OVO emergency credit due to run out and I'm skint

[Beccimc40]

Thanks to OVO energy's "amazing" app my emergency credit is due to run out and I've no money until Thursday.
I topped up £25 on the 12th of October. The app hasn't updated at all between then and tonight.
I checked it at 1.05 am and it said I had £1.36 emergency credit left!!! I've had no text or email to let me know i had gone into the emergency credit like I normally do.
So I check my bank and I have £5 in the bank. I top up with the £5. The app doesn't update until 2am when they email me to let me know that I've topped up £5 but I now have a balance of -£4.17.
So I'm STILL in emergency credit!
I've no more money until Thursday, (pay day), I've no family and new to the area so I have no friends here!
I chose OVO because my house is in the middle of rural nowhere (nearest neighbour is just over a mile away), and it means I can top up from my phone as and when.
I have never had a pre-payment meter before and I have requested them to be removed but they want a stupid amount of money to change them to normal meters and frankly, I'm not prepared to pay hundreds of pounds to do it.

Can anyone advise me on what to do?
I live in the middle of a field, it's cold and windy and my husband and son are disabled! My daughter is terrified of the dark and our cooker is electric.
I'm so mad at OVO. I had read really bad reviews online but they were the only ones offering top up from your phone in my area.

I'm also concerned about the 54p per day standing charge they take off the credit!

Any advice please?
Thank you in advance x

Ring them first thing tomorrow and ask them where your £25 has gone?

Then, is it possible to set up a standing order with your bank to pay in a top up amount each month so that you don't need to do it via the app?

In the sort term I would call the bank for an emergency short term overdraft, in the long term - do you own the house? Can you move? I cannot comprehend prepay meters that do not have the cheapest possible rates - they are clearly designed for those with the least amount to spend.

Do you know anyone at all who can lend a tenner?

That 'standing charge' is suspicious. It's double what most suppliers charge. It is possible the meter has been set to repay a debt you do not owe. If that is the case then at the very least demand that is corrected and you are refunded the money you should not have paid.

If there's been a technical fault that stopped the £25 credit being added, you might find a way to resolve it here: www.ovoenergy.com/ovo-answers/topics

If that doesn't work, I don't know what else you can do now . Complaining on social media might help.

According to Citizens Advice, you should not be expected to pay to get the meter changed to a normal one, unless you are in debt to your supplier. If Ovo won't change it for no charge, find a supplier that will.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/your-energy-meter/get-your-prepayment-meter-replaced-with-a-normal-meter/

Was the prepayment meter fitted when you were living in the house, or before you moved in?

@Beccimc40 did you get anything to work? Thinking of you here . We used to have a pre-pay meter and even though we could afford it it was a total pain in the behind when it would cut out without warning.

Hi op- I used to be with ovo and I changed to Utilita who are much better imo.

Have you not got a smart meter? Mine is on top of the microwave and I can see exactly how much gas and electric I'm using and can also put alerts on to let me know when I'm down to x amount of pounds ( you choose your own levels )

When I was with ovo I had a similar cash flow situation and they can actually help you with I think £26 as a short term loan on your meter, paid back over a number of weeks.

I was desperate and grateful that they could help me. Please give them a call. It's a special fund set aside for situations like this and they were very nice about it.

Going forward, please check out Utilita, they're much better and the emergency credit/family credit is better and customer service overall is great.

I like having a smart meter, I don't ever get a bill and I'm in control. Ok I know I'm paying more this way but it's worth it for the fact that I know exactly what I need to do if credit is low, can budget better ( I'm terrible with money! ) and can see instantly where my usage is high and can make changes.

Best of luck