I’m just adding any further information I think could be relevant as I sit here worrying and unable to concentrate on my actual work! ha.

      Blastoise186
      Super User
      Blastoise186Super User
      Super User
      March 11, 2025

      Manchester is on the border between the Northern and Southern Territories, meaning some installs might use the Arqiva Comms Hubs, while others might run on Telefonica.

      If you can tell me whether it has EDMI, Toshiba or WNC on it, I can tell you which network your setup is on.

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      notsosmartAuthor
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      March 11, 2025

      If you can tell me whether it has EDMI, Toshiba or WNC on it, I can tell you which network your setup is on.

       

      It says EDMI on it.

      Blastoise186
      Super User
      Blastoise186Super User
      Super User
      March 11, 2025

      That’ll be Arqiva then, for the Northern Territory.

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        notsosmartAuthor
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        March 11, 2025

        More information:
        My WAN and HAN lights are flashing once every 5 seconds, which I believe is good.
         

        I am still in prepay mode, as I drop below £2 EC!

        N
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        notsosmartAuthor
        Rank 2
        March 11, 2025

        ​@Lukepeniket_OVO it’s gone 2pm. I’m still in prepayment mode with very very little EC left. 

        Did you say you could organise an emergency engineer to come out?

         

        It would be very helpful if you could, or the family will have a cold night tonight! 😨

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