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New 'Chameleon' In Home Display (IHD3) - can I view my live gas usage like my electricity?

  • 21 October 2017
  • 26 replies
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Hi,

I have just had a smart meter and IHD fitted - it’s an IHD3. I can see how to see my live electricity usage (ie electricity now button).

However, is it possible to see how much gas is being used live?

Thanks

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Best answer by Transparent 14 May 2020, 15:50

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26 replies

Userlevel 7

However, is it possible to see how much gas is being used live?

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Hi @Bpridge

That 'Now' button (second on the left) will show your live electricity usage. We're unable to show your live gas usage at the moment. Check out this guide for more info.

Tim

Updated 05/05/2020

 

If its currently unavailable why don't the installers say this and offer the latest known point of availablility, this would be far better than spending a hour + looking for the reason why gas isn't being shown.
Hello. We are installing the smart meters today and I would like to ask if the live gas consumption has been available or not yet? Are there any plans to be available in the future?
Thank you
Userlevel 5
Edited by moderator

Unfortunately not @Panagiotis. This isn't something we're able to offer right now or for the foreseeable future.
@Lucy_OVO - I'm interested in seeing live, real-time gas consumption, too. You said that you expect this to be available in the near future ; can you provide any more information on timescales, please? Will this capability be made available on existing meters and in-home displays?
Given that these messages are at least 3 months old, when can we expect to be able to see live gas on our ihd, please? Also when is the App going to be fully functional, please?
Userlevel 7
@IanW @dasilvor no change on this. The gas meter sends your usage info to the electricity meter, which then send it to us and your IHD. So the electricity can link up with the IHD in real time, whereas the gas can't.

Unlike what we've said previously, it doesn't look like this is going to change, unless the smart meter data gets sent to the IHD differently. I'll edit that response so we manage expectations better.

Tim
Userlevel 5
Thanks for the update @Tim_OVO.
I'm curious, how does the PipIt manage to show the live usage of gas. Presumably it suffers for the same issue of gas data being sent to the electricity meter?
Or is it lying, and it actually isn't live usage at all?
@Tim_OVO: thanks for replying. If I understand correctly, you are ruling out any possibility that there will be real-time display of gas usage on the Chameleon IHD; if that's so, your edit to @Lucy_OVO's reply is still somewhat misleading.
Userlevel 5
Hi @IanW - I've changed Lucy's comment to reflect the information Tim has provided.

Hope this helps.
Hello,

I've just had my smart meter installed today and found this thread whilst trying to work out why I cannot see gas usage on my IHD. Is it just live gas usage that is unavailable? (i.e. if I wait a while it will at least show me daily gas usage?) Or will the new IHD never show anything for gas?

The reason I ask is I'm trying to work out whether my IHD isn't connected to the gas meter properly or whether I just need to wait and the info will come through eventually. Your user guide at https://forum.ovoenergy.com/ihd-in-home-displays-64/user-guide-for-the-chameleon-ihd-1837 certainly seems to imply that the IHD will provide gas usage information - even if not live - but at the moment clicking on the Dual button does nothing.
Userlevel 7
Trying to work out why I cannot see gas usage on my IHD. Is it just live gas usage that is unavailable?

@afcone your IHD will show live electricity usage, not live gas. But it should show your gas usage history and costs. Check MyOVO to see if your gas usage is showing - we might still need to update things at our end for your gas smart meter...

@Davidc did you have this when you first got your IHD?

@Davidc did you have this when you first got your IHD?


We have an old style IHD - monochrome display Pipit 500 - which is pretty useless, and we disconnected it because it was just sat wasting electricity. I don't remember whether it displays gas consumption. Certainly it doesn't at the moment because it is not powered on!

Trying to work out why I cannot see gas usage on my IHD. Is it just live gas usage that is unavailable?@afcone your IHD will show live electricity usage, not live gas. But it should show your gas usage history and costs. Check MyOVO to see if your gas usage is showing - we might still need to update things at our end for your gas smart meter...


Gas usage now shows on the IHD - admittedly, it's showing I used over a hundred pounds worth yesterday but I'm assuming that's a teething issue. Nothing in MyOVO as yet. I'll leave it a week or so and see if it's just still being configured - for example, MyOVO currently won't even show me what plan I'm on, so I assume it'll fix itself...
Hello. We are installing the smart meters today and I would like to ask if the live gas consumption has been available or not yet? Are there any plans to be available in the future?
Thank you


Hi,
This should have been explained to you at time of install, the electric meter has a direct link to the ihd, there is a delay on the pick up of the gas usage, its only a small delay but enough not to be able to give immediate usage on gas, only electric.

I have just had a smart meter and IHD fitted - it’s an IHD3. I can see how to see my live electricity usage (ie electricity now button).

However, is it possible to see how much gas is being used live?

Thanks

Userlevel 7
Badge +2

Updated on 14/06/23 by Emmanuelle_OVO

 

That’s a good question…. to which the answer is “no, unfortunately not!

The gas Smart Meter has an inbuilt battery with a lifetime expectancy of 10 years. In order to conserve power it keeps the lcd display switched off, and only wakes up the transmitter to your Communications Hub once every 30 minutes.

So your IHD is only able to display gas usage to the last half-hour internal when the data was sent.

Please ask here again if you’d like further clarification.

And have a look at this topic all about smart meters and their installation.

 

If you can’t view any gas usage data (not just live usage) on your In-Home Display (IHD) this could indicate a communication issue. Check out this topic for more details.

 

There’s more advice in getting the most out of your In-Home Display in the guides below -

 

SMETS1 Pipit In Home Display (IHD)

SMETS1 Chameleon In Home Display (IHD)

SMETS2 In Home Display (IHD)
 

You can also view your usage data (albeit not live data) on your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS)
 

OVO member but not got a smart meter yet? - Book today!

 

Interested but not yet an OVO member? - Check out our plans!

 

Userlevel 2

Meters installed last week, all functioning as expected except that the ‘Usage Now’ display only ever shows real time electricity consumption.  All other displays correctly show both fuel types and looking back over daily usage data online shows that gas meter is correctly registering the 30 minute consumption details.  Is this a known bug in the system or do other people see both fuels showing in ‘Usage now’ display?

Userlevel 7
Badge +1

Good morning @Cruachan , Welcome to the forums :)

This does sound like a known issue that OVO is investigating at the moment. @Tim_OVO is also interested in hearing from members with these issues so he can help build up a case. I’ll let him know about your thread.

Userlevel 7

Good morning @Cruachan @Blastoise186 - I’ve popped these comments over to this thread. 

 

Check out the ‘best answer’ I’ve just updated - no issue here. The IHD can’t show ‘Usage now’ for gas due to how often the meter communicates with the IHD (once every 30 mins). 

Userlevel 2

Thanks Tim.  My preference - and with an IT background, this should be a relatively simple workaround - would be for the ‘Usage Now’ figure for Gas to show the ‘Last 30 minute snapshot’. 

That would be a lot more useful than nothing!

Userlevel 7
Badge +1

Yup, that would make a lot of sense. I think it should be possible to do with a firmware update as well (unless you’ve got a weird IHD that doesn’t support firmware updates and has a fixed display!).

@Cruachan would you be happy to create a new thread with that idea as a feature suggestion? It’s a really good one and I’d like to make sure you get credit for it.

Userlevel 2

Yup, that would make a lot of sense. I think it should be possible to do with a firmware update as well (unless you’ve got a weird IHD that doesn’t support firmware updates and has a fixed display!).

@Cruachan would you be happy to create a new thread with that idea as a feature suggestion? It’s a really good one and I’d like to make sure you get credit for it.

Yep - will do that now.

Hello, as a new customer with OVO and having received their IHD 3, I was keen to know whether there is an option to display 'Cost now per hour' for Gas usage as I was unable to find it. If there isn't one is there a reason why?

Thanks, Paul.

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +1

I’m afraid that’s not possible for gas. The meter will only ping a heartbeat once every 30 minutes and only take a reading every 30 minutes (just before the heartbeat) to conserve battery, so live usage isn’t available.

The data shown on the IHD is therefore a snapshot based on the previous half-hour period.

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