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AAA Battery in IHD3 - rechargeable or not?


I just noticed that my new IHD3 can take an AAA battery for backup power . Does this have a charging circuit, or do I just use a non-rechargeable battery? (Not that the display actually displays any data yet, bit I live in hope!)

Best answer by Blastoise186

Hi ​@portland555 ,

If memory serves, That particular variant does NOT support rechargeable batteries and the ones you insert should be used purely as a backup.

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Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
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  • Plan Zero Hero
  • 7929 replies
  • Answer
  • March 6, 2025

Hi ​@portland555 ,

If memory serves, That particular variant does NOT support rechargeable batteries and the ones you insert should be used purely as a backup.


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  • Carbon Cutter*****
  • 30 replies
  • March 6, 2025

ok cool, that’s what I thought. Thanks for confirming!


  • Carbon Cutter**
  • 96 replies
  • March 7, 2025

Just curious, what’s the purpose for the back up batteries? When there is no electricity – there is nothing to display, the meter itself wont be able to send any data. Am I wrong?


  • Author
  • Carbon Cutter*****
  • 30 replies
  • March 7, 2025

I guess it is so you can walk around the house with it to test what appliances are using etc.


Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
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  • Plan Zero Hero
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  • March 7, 2025

The primary purpose is to keep the IHD functioning for Prepayment customers in the event they Self-Disconnect as a result of their credit running out - the backup battery allows the customer to still use the PPMID (Prepayment Meter Interface Device) functionality of the IHD to punch in UTRN Codes and restore supply without having to do so on the meter itself. This is something they rely on pretty heavily so it has to be a viable option.

But yes, a secondary function can be to make the IHD a bit more portable for short-term walking around the house.


Peter E
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  • March 7, 2025

It's a Friday afternoon and a short, amusing (well to me) story to round off the battery back up thread. A few years back when the energy prices went crazy I went round the entire house looking for vampire drains (fogotten devices plugged in / connected to the mains) to identify all of them and how much they took. The IHD was on the lower ring final (main) circuit and I had found and switched off all the power draining equipment except, annoyingly, the IHD was still saying 1W. All circuits in the consumer unit were off except the lower ring final. I double checked each socket again. Nothing was plugged in /wired in but still it said 1W. And suddenly went to zero when the backlight on the IHD went out!

Doh!


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