Can I get a replacement for my broken smart meter In-Home Display (IHD)?

I am told that i need to replace the IHD MONITOR- it is faulty

How do i do this?

Hi @nizu 

If you have been told you need to get a replacement. Your best bet would be to contact OVO via email or webchat.

Webchat: Help Centre

Phone: 0330 303 5063

Thank for your speedy reply

just contacted ovo and told they do not have any in stock???

Difficult to believe!

Oh man that sucks :-( 

Sorry I can't help you there as I am only an OVO forum user like yourself. I know it's probably not something you want to do but have you looked on eBay? Maybe people are selling one

We are experiencing stock issues, @nizu, but we can add you to a waitlist to get one sent out as soon as one becomes available. We can’t confirm a time frame for how long this will take, but message the team to get this sorted via the Help Centre.

That’s a good idea, @ITGeek123, and I wish it was that easy but we wouldn’t connect an IHD from a third party as it could compromise the security! 

Thanks for the reply @Eva_OVO Would it work if Nizu bought the same IHD he currently has from eBay or am I guessing you configure them before they are sent out to homeowners?

Hey @ITGeek123,

It’d still be a no as other suppliers use the same models of IHD as us, so even if you buy a Pipit or Chameleon online we don’t know where it’s come from.

Cheers

My IHD broke back in February and I advised OVO for a replacement.  Since then I’ve been told I can’t have one because they don’t have any information as to when one will be available.  I’ve been on a waiting list for months and months.  Only today was I told the actual reason for the delay………..because I have a 1st generation smart meter and I need an older model of display which they are having trouble getting delivery of.

I’ve emailed them back asking why can’t I have a SMET2 meter installed then if it’s so difficult getting an older version of an IHD.  I am just waiting for them to respond, but I have a feeling I know how this will go. “No you can’t have a SMET2 because you already have a SMET1 and we don’t do upgrades, so basically you’re going to have to wait for these rare products to come back into stock”.  What the hell is the point in me having a smart meter if I can’t even get a IHD to go alongside it.

Anyone else been waiting close to a year for a replacement IHD?

My contract is up in December and I’m seriously considering switching away. I’ve been an OVO customer for several years now, yet I’m not getting anything for my custom, just getting fobbed off with excuse after excuse.

Good points @Madsocks79 and welcome to the Forum.

Firstly, I wish you’d posted here months ago because we could have provided the correct answer for you almost immediately. The Forum has a breadth of knowledge amongst its members which enables us to delve into the technical reasons why things go wrong. And as we don’t work for OVO, we don’t have to abide by company policy either.

Secondly, the possibility of your SMETS1 meters being exchanged for SMETS2 is a big fat zero. When SMETS1 was initially specified it was stipulated that all those 1st generation meters must be software upgradable to full SMETS2 functionality “over the air” (no site visit required).

In fact most of the SMETS1 meters installed by OVO have already been upgraded by the manufacturer. We are now in a phase called Middle Operating Capability, which commenced 30th July 2020. This phase will gradually migrate those meters onto the National Smart Meter Network, under control of the Data Communications Company (DCC).

At that point customers will be able to freely switch between Energy Suppliers whilst retaining full smart capability.

The IHD you require is almost certainly a Pipit, manufactured by Secure. You can buy them brand-new on Ebay for about £13. So I have no idea why OVO is having procurement difficulties.

Even if you do obtain a cheap Pipit yourself, it still needs to be paired with your Communications Hub. That can only be done over the telephone between you and OVO Customer Services.

Now that we’ve explored the ground, how would you like to proceed?

Thank you for your help. You’ve provided me with more information in 2 days than I got from OVO in the last 8 months.

Looking for the the IHD online, I can confirm it’s not a Pipit, but a Chameleon IHD3.

what I don’t understand is why they would be having procurement issues when they are still doing more installations and obviously providing IHD’s during this time so they must have a stock of them somewhere.