Hi sntbrooks,
If you have 2 batteries, it's probably because you have a residential refrigerator. That being the case, you likely have 2 battery switches above the batteries. Both need to be ON.
The meter in the control panel is showing the output of the batteries and/or the Power Converter (if plugged into shore power). I would expect if you turn off shore power, either outside, or at your main breaker panel inside, the meter will show no power.
There is a row of 12V DC mini-circuit breakers near the batteries. One breaker sits in between the batteries and the fuse box/Power Converter. If that breaker has tripped, you won't get any power to the fuse box when disconnected from shore power. The breakers are usually covered by a red rubber boot, and when uncovered, look something like this:
The breaker with thick wires on both sides is the one that you're looking for. There's a teeny-tiny reset button on the end with the battery connection. Find that reset button and you will probably solve the problem.