IHD3 devices still being given out instead of new models?

Hi @electricbolt , there are a number of versions in use as far as I am aware. In fact there is an IHD 7 out now as well but models used depend on what’s available I believe. 
The version I have only has standard batteries not rechargeable but seems to work ok, although it doesn’t last long on batteries. 

Yeah, exactly the same for me - new install this morning 1/8/23.

Inserting a rechargeable battery produced no battery symbol, plus only the left arrow button gave any response.

Clearly a bunch of old meters being supplied with some rubbish firmware that doesn’t handle the rechargeable battery properly.

I am in conversation with the chatbot and waiting for a real person to contact me.

Update: completely useless, just a proforma answer (to a different problem). I give up.

Further update: A ‘new one’ is being ordered, but they are out of stock and no date for delivery. I’ll wait with bated breath.

Yeah, exactly the same for me - new install this morning 1/8/23.

Inserting a rechargeable battery produced no battery symbol, plus only the left arrow button gave any response.

Clearly a bunch of old meters being supplied with some rubbish firmware that doesn’t handle the rechargeable battery properly.

I am in conversation with the chatbot and waiting for a real person to contact me.

Update: completely useless, just a proforma answer (to a different problem). I give up.

Further update: A ‘new one’ is being ordered, but they are out of stock and no date for delivery. I’ll wait with bated breath.

 

The official manual states it only takes standard AAA batteries, non rechargeable.

https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/chameleontechnology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IHD3-PPMID-AAA-User-Guide-.pdf

To be fair, a LOT of stuff that takes AA or AAA batteries gets fussy about rechargeable batteries. The 1.2V is often not enough for stuff that demands 1.5V.

I also received the IHD3 in a new install yesterday. Good tip about rebooting, thanks, after I unplugged and moved it, as the L/R arrows no longer worked

Zigbee version is 1.1.2, is this not the latest version? Does this version change whenever the firmware is updated?

It probably does, but firmware updates don’t come out very often - only when needed.

Is the unresponsive button issue something that can be fixed in a firmware update? It’s useless putting a battery in this thing if the buttons become unresponsive when unplugged from the power outlet and you have no choice but to reboot it.

Possibly, but I can’t say for sure.

Mind you, I do have a couple of bug reports open with Chameleon right now. I really should chase those up...

I had smart meters installed on 1sr Sept and I have been given an IHD3 too!  I unplugged it just so I could try and set budgets and wondered why the screen went blank as the engineer had told me it would have a 4h battery life when unplugged!  

Will be trying to get in touch with live chat tomorrow (only being available such limited hours is ridiculous) to request an IHD6

The IHD6 has that battery, the IHD3 does not always have it.

You only get ONE IHD for free and suppliers don’t offer upgrades. This isn’t OVO specific so switching away won’t get you any other result - it’s the same across the entire market.

As for the Live Chat? It’s open on Saturdays as well.

• Just had smart meter installed (forced to, due to RTS switch off next week would have left property without heating with Off Peak storage heaters). Will save the (not so) Smart Meter issues for another thread. (will see if storage heaters actually charge tonight first)
• I been given very old IHD3 Home display (not IHD7, nor IHD6 rolled out 6 years ago?) for some reason. ie. No wifi, no touch screen, various other missing features on this old IHD3.
• The engineer was very reluctant to give me the Home display at all, he said they have a lot of problems, better off using the App.
• I said I probably can't use the App/Web to track usage for this property due to previously having 2 meters (standard & off peak) which the App doesn’t currently support (had to use web to submit meter readings up to now). So far seems I am correct as my online account is not showing smart meter usage yet, just tells me, “Your meter setup isn't supported”. (after the smart meter install)

The Problem

• The in Home display I've been given is showing random multiple entries for energy usage from 15th months ago 21-27th July 2024. which can't be my readings?, as until today I was manually submitting meter readings to Ovo on a manual basis (when request/every couple of months).
• I tried ‘Clear Settings’ on the device, unplugged, re-started. Still same issue of usage readings from Jul 2024, ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Today’ (which seem wrong). 
• The time on IHD3 device shows 1:07pm when it's actually 4:00pm. (on 6/10/2025)

Questions

• The IHD3 I got given came in a box without no manual. While there is a battery slot on the back, there is no battery in it, just a power connector for the device (which works). I assume that’s a AAA, is it standard not rechargeable AAA required?, and is that for battery usage INSTEAD of the plug, or if you unplug it it will continue to work (ie. its for back up power)?
• Is there a way to properly factory reset this IHD3 v1 device?
• the IHD3 is showing the wrong time. Where is it getting this time from, The Smart Meter? (Aclara SGM 1416-B meter), if yes how can I check what time and date the Meter is set to?
• How can I check this IHD3 v1 is actually connected to the Smart Meter installed in my house?
• Should I have been given a IHD3 v1 in Oct 2025?

Hi ​@theorg ,

When it comes to the IHD… It’s unfortunately down to what OVO can get at the moment - the IHD6/7 have been gold dust for ages and the IHD3 appears to be the only Chameleon unit that OVO can get right now. You’ll know it’s connected when it starts showing actual data.

The battery is more for PAYG customers to enable manual top-ups - I wouldn’t worry about that too much. If you want to use one anyway, please use non-rechargeable batteries.

It’s also too soon for the new meters to show up! It takes up to six weeks - so keep an eye out!

Ok thanks for info, that’s disappointing although ‘disappointed’ is the best I've felt to date after an Ovo interaction unfortunately.

Feels more like Ovo doing as little as possible to meet install requirements/offloading decade old stock rather than manuafactuer availability. (I see can buy the IHD7 direct from supplier for £50). Engineer did say ‘they’ trying to get away from them, it felt like he’d been told to try and convince customers they don’t want one.

When you say 

You’ll know it’s connected when it starts showing actual data.

too soon for the new meters to show up! It takes up to six weeks

I’ve just read about potential lag with Smart Meter usage data being available from Ovo, but assumed the IHD3 would show/get usage data from local Smart meter from day 1?

Try having Support run XJoin just to be safe. :)

Please do not buy any IHD other than the ones listed in my guide:

Only those ones are verified to work.

Morning ​@theorg, I hope you’re well.

Apologies for the fact that you’ve been sent an IHD3, as ​@Blastoise186 says, we can only send out what we have stock of. What I will say though is that there’s really not a great deal of difference between the chameleon IHDs and, also, no IHD will give you the sort of concrete usage data that you’ll get on the online account and app. I personally don’t use an IHD, however they can be useful for customers who wish to set daily budgets etc.

As ​@Blastoise186 has mentioned, ask our Support Team to run an ‘XJOIN’ - this is a remote request we’ll send to your IHD to get it showing usage data. Hopefully this’ll do the trick. Here’s a guide from our website, and here’s a link to the IHD3 user guide.

Oh yeah - I forgot to mention that you can’t do a total factory reset. That would unpair the IHD completely and require OVO to intervene.

It’s locked out for your safety.

What I will say though is that there’s really not a great deal of difference between the chameleon IHDs and, also, no IHD will give you the sort of concrete usage data that you’ll get on the online account and app. 

Doesn’t seem much to ask to have a device made within the past decade (and one without someone else's data currently showing on it). Also it seems WiFi maybe critical for me, but I’ll leave that argument until I know what data I will see online and in app. 

I’m away for property for couple of wks now. So will have to revisit on my return. The storage heaters came on last night so at least the RTS replacement seems to work (for now). Seemingly no way for me to see what time that off peak is set to come on/off on the meter, nor what the actual clock time on the meter is. (looked in manual nothing obvious)

The problem with relying on app/web is

1. everything suggests I won't to be able to track usage data due to a stand and off peak 2x meters setup I had previously (TBC when Ovo updates its systems with my Smart meter)

2. to compound issues the engineer warned me it may end up being a dumb meter due to connectivity issues in the area. 

Questions

1. can you confirm the IHD3 v1 In-Home Display does not work locally with the meter if there is not good connection to Ovo servers? does it HAVE to contact the smart meter network to get it to work, if yes, is there a model that doesn’t?
2. is is there a a way to see what time and date the internal clock is set to on my smart meter, and how does it maintain that time, including when/if it cannot connect to servers,(re: clocks going back/fwd, economy 7 off peak on/off times in general)
3. I’ve had what looks like 14 inch long radio transmitter/ariel installed in my hallway (similar shape to a long LED strip light), I'm assuming this isn’t standard transmitter?  Presume you use standard products, can you give the likely make / model for this transmitter/aerial please? cannot see anything on device itself.

No. Communications are controlled by the hub (usually on top of the meter). Meters and the IHD use a Zigbee network - the HAN - to share data via the hub. The hub connects with suppliers and others via the smart meter Wide Area Network (WAN), which uses cellular networks south of Manchester and long-range radio further north. The HAN is independent of the WAN.  

The meter’s clock is replicated on the IHD. After the initial setting on commissioning, time is maintained by monitoring the line frequency, which your DNO will work very hard to keep at 50Hz. This doesn’t work, of course, during a power cut, so there is an internal battery which keeps the time accurate when there’s no power using a quartz crystal oscillator. 

Most SMETS2 meters make no adjustment for summertime, so offpeak hours will usually shift by an hour twice a year.

It’s probably one of the aerial types illustrated here: Information and details on UK SMETS 2 Smart Meters. You’ll find technical documentation here: Document Centre | Smart DCC 

The IHD3 you’ve been supplied with is the same as the one I’ve been using for the past few years. It’s not as powerful as the SMETS1 IHD I had previously, but it does most of what I’d expect it to. 

Thanks, that’s a useful resource, and yes looks like its the Panorama T2.