Here’s everything you need to know when one of our engineers visits your home.

Engineer identification

We take your safety very seriously and we want you to feel confident when an engineer visits your home to read your meter, check on a fault you’ve raised, or replace an old meter.

Our uniformed engineers will always introduce themselves when they arrive. The first thing to remember is that Boost is part of OVO Energy, so our engineers might be wearing an OVO Energy uniform. We also use companies called SMS, Siemens or Morrisons to help us install smart meters and take meter readings.

No matter which company they’re from, our engineers always carry and show identification cards. The card will show:

• The name of their company
• A colour photo of the engineer
• Their name and signature
• Their reference number
• The card’s expiry date

The cards are checked regularly to ensure they are up to date, and are always handed back to the company by the engineer if they leave their job.

If you feel like something isn’t right when an engineer arrives, please start a chat with us.

How long do appointments last?

This depends on the work that needs to be carried out – but for meter exchanges, it takes around 45 minutes per meter, so 90 minutes for both gas and electricity meters.

How can I make an appointment?

If we need to carry out work in your home, like carrying out a meter exchange, we’ll always pre-arrange an appointment with you.

If you don’t have a smart meter yet, talk to one of our advisors who can book you an appointment. We might also be in touch via email, SMS, or over the phone to offer you an appointment.

Meter reading visits

Outside of an emergency, meter reading visits are the only time an engineer will turn up without an appointment.

And if we have reason to believe your meter has been tampered with, you might be visited by a Revenue Protection Service agent to investigate.

Emergencies

The only time (aside from meter readings) that we can’t let you know in advance that an engineer will be visiting is during emergencies. If that happens, our engineers will explain exactly what’s going on, what you need to do and they’ll be able to give you contact numbers for more information if you aren’t sure.

Worried someone isn’t who they say they are?

If someone visits and says they’re one of our engineers, please don’t let them in until they’ve explained why they’ve turned up and shown you their ID.

If you have any doubts whatsoever, ask them to wait while you start a chat with us.

What training do engineers have before they visit?

Whether they’re our engineers, or engineers from SMS, Siemens or Morrisons – they’ve all been carefully chosen and trained to a high standard.

Firstly, all engineers have been vetted with the Criminal Records Bureau. And they’ll also have had plenty of classroom-based training and on the job experience before they visit you, by spending time with a senior engineer. They’ll then be trained to:

• Clearly explain everything about the work they’re doing at your home.
• Warn you in advance if your energy supplies need to be turned off.
• Pay attention to the way you’d like to do things and to respect your concerns.
• Treat your home and possessions with care and respect.
• Use a password system (if you’ve requested it) so you can be sure they’re our engineer

Once an engineer has passed training, they’re regularly re-tested so we can be sure that they’re up to scratch with our high level of service.

Have special requirements for your appointment?

If you’re a vulnerable customer or have special requirements as part of your cultural beliefs, please read here for more information on how and when to let us know.