Prepay meter debit

Boudica78

I'm not going mad - this does show a credit (not a debit) on my meter? Ovo trying to say I owe them money after switching to Octopus. Sorry it's all blurry

TroubledTarts

How much are they saying the debit is and if you cycle round on the meter can you see it.

As far as I am aware you could add £20 and it shows that but you can still have a historic debit owing.

Boudica78

About £30

Unfortunately I've now switched to a smart meter, as I thought I was clear (first time on a prepay). I wonder if the historic debt is what's happened - this is all after moving in. I was told the landlord put £25 on, so assumed all previous would be sorted too.

QrizB

If you'd only just moved in, there could be a debit on the meter from the previous tenant.

Was it a card-type prepayment meter, like this one? Did you get a new card from OVO when you moved in or did you use one that was "helpfully" left for you?

Boudica78

Yeah, historic debt seems likely, though I think Ovo said in my phone call with them they'd repaid credit to previous tenant.

My rookie error was using the card left, I now realise. But, as above, the letting agents said there was £25 credit on it. Couldn't even find the blinking meter (yes, just like the one in the pic) for a few days....

Apparently I used over 400KwH in 19 days, for a studio flat when I was away for a week of it....

TroubledTarts

It's a common mistake using the previous occupants card, at least it wasn't hundreds or thousands of pounds.

Boudica78

Yes! Very lucky. I guess I thought having been through the landlord first it was fine.

QrizB

Was the flat empty for long before you moved in? Standing charges at ~31p/day might've eaten the credit?

Or, put another way, if the meter started at zero and you added the agent's £25, there's no way you'd still have £19.64 left 19 days later after paying almost £6 of standing charges (even if you'd used no gas at all) so there's definitely something odd about that meter display!

Boudica78

I think about a month.

The inventory (5 days before I moved in) shows £10 owing. But when I found the meter to check it was around £20 in credit (or so I thought) and the numbers were going down at about £1 a day (until the cold snap) which is what I've been using the last few days since smart meter has been in. Sounds like it's worth pursuing the dispute with Ovo, just to find out what happened if nothing else. Thank you.

SAC2334

The meter will show if there is any debt on the meter.With card inserted press and hold red button till it beeps ,then press the red button to scroll through the screens. Screen 27 will show any debt owed with screen 26 showing the weekly repayment .

EssexHebridean

I think the op has had a meter change now, so that isn’t going to be possible.