Updated on 19/06/24 by Emmanuelle_OVO
Great question to ask about the information you’re seeing on your smart meter device. I’m guessing you’re looking at the Pipit IHD default screen
This default estimated bill screen on your Pipit In Home Display (IHD) doesn't necessarily match your monthly billing cycle. This figure can't be reset manually but will reset after a tariff change, so when you renew, or with a price change if you're on the Simpler Energy plan. Think of it as a ‘Total usage since last tariff change’ figure.
If you’re looking to check your current monthly cost the best place to head is the ‘Billing’ page of your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS). This will update daily if you have your smart meter set to send us a reading either daily or half hourly. If you would like to update the reading schedule of your meter to allow this, contact our Support Team to request this change.
The advice above relates to the Pipit IHD, if you have a Chameleon IHD see the guides below for more help with these:
SMETS1 Chameleon In Home Display (IHD) guide
SMETS2 In Home Display (IHD) guide
Hi, Thanks for the comment, I am specifically talking about the Pipit 500 home energy display. Since it was set up it has never reset when a bill has been produced. This leaves it fairly useless and very disappointing, All I'm seeing are ever increasing numbers on the device and it annoyingly also glows ultra brightly with apparently no means to dim it either. The sole reason for getting this was to be able to adequately predict the next bill based on usage, weekly, it fails on every level. Is it going to continue to increase the display amounts forever more? If so it may as well be returned as completely useless and a waste of electricity to keep it plugged in.
Thanks for clarifying, @mritch.
I don't know enough about IHD's to comment. So I'm hoping someone else will join in here if they know the Pipit 500 features/controls. There may be a way to reset the readings manually.
However, I can confirm that there is no way for an IHD to "know" when your bill is generated, so it can't automatically respond to that event.
Your IHD receives data via a Zigbee wireless network from your gas/electricity Smart Meter(s). They in turn have no concept of a bill-date. The Smart Meters send data to OVO using the mobile phone network, via the 3rd party DCC.
OVO's in-house computers generate your Bill. There is no signal passed back to your Smart Meter through DCC when that happens.
Thanks Transparent, If as you say all data between the house and OVO is conducted via the actual meters then it would seem that the IHD can be simply disconnected and put away as a good idea badly implemented by OVO, I can track the bills via the web instead.
regards
Mark
Yes,
@mritch, you don't have to use the IHD at all. It all rather depends on what information you're interested in.
Some people use the IHD for a few months to help them get a better idea of what devices are using power in the house. It's quite useful to go around removing those little transformer plugs we use for charging phones etc, just see how much it costs to leave things on stand-by.
If I'd had an IHD last November, I'd have been interested to monitor my gas consumption either side of the date on which I installed a solar-thermal panel.
But if it's really just the billing data that interests you, then you might as well get all you need from
My OVO online.
Smart Meter technology is changing. The
SMETS2 software will be released towards the end of this year, and that will offer all sorts of possibilities for Energy Suppliers to tailor tariffs for individual needs. Electricity sub-stations are also being trialled with
OpenLV monitoring. This creates the possibility of consumers being given cut-price energy outside of the traditional night-time Economy-7 slot in order to help
Balance the Grid.
So the IHD you are currently supplied with is a small part of some fairly massive changes in the way we buy (and sell) energy within the UK.
THank you so much for the prompt information and being very helpful
Mark
My smart meter hasn't reset since I moved in last June and I 'inherited' my ovo meter. I've had messages to tell me I have to read the outside meter manually to get an upto date bill. What is thepoint of a smart meter if it doesn't send readings? Dor I need a replacement?
My smart meter hasn't reset since I moved in last June and I 'inherited' my ovo meter. I've had messages to tell me I have to read the outside meter manually to get an upto date bill. What is thepoint of a smart meter if it doesn't send readings? Dor I need a replacement?
@arranjackson
Are you referring to your In Home Display? Does the smart meter not send in your readings to
MyOVO for your monthly bill? Have a look at the actual electricity smart meter - near the top left of the meter face are 3 lights. The middle one labeled WAN should be flashing if it has signal.
Have a look at this topic thread above to get a better idea of this issue, and if you're convinced the smart meter or the IHD isn't working correctly, give us a call so we can diagnose and fix in the one call: 0330 303 5063
Have had smart meter for a few months. All the stats on display seem fine apart from 'electricity used today' which is currently on £185! That's blatantly not right as going back through usage it shows costs for previous days that seem about right (it's in pence for all days) but day cost which is on main screen shows huge figures. Why is this and how can I get it to display correctly?!
I should add that this isn't just today, it's been showing huge figures all the time, but like I mention, it seems to record fine. Just a problem with the 'today' figure
Hey
@Jonc,
Welcome to the forum, I've moved your post here. Check out the best answer below.
Erm... in short, @mritch, no. Here's a list of commands for the SMETS1 meters. There isn't a command to set or reset the readings. I don't know whether you are looking at the figures on the meter itself, or on the In-Home Display (IHD). Nor do I (yet) have a Smart Meter myself. It is quite possible that there are different types of IHD or SmartPhone App which do permit you to reset what they display. But that's quite separate from what the Smart Meter itself does. A lot of people log in to My OVO or use the OVO App to check the Usage Histogram rather than work with the raw meter readings. Is this what you're looking for?
I wonder if this question was resolved? My in house display is telling me that my estimated annual spend is going up daily for both gas and electric. Estimated bills are now over £1000 for gas and over £1000 for electric and that is before we start using the heating for winter! I must admit I’m very worried. I have checked with my neighbours who have equivalent number of people in the house and they are charged much less.
I've moved you post to this topic,
@Janetovo, the best answer below will help!
Erm... in short, @mritch, no. Here's a list of commands for the SMETS1 meters. There isn't a command to set or reset the readings. I don't know whether you are looking at the figures on the meter itself, or on the In-Home Display (IHD). Nor do I (yet) have a Smart Meter myself. It is quite possible that there are different types of IHD or SmartPhone App which do permit you to reset what they display. But that's quite separate from what the Smart Meter itself does. A lot of people log in to My OVO or use the OVO App to check the Usage Histogram rather than work with the raw meter readings. Is this what you're looking for?
We had HIVE installed last October and it made a difference to the overall temperature of the house and Gas usage over the winter, However, this year we seem to spend ALOT more on gas according to the “SMART” meter. This worried me as nothing else has changed so I checked the app and then my bill and realise the readings are all different!
Question: How does the SMART meter get tariff data to turn KwH into £?
I have taken some pictures of the meter at the end of the day to compare it to usage in the app but the app hasn’t got any usage data for the last seven days (the coldest of the year so far) so I am waiting to be able to compare them all.
Anyone know why the SMART meter vs. App vs. Actual bill are all so different?
Hey @Darth Raider, I’ve popped your post here, there is a tonne of info above that will may be useful. I’ve covered your query here.
