Updated on 24/06/21:
Moving to PAYG Smart
How will PAYG Smart work?
On your new Boost plan, you can:
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Top up anywhere, anytime – online, in the app, or at PayPoint shops as usual
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Enjoy some breathing space – get £5 emergency credit straight from each of your meters, and you can call us if you need more
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Check your balance in the app – every night, we'll take a handy snapshot of your balance. So it’s all ready for you the next day
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Always be in the know – if you've got an In-Home Display, this can tell you how much energy you're using, and alert you when you're low on credit
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And if you run out of credit on weekdays between 4pm and 10am, or anytime on weekends and bank holidays – we'll make sure you don't lose power
If I don’t have an In-Home Display, how can I get one?
That’s easy. Just fill out this form to order yours.
What's different on PAYG Smart?
- You'll get a new Boost app – download it here for iOS, and here for Android
- You can't track your energy use in the new app – but you can do it with your In-Home Display (if you have one)
- £30 Emergency Boost won't be available in the new app – but you can activate £5 straight from each of your meters, and call us if you need more
- Our text, email, and app credit alerts will stop – but an In-Home Display can tell you when you're running low
How do I know if I’ve already been moved to PAYG Smart?
If you're on PAYG Smart already, we’ll have sent you a letter or an email about this, including all the instructions for setting up your new app, which is called 'Boost Top-up'.
How do I know if I’m still on PAYG+?
If you don’t have a message in your app saying that you’ve been moved to PAYG Smart, you’re still on PAYG+.
I’m on PAYG Smart – can I go back on PAYG+?
Unfortunately, this won’t be possible.
My energy balance on PAYG Smart
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 That said, if your meters aren't communicating with us frequently, your balance might not show at all – or be out of date.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.
How do I view my balance on my meter or In Home Display (IHD)?
If you have a SMETS1 smart meter (the one with a keypad), press 7 on the meter’s keypad to see your balance. You can also press 5 on your meter to see how much debt you have left.
For SMETS2 smart meters (which has 2 buttons on the electricity meter and 3 buttons on the gas), such as our Aclara electricity or Flonidan gas smart meter, your balance will always display on your IHD home screen and on the screen of the meter itself.
How do I change the default view of my IHD so it shows my balance?
Press the Menu button in the bottom right of the screen and select Settings. You can change the view of your home screen by selecting Home Screen. This will give you 4 different layouts to choose from. Use the left and right arrows to scroll through the options, including one which shows 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.
Can I check the balance directly on my meter?
This depends on the type of meter you have. A SMETS1 (the one with a keypad) or a SMETS2 (which has 2 buttons on the electricity meter and 3 buttons on the gas).
If you have a SMETS1
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Press 7 on the meter to see your credit
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Press 5 to check your debt balance
If you have a SMETS2
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You’ll always see how much credit you have on your In-Home Display (IHD) screen, and on the default screen of the meter itself.
The new PAYG Smart app: Boost Top-up
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…
- Open it and tap Sign In
- Select Forgot password
- Enter the email address we use to contact you, and press Next
- Then choose a new password
- Head to your email inbox – you'll see a Boost password reset email from us
- Enter the code from this email into the app, and press Next
- Choose a new password by following the instructions, and hit Confirm
- 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.
Paying for my energy on PAYG Smart
How do I top up on PAYG Smart?
You can do it with your new Boost Top-up app once you’ve downloaded it, just like you topped up with the old one. You can also make payments online, or at any PayPoint shop with your Boost top-up card or by using the barcode in the app.
On PAYG Smart, you’ll need to start topping up your electricity and gas separately – you can choose how much credit you’d like to add to each.
Why haven’t you sent me a new top-up card?
The best thing about the Boost app is that you can manage and top up your energy from anywhere. You can also make payments at the shop using the in-app barcode. This is why we haven’t sent you a new top-up card – you can do it all in the app! If you’d prefer to have top-up cards, just give us a call and we’ll send them your way.
How do I add a new top-up card to my new app?
You only need to do this if you’re signing up for a new account.
If we only supply you with electricity:
- Tap Manage Accounts
- Click on Add Smart TopUp card
- Select Electricity
- Press Next
- Enter your top-up barcode number into the box
- Then press Save
If we only supply you with gas:
- Tap Manage Accounts
- Click on Add Smart TopUp card
- Select Gas
- Press Next
- Enter your top-up barcode number into the box
- Then press Save
If we supply you with gas and electricity:
- Tap Manage Accounts
- Click on Add Smart TopUp card
- Select Electricity
- Press Next
- Enter your top-up barcode number into the box
- Press Save
- Then select Add Smart TopUp card again
- Follow the same steps as for electricity to add your gas
- Press Save
When you move from PAYG+ to PAYG Smart, your top-up cards are automatically added to your new app. If you have new cards, just follow the steps above to add them (from Add Smart TopUp card).
What will happen to my Winter Wallet savings?
Winter Wallet ended last year and we’ve already moved any savings from your wallet to your credit balance.
Will I still be able to pay with a few different bank cards?
Yes, that's possible in the new Boost app too. Once you've logged in for the first time, you'll be able to add your bank cards.
Will my energy prices change on PAYG Smart?
No. Moving to PAYG Smart won’t affect your energy prices.
The PAYG+ features
Can I still schedule rolling and auto top-ups on PAYG Smart?
No, these features won't be available on your new plan unfortunately. It might be an idea to pop a reminder in your calendar instead.
What happens if I run out of credit and can’t afford to top up on PAYG Smart?
As always, we’re here to support you. If you can’t top up straight away or you can’t afford to, there’s £5 emergency credit on each meter to help. You can activate it using either:
- Your In-Home Display – just press E Credit, and your balance will count down to £0 from £5, giving you enough time to top up before it runs out
- Your meter – here's a handy guide to walk you through how to do it
If you need more emergency credit, we can offer this over the phone. Give us a call on 0330 102 7517 and we can support you.
Don't forget, if you run out of credit on weekdays between 4pm and 10am, or anytime on weekends and bank holidays – you won't lose power.
What will happen to Emergency Boost?
This won't be available in the new Boost app. You can activate £5 emergency credit straight from each of your meters and we can offer more over the phone, when you call us. We’re here to support you.
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.
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Press A on your gas or electricity meter
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Enter the code from your receipt
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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:
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Navigate to the main menu
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Click on Account
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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:
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Press the 7 on the keypad
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You’ll see a message saying EC OFFER – tap A to accept the emergency credit or B to ignore
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Then tap B to confirm
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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:
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Tap the menu icon at the bottom right of the screen
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Press Top-Up
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Choose the fuel you want to top up
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Press OK
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Enter your PayPoint code
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Tap OK
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The IHD will then confirm that your money has been added to your meter
2. Using your meter
For electricity:
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Press A on your meter until you see Enter Top Up Code
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Press and hold A to begin typing
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Enter your code using the A and B buttons to navigate through the digits
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Press and hold B when complete
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The meter will show you one of these messages: Top Up accepted or Invalid
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Press A to continue
For gas:
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Press C on your gas meter to enter the menu
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Using A and B, scroll to Prepayment and press C
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Tap A and B until you see New Payment
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Press C to select it
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Use A and B to enter your code
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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:
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Press the menu button
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Tap E-Credit
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Select the fuel you want emergency credit for (gas or electricity)
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Press OK
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The IHD will confirm your request
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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:
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Press A to cancel or B to activate it
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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
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If you select the emergency credit, you’ll see an EC sign on the display at the bottom-right corner
For gas:
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Press any button on your gas meter to wake up the screen
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If you have any emergency credit available, you’ll see an EC logo on the screen, next to the signal bar icon
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Press C to enter the menu and B to scroll to Prepayment
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Tap C to enter
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Press B to scroll down to the Emerg. Credit option, then C to enter
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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)
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You can check your emergency credit balance by going through the same menu options until you see Limit and Remaining
