Smart PAYG - a guide to the new app

By now, most of you have probably got used to how the new app works, but just in case, we’ve put together a guide to explain the ins and outs of the ‘Boost Top Up’ app:

Firstly, a question many of you have asked:

The Boost Top Up app - Features

Here’s a brief overview of the features available.

Top up

This button allows credit to be applied to your smart meters. Debit card details are stored on the app for easy transactions. Each supply in the property will be identified by a payment allocation number (PAN) and can be selected for topping up.

Pay in store

For any customers who wish to top up cash, who don't have access to a PAN card, they can use this option to generate a barcode. This can be scanned at the Paypoint rather than typing in a 19 digit code.

My payments

A history of all payments made on the app, including the date and amount. Payments take up to 24 hours to be reflected here. If you want to check a recent payment, you can check your confirmation email or SMS.

My cards

All debit cards or bank cards can be managed from here. If you want to remove an old bank card and replace it with a new one, that can be processed from this page.

Manage accounts

Accounts refers to each energy supply, so in a standard dual fuel home you would expect to see two accounts; one for gas and another for electricity. Each will have a payment allocation number (PAN).

Card numbers can be added or replaced here.

My details

This is where you can amend your name, telephone number (for SMS receipts) and email address. The receipts can also be toggled on and off here.

Store finder

The store finder will locate any local Paypoint outlets in case the customer wishes to top up with cash. The customer just needs to input a postcode and a map with all the shops that offer Paypoint vending will be displayed.

Common questions about the app and Smart PAYG balance:

I’m already on PAYG Smart, can I use the new Boost Top-up app?

Of course – you’ll find all the instructions on how to download it in the letters or emails we’ve sent you on the day you moved to PAYG Smart.

When will the old PAYG+ app stop working?

You can carry on using it until we get in touch about the exact date of your move to PAYG Smart. We’ll give you plenty of notice.

When can I download the new Boost Top-up app?

If we’ve written to ask you to download the Boost Top-up app, please follow the instructions on how to set it up. If we haven’t been in touch about this yet, keep on using the PAYG+ app until you hear from us. 

What should I do once I move from PAYG+ to PAYG Smart?

You just need to download the new app. It’s called ‘Boost Top-up’.  Once you’ve done that… 

1. Open it and tap Sign In
2. Select Forgot password
3. Enter the email address we use to contact you, and press Next
4. Then choose a new password
5. Head to your email inbox – you'll see a Boost password reset email from us
6. Enter the code from this email into the app, and press Next
7. Choose a new password by following the instructions, and hit Confirm
8. Sign into the app using your email and your new password – you'll stay logged in 

Your top-up cards will be added automatically to the new app, so you can start making payments anytime.

Remember, your PAYG+ balance will move across automatically. You can also delete the old PAYG+ app.

Will I be able to see my balance in the new Boost Top-up app?

Yes, but it might take up to 3 days to show after downloading the app for the first time. Your balance will be updated each day after midnight. That said, if your meters aren't communicating with us frequently, your balance might not show at all – or be out of date.

Why isn’t the balance showing on my app?

It could be that you don’t have the latest version of the Boost Top-up app. You need to download it (App Store or Google Play) and use it to top-up – your balance will then show after midnight. 

One thing to note is that your balance might take up to 3 days to show after downloading the latest version.

There’s also a chance that you can’t see your balance because the connection between us and your smart meters has dropped out, and we’re not receiving data. This might happen on some meters as we experience a few teething problems with the new app.  But rest assured, we're looking to fix them as soon as possible. You can find more about this in our troubleshooting FAQs section (below). 

Why isn’t my balance showing on the browser version of the Boost Top-up app?

The balance feature isn’t available in your internet browser yet, but it’s something we hope to add in the future.  Download the app (App Store or Google Play) or read on for alternative ways to view your balance. 

Why is my IHD balance different from my app balance? 

The app balance gets updated once a day after midnight. If you've used energy since midnight or if you've topped up since the time your energy balance updated on your app, then your app balance will be out of date. 

If your meter isn’t communicating with us, then your balance won't update in the app. But the IHD will communicate from your meter throughout the day to stay up to date.

Troubleshooting issues with PAYG Smart and your SMETS1 meter

Do I have a SMETS1 or SMETS2 meter? How can I tell the difference?

A SMETS1 meter has a meter keypad with numbers, and a red and blue A and B button. 

If you have a SMETS2 smart meter, it’ll just have the 2 red and blue buttons, but no keypad. 

Why isn’t my top up showing on my meter or IHD?

It’s normal for smart meters to lose signal from time to time, just like mobile phones. This means it might take longer than usual for your top-up to show up as energy credit. It shouldn’t take more than an hour to see your top-ups on your meter, but you can always add them manually too. Read on for more info. 

How do I top up my SMETS1 meters manually?

After making a payment, it takes up to 30 minutes (for electricity) and 60 minutes (for gas) for the money to show on your meter. If it doesn’t, you can give it a little push.

For this, you’ll need the 20-digit code on your PayPoint receipt. This is why it’s always best to keep your receipts safe.

• Press A on your gas or electricity meter

• Enter the code from your receipt

• Tap B to confirm and it’s all done!

If you top up online or via your app, PayPoint will either email them to you or send them via text.

If you’ve lost power and your top-up takes your balance above £0, your meter will start doing safety checks. If it detects gas, the power won’t switch on, so make sure all gas appliances are off before trying to reconnect. If the meter has disconnected, you can reconnect it by pressing A, A, B (SMETS1) or holding A and B at the same time (SMETS2).

Why did my SMETS1 meter cut out without using emergency credit first? 

1. Activate your emergency credit using your IHD

When your balance drops below £5, your IHD will flash and tell you that you can activate the emergency credit. If you don’t, it’ll then flash again when your balance is below 50p:

• Navigate to the main menu

• Click on Account

• Press the  emergency credit button

(You’ll find more detailed information on what to do in your IHD booklet.)

2. Activate your emergency credit using your meter:
 

• Press the 7 on the keypad

• You’ll see a message saying EC OFFER – tap A to accept the emergency credit or B to ignore

• Then tap B to confirm

• By pressing 7 you’ll see whether the credit has been activated – it’ll tell you EC SELECTED

Troubleshooting issues with PAYG Smart and your SMETS2 meter

Do I have a SMETS1 or SMETS2 meter? How can I tell the difference?

You can tell if you’ve got a SMETS1 meter, as it will have a meter keypad with numbers, and a red and blue A and B button. 

If you have a SMETS2 smart meter, it will just have the 2 red and blue buttons, keypad. 

Why isn’t my top up showing on my SMETS2 meter or IHD?

Smart meters can stop communicating with us for a number of reasons. If your top-up hasn't appeared on your meter, follow the instructions below to add your credit manually.. 

How do I top up my SMETS2 meters manually?

There are 2 ways:

1. Using your IHD – this is the easiest and fastest way:

• Tap the menu icon at the bottom right of the screen

• Press Top-Up

• Choose the fuel you want to top up

• Press OK

• Enter your PayPoint code

• Tap OK

• The IHD will then confirm that your money has been added to your meter

2. Using your meter
 

For electricity:

• Press A on your meter until you see Enter Top Up Code

• Press and hold A to begin typing 

• Enter your code using the A and B buttons to navigate through the digits

• Press and hold B when complete

• The meter will show you one of these messages: Top Up accepted or Invalid

• Press A to continue

For gas:

• Press C on your gas meter to enter the menu

• Using A and B, scroll to Prepayment and press C

• Tap A and B until you see New Payment

• Press C to select it

• Use A and B to enter your code

• Tap C again

If you’ve lost power and your top-up takes your balance above £0, your meter will start doing safety checks. If it detects gas, the power won’t switch on. If the meter has disconnected, you should be asked to press any button following a top-up to trigger a reconnection.

Why did my SMETS2 meter cut out straight away without warning? Where is my emergency credit?

1. Activate your emergency credit using your IHD:

If your balance drops below £5, the IHD will tell you that your emergency credit is available:
 

• Press the menu button

• Tap E-Credit

• Select the fuel you want emergency credit for (gas or electricity)

• Press OK

• The IHD will confirm your request

• You’ll see Emergency credit in use next to the fuel you’ve added it to

2. Activate your emergency credit using your meter

For electricity:

If your balance goes below £0, your meter will say EMC available:

• Press A to cancel or B to activate it

• You should now see 2 emergency credit balances. The first is how much emergency credit you have left and the second shows how much has already been accepted

• If you select the emergency credit, you’ll see an EC sign on the display at the bottom-right corner

For gas:

• Press any button on your gas meter to wake up the screen

• If you have any emergency credit available, you’ll see an EC logo on the screen, next to the signal bar icon

• Press C to enter the menu and B to scroll to Prepayment

• Tap C to enter

• Press B to scroll down to the Emerg. Credit option, then C to enter

• If the status says Available, press C to accept the £5 emergency credit (you should hear a beep sound and the status should change to In-Use)

• You can check your emergency credit balance by going through the same menu options until you see Limit and Remaining