Hi @Ramsmad and thanks for flagging this. 

Stock for In Home Displays (IHDs) has certainly been a bottleneck issue in the past. Last week we were notified of new stock of Chameleon IHD6s. I’d expect those on the list for needing one should be contacted / sent one, but you may consider chasing this up later this week via a webchat. Just in case you get bumped to the front of the queue…

Don’t forget you have fantastic options for seeing your usage via your online account here: https://account.ovoenergy.com/usage

and via third party apps:

Hi Tim 

Thanks for the reply. Well I've been on web chat, and was informed that as I've got a 1st gen smart meter, I can't get an IHD unit. Also can't get an updated smart meter, unless there's a fault with the one I've got!

I though there was a scheme to replace Old smart meters, so they work with all energy suppliers?

Gary

Hi @Ramsmad

I don't work for OVO. I am just a customer like you 

See if your smart meter has been upgraded yet. Citizens Advice have a simple tool

https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Also f you post a picture of your smart meter one of the regular posters here should be able to identify what make and model it is which may help

Hope you don’t mind if I slide into the chat too. :)

I’ve got options for you that might still get you an IHD despite being S1.

Hi, Jeffus 

Checked on smart meter check. It says mine is not on system, so hasn't been upgraded? It's sending accurate readings, so looks like I'll have to be even more patient! It's very confusing, You get a different story every time you go on Webchat 

Gary

@Ramsmad

Yep. That either means yours has yet to be upgraded or can't be upgraded. 

There was a deadline of end 2022 to upgrade smart meters, else replace them. I am not sure if that is still correct @Emmanuelle_OVO

If you post a picture of your meter someone may be able to identify the type and may be able to give more information in case it helps with any conversations with ovo. 

@Blastoise186 is usually great at comments about SMETS 1 meter upgrade info. Hopefully @Blastoise186 will pop by sometime.

I have heard Octopus are more willing to rip out old SMETS1 meters that haven't upgraded as they seem to be trying to get more people on their standard IT platform which makes a lot more use of SMETS2 data i hear.  But obvious there is no guarantee this would be any quicker for you. 

That’s a Secure Liberty meter, OVO can access these regardless of DCC. Try this tool, it might help.

https://smart-meter-help.ovoenergy.com 

It should have been migrated by now though!!!

@Blastoise186 

It is communicating OK with ovo, simply that OVO say they can't supply an IHD and won't swap the meter for a new SMET2 meter and IHD. 

Is there a date when these old meters will start to be swapped if they didn't update? I thought it was from end 2022, but perhaps i am mistaken or the date has shifted? 

Oh ok. Erm… Last I heard from the Sekrit Smart Meter Friend was that sometime around the end of 2023 (corrected from 2022, sorry!!!) is (corrected from was) when it should all be basically done. Meters that completely fail to migrate will become eligible for an S2 hardware swap. at no cost to the customer.

That is what i thought as well

@Tim_OVO @Emmanuelle_OVO do you know when ovo are starting the swap out? 

Oh wait a sec… The current deadline is 31st December 2023. It got changed last minute!!!

@Blastoise186 can't say i am surprised

It would be nice to get some official communication from OVO about the situation. Or is that too much to ask?

These are the last official dates published by ovo, last updated in December 2022, but needs updating given the revised deadline that all suppliers have been given. End 2023 isn't an ovo specific date. 

All good advice above, and I know of one customer on the forum who’s SMETS1 meter failed to get enrolled and adopted by the DCC in December, and a retry is happening at the end of this month. Timeframes for all retries will of course, vary. 

Either way you’re able to source IHDs that work with SMETS1, see Blastoise’s guide here:

Hi Tim 

Will I get to know when a retry will take place? If successful will I then get an IHD from OVO.  I have been promised one many times!

Interesting having done some digging. There is consumer protection and a government code of practice around smart meter and IHD installations. I haven’t read in detail but a cut and paste of a bit of information is below. 

IHD should be offered to customers at the point of installation. You have never had a working IHD so i say not unreasonably this has never happened. 

I don't know whether the Energy Ombudsman would ask OVO to provide one or swap the meter and IHD within a "reasonable time" given you have never had one. I am not sure if their remit stretches to this even. But i think that passes the fair and reasonable test personally. Worst case ask OVO to pay for a SMETS1 IHD from here. https://shop.glowmarkt.com/products/display-and-cad-combined-for-smart-meter-customers?variant=36560284352664

Anyway i would be tempted to log an official complaint via the OVO standard complaint process and see what happens anyway and then take the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman, quoting the consumer protection and government code of practice if necessary. I can't imagine anyone saying waiting 2 years is fair and reasonable. 

Of course you may already have tried this or may think it is a step too far. 

—----------------

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/smart-meters-how-they-work

Consumer protections

Code of practice

The government has put in place a Code of Practice for smart meter installations to protect customers, which requires that:

• energy efficiency advice, tailored to the customer’s circumstances, and an IHD is offered to households as part of the installation

Hi Jeffus 

Thanks for the info. I'll look into it.

Gary

Anyone had problems waiting for a display to arrive. I had a smart meter installed on 28th September 2022. The engineer didnt leave the IHD. Ive been asking for when one will arrive for weeks, i got out of stock, shortage, dont know when they will arrive. So i put in a complaint and the response was i will be puy on another list to recieve one in the next few weeks. Still not got one. This has been 21 weeks now. Anyone else had these issues?

Hey @ladyb,

Really sorry to hear this, that sounds like a frustrating experience.

Hopefully you’ll get an In Home Display soon, but in the meantime there are other ways to access your usage data like the OVO Energy Tracker:

One of our Community Members has created this great guide you might find helpful:

Hope this helps. 

I was moved from SSE to OVO in July last year. My IHD for the smart meter was not working so I asked OVO to send me a new one, which has never arrived. 

I’ve spoken to OVO about this on two occasions, the last being in Oct/Nov last year, and each time was told that there was a shortage of IHDs and that I would be sent one as soon as they come in stock. 

Given it’s now ¾ of a year since I originally asked for a new IHD, I refuse to believe that they simply have no stock. 

I’m curious to know if anyone else is stuck in the same situation, or whether anyone was in the same situation and was able to resolve the issue. 

I think it’s ridiculous that while we’re in the middle of an energy crisis and need to pay attention to our usage more than ever, OVO do not have the supply of tools to enable us to do so. 

Hi @Not_so_smart_meter,

Thanks for flagging this, I’m sorry to hear about the delay in getting you a replacement In Home Display (IHD) since your first one had an error. As you might imagine these are in demand from anyone getting a new smart meter and for anyone like you who has an issue with their existing one. 

I’m aware of a recent batch of IHDs in January for the second generation meters. It may be worth chasing up our Support team directly to see if they can help. In the meantime here’s a guide on how to source an IHD yourself:

FWIW I was fobbed off for over a year saying they were out of stock. Turns out that the SMETS1 meter upgrades made the IHD incompatible I was advised about 14 months on.