Tutorial

OVO SMETS1 (S1) Chameleon In Home Display Guide

OVO SMETS1 (S1) Chameleon In Home Display Guide
Userlevel 7

Updated on 22/05/23 by Emmanuelle_OVO

 

Your guide to the SMETS1 (S1) Chameleon In Home Display 

 

If you’ve got a SMETS1 meter installed by OVO you might have been provided with the Pipit IHD (find out more about these here), the Chameleon IHD3 or more recently the Chameleon IHD6.

 

How to identify a Chameleon IHD

 

The Chameleon IHD3 is a black device with a multi-coloured display. 

 

 

This device is compatible with SMETS 1 or SMETS 2 meters, the only noticeable difference will be a power button on the back of the device if it’s SMETS 2 compatible.

 

The Chameleon IHD6 has a black front, with a white border and a touch screen:

 


 

Where should I plug in the device?

 

The IHD needs to be able to pick up clear signals from the electricity meter so we’d recommend plugging it in as close to the meter as possible. Locating the IHD more than 20 metres away or the other side of thick walls can mean it’s unable to receive and update your usage information.
 

How to use the Chameleon IHD3

 


The IHD is very easy to use. You can access all its functions with the 7 buttons along the bottom of the screen.

 

 

How to view your energy usage by day, week, month or year on an IHD3

 

 

  1. Tap the Home button to see how much energy you’ve used so far today
  2. Use the Calendar button to move the display through ‘so far this week’ and ‘so far this month’
  3. Use the ‘back’ arrow to scroll back and see how much energy you’ve used each day, week, month or year
  4. Tap the Utility button to switch the figures on the display between electricity, gas or combined fuels.


How much are you using right now?

 


Tapping ‘Now’ will show you how much electricity you’re using in real time. This is displayed as kilowatts (kW) and cost per hour. This lets you check if anything’s been left turned on, and work out which appliances use the most energy. The coloured light at the bottom shows whether your current use is low, medium or high.


​​​​​​Setting budgets on your IHD3


To help you manage your energy use, you can set a target:

  1. Bring up the menu screen by tapping OK. Select Adjust Settings and then select Set budget by tapping OK.
  2. Choose the time period you want to set a budget for (daily, weekly or monthly) by tapping the Calendar button. Use the back and forward arrows to change the amount. The IHD will show you how much you used in the previous period to help you set an achievable value. Tap OK to confirm your choices.
  3. You can set individual budgets for each fuel. Tap the Utility button to switch the figures on the display between electricity and gas.
  4. When you’re looking at how much energy you’ve used in the past, the light will show you how much you used compared to your budget.

 

​​​​​Check your meter readings on your IHD3

 

  1. Bring up the menu screen by tapping OK. Tap Meter Information.
  2. Cycle between electricity and gas using the utility button to check your meter readings.

 

Tutorial mode

 

The device has a built in tutorial that can be used during the installation visit and can be started by you at any time. The tutorial goes through key aspects of the IHD using dummy data and takes three minutes.

The tutorial can be exited by pressing the Home button, or each section skipped through by pressing the right arrow button. It can be accessed through the menu options.

 

Troubleshooting

 

 

User Guides

 

 

 

Does the device above not match the one you’ve got? Why not check out our other IHD guides below:
 

 

 

OVO member but not got a smart meter yet? - Book today!

 

Interested but not yet an OVO member? - Check out our plans!

 


88 replies

The documentation on the website for the IHD reflects the older monochrome version.

Please could a set of online documentation or a downloadable manual be made available for the newer colour Chameleon IHD.

Nigel.
Userlevel 5

I've just uploaded this for you, @nigelm!


Hope this helps!
Nancy

Hi
Just joined so be gentle lol
I’m sat in my kitchen - the only thing On is my radio , so why does my IHD jump from 0.00 cost per hour to 0.03 -? Bearing in mind nothing has changed in 2 hours ?
I get up at the same time every day yet each morning on my IHD there is a different reading and cost per hour , this morning cost per hour was 0.54 , yesterday same circumstances was 0.01 ??? Confused .com
Userlevel 5
Hi
Just joined so be gentle lol
I’m sat in my kitchen - the only thing On is my radio , so why does my IHD jump from 0.00 cost per hour to 0.03 -? Bearing in mind nothing has changed in 2 hours ?
I get up at the same time every day yet each morning on my IHD there is a different reading and cost per hour , this morning cost per hour was 0.54 , yesterday same circumstances was 0.01 ??? Confused .com


Hey @Allyballybeez - I'm assuming you have some appliances plugged in and running all the time eg fridge/freezer? We'd expect there to be a risidual cost per hour for keeping these appliances running.

Nancy
Nancy - yes , continually plugged in is sky box WiFi and fridge freezer , no 2 days are the same
using the same items at the same time on different days gives different costs ?
Ie quick wash in washing machine at 6.30 am
Can be different by 80p per hour on 2 consecutive days !🤔
Userlevel 5
@Allyballybeez I get the impression there might be a slight lag with the readings we collect to display this info.

We collect a reading every 30 minutes to produce the information you're looking at. If signal between your meters and OVO waivers (it works on phone signal) we might not get a reading at the time we need it to produce an accurate graph. This means readings are "saved up", and when we get one, it'll look like you've used a higher amount in a short space of time, when actually its been spread across the last few hours.

We can check how good signal is if you get in touch. Drop the team on Facebook a message with your account number, full name and DoB if you'd like us to check.

Nancy
Thank you , your response makes sense - I’ll contact FB team just to see what the signal is .
Userlevel 7
Badge
I can't wait to receive my IHD and see how much it costs to charge both my EV's 😃 One quick question is once I receive my IHD, will I still require to provide OVO electricity meter readings?

Matt
Userlevel 7
Badge +2
Hi ITGeek123

Once your Smart meter is installed, it will automatically send meter readings in to OVO, assuming you have both Gas & Elect meters and both changed to Smart. It might take a short while to be up and running but you will be able to check that from MyOVO.

Peter
Userlevel 4
Nancy's guide for the Chameleon IHD shows how clunky the original IHD was!!
What's the roll-out process for customers to obtain the new IHD??
Userlevel 7
Badge +2
I'd like to add a couple of thoughts, @Allyballybeez, although I don't (yet) have Smart Meters installed.

Firstly, the frequency of your meters sending data (via DCC) to OVO is a separate issue to what's on your IHD. The IHD receives updates from your electricity meter on a wireless-mesh network called Zigbee (2.4GHz).

I don't know exactly how often these are sent, but I would expect it to be about once per second. That's how your IHD gives you "immediate" info of the consumption of a device you've just turned on.

To save power, Zigbee doesn't run continuously. In particular your gas meter has a small battery which needs to last 10years+. So there is an inbuilt snooze-mode. Again I don't know the exact time-periods, but it's probably "live" for about 10% of the time.

In effect this means that your energy consumption is being "sampled" by the IHD rather than it receiving continuous readings. At low-usage times, you will therefore see small fluctuations in the display.

Secondly, your Smart Meters have been configured by OVO to retain a breakdown of your tariff structure which includes the standing charge element.

A couple of months ago there was a Forum discussion generated by a customer who noticed his IHD had been displaying daily usage whilst he'd been out of the country. He was understandably concerned until it transpired that this was only the standing charge element of his tariff.


And finally @ITGeek123, are you charging two EV's from a single-phase consumer unit?

If so, is that two 7kW chargers each hanging off a 32A trip?
Userlevel 7
Badge +2
ITGeek

If you are unfortunate enough to get a Pipit IHD, the electricity usage is updated when you aren't using the IHD every 30 seconds. If you have just used the IHD, it then updates every 10 seconds for 3 minutes. As you need to press keys to get to the consumption screen then that's what you get, every 10 secs for 3 mins. The gas meter updates every minute.

If you are lucky enough to get a Chameleon, then you will be able to tell us 🙂
Userlevel 7
Badge
I'd like to add a couple of thoughts, @Allyballybeez, although I don't (yet) have Smart Meters installed.

Firstly, the frequency of your meters sending data (via DCC) to OVO is a separate issue to what's on your IHD. The IHD receives updates from your electricity meter on a wireless-mesh network called Zigbee (2.4GHz).

I don't know exactly how often these are sent, but I would expect it to be about once per second. That's how your IHD gives you "immediate" info of the consumption of a device you've just turned on.

To save power, Zigbee doesn't run continuously. In particular your gas meter has a small battery which needs to last 10years+. So there is an inbuilt snooze-mode. Again I don't know the exact time-periods, but it's probably "live" for about 10% of the time.

In effect this means that your energy consumption is being "sampled" by the IHD rather than it receiving continuous readings. At low-usage times, you will therefore see small fluctuations in the display.

Secondly, your Smart Meters have been configured by OVO to retain a breakdown of your tariff structure which includes the standing charge element.

A couple of months ago there was a Forum discussion generated by a customer who noticed his IHD had been displaying daily usage whilst he'd been out of the country. He was understandably concerned until it transpired that this was only the standing charge element of his tariff.


And finally @ITGeek123, are you charging two EV's from a single-phase consumer unit?

If so, is that two 7kW chargers each hanging off a 32A trip?


I have one 7Kw charger for two cars. Luckily only one of us drive 2 miles down the road whilst the other drives more haha. Charge point was installed by Pod point
Userlevel 7
Badge
ITGeek

If you are unfortunate enough to get a Pipit IHD, the electricity usage is updated when you aren't using the IHD every 30 seconds. If you have just used the IHD, it then updates every 10 seconds for 3 minutes. As you need to press keys to get to the consumption screen then that's what you get, every 10 secs for 3 mins. The gas meter updates every minute.

If you are lucky enough to get a Chameleon, then you will be able to tell us :)


I will let you know when I get my smart meter 😃 Keep an eye out on here
Userlevel 5
So that's what the new IHD looks like!
Definitely looks better than the old Pipit but do we have any reviews from Ovo customers about how useful they find it long term?
Hi - are there instructions available for the device? Mine was installed yesterday and this morning there is an orange light below the calendar icon. I have no idea what this means. I cannot find instructions for the model online.
Userlevel 5
Hey @EKAL - I've moved your post over here. Check out the images I posted above for some more information on how to use your In Home Display 🙂
Userlevel 4
Just had my gas meter changed to smart yesterday - I've had an electric smart for about 3 years now, since I had solar panels installed - and after some time, I got a Pipit IHD, which was very clunky. I got the new IHD yesterday and on first initial usage it seems to function very easily and as well as a basic instruction pamphlet, it has an inbuilt tutorial, so EKAL should look at that. The engineer yesterday referred to 3 lights on the IHD, indicating low, medium or high usage.
I'm not sure how much I'll look at the IHD though - I don't feel we waste much energy anyway, but I might try fully switching off the TV from standby to see any effect on consumption.
Had smartmeter installed a week ago. The little black monitor (IHD) does not seem to operate for long after being charged, I would say a couple of days then it's dead. Is this normal? Also is it possible to turn the monitor off after viewing? Thanks.
Userlevel 5
Hi @AndyM, welcome to the forum!

Unfortunately I don't have the newer IHD, I have the old one which has to be plugged in all the time.

OVO haven't uploaded a user guide for the device yet.
In the mean time @Nancy_OVO seems to be the resident expert!

Maybe she can help?
Userlevel 5
I've moved your query over here @AndyM, some other users may have a similar question to yours - so this may help them.

The Chameleon IHD can't be charged, it needs to be constantly plugged in - it only costs 79p a year to run! 😃
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

The Chameleon IHD can't be charged, it needs to be constantly plugged in - it only costs 79p a year to run! :D


Wrong! - it continues to function when unplugged, so it does have a battery inside.
Userlevel 5
@tony1tf The Chameleon IHD has to stay plugged in but the Pipit has batteries so can be moved around. Hope this helps!
Userlevel 4
Badge +1
Hi @Lucy_OVO
My IHD is marked on the bottom as Chameleon Technology (UK) Ltd type IHD3-PPMID/CA30111 and has a battery inside. Is this what you call a Pipit?

Userlevel 5
Hi @tony1tf - that's a Chameleon IHD.

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