Pre payment meter to credit

Starcity83

I’ve recently moved into a flat with pre payment meters. They are supplied via ovo energy and their sub company Boost. Currently I have to go to the local shop to top up the gas/electric. So I was considering upgrading to smart meters/update online. To do this I have to open an account but I can’t do it online and I’m hearing impaired so can’t talk on the phone. So I don’t want to deal with this company any more.

I have been looking around at other companies but can’t see how to switch to credit meters without already being with the company. As I said I don’t want to stay with ovo after their appalling customer service. Would I have to initially go onto to prepayment even though I have good credit and no dents?.

Neil_Jones

If you have a prepayment smart meter they can sometimes be converted to credit remotely depending on the meter you have (otherwise somebody will have to come out and physically change it), but as a general rule if you want credit meter you have to pass a credit check first.  But the best course of action is talk to them.  Companies will usually only talk to the account holder so you may do better initially to ask friend/family to be an authorised user (or similar) on your account so they can do the talking on the phone for you.

Just a school of thought, when you first moved in you did tell Ovo you've moved in, here are my readings, can I have a new key?  You're not using existing keys/cards left behind?

Starcity83

Neil_Jones said:

If you have a prepayment smart meter they can sometimes be converted to credit remotely depending on the meter you have (otherwise somebody will have to come out and physically change it), but as a general rule if you want credit meter you have to pass a credit check first.  But the best course of action is talk to them.  Companies will usually only talk to the account holder so you may do better initially to ask friend/family to be an authorised user (or similar) on your account so they can do the talking on the phone for you.

Just a school of thought, when you first moved in you did tell Ovo you've moved in, here are my readings, can I have a new key?  You're not using existing keys/cards left behind?

I’m using the existing keys/card. They landlady left £20 credit on the electric and -£8 debt on the gas. But that’s one of many problems I’m having. I got my mum to call ovo for me to set up an account and explain that there is no facility to do it online. They said they wouldn’t talk to her without my written permission. So I would have to send a letter in the post. They are also only taking emergency calls because of Covid so it takes twenty minutes to get through to them.

I sent them an email explaining the situation and how the company are not accessible. I got a non sensical email back that didn’t have much relation to my account. 

This is why I wanted to change companies. They said I have to call them to open up a new account to switch the meters to smart meters to top up online and then back to square one.

MWT

Starcity83 said:

This is why I wanted to change companies. They said I have to call them to open up a new account to switch the meters to smart meters to top up online and then back to square one.

You won't be able to switch to a different supplier until you have opened your account with the current supplier...

Starcity83

MWT said:

Starcity83 said:

This is why I wanted to change companies. They said I have to call them to open up a new account to switch the meters to smart meters to top up online and then back to square one.

You won't be able to switch to a different supplier until you have opened your account with the current supplier...

Not sure how I’m supposed to do that when they don’t have an online facility to do so. If I use a type talk app they won’t wait twenty minutes for the call to connect. I wasn’t given any previous account information by the landlady. Just given the key and card to top up.

MWT

The danger of using a key from someone else's account is you can end up paying off their debts as the meter can be set to collect additional payments each week.

You may have to provide the written authority for your Mother to talk to them about your account, you may also want to get put onto their Priority Register so they understand that you have particular communication requirements.

Starcity83

MWT said:

The danger of using a key from someone else's account is you can end up paying off their debts as the meter can be set to collect additional payments each week.

You may have to provide the written authority for your Mother to talk to them about your account, you may also want to get put onto their Priority Register so they understand that you have particular communication requirements.

MWT said:

The danger of using a key from someone else's account is you can end up paying off their debts as the meter can be set to collect additional payments each week.

You may have to provide the written authority for your Mother to talk to them about your account, you may also want to get put onto their Priority Register so they understand that you have particular communication requirements.

Ok thank you, I’m just surprised that a company is working like this. I’ll do that and go from there.