Using the energy monitor for your smart meter
When you get smart meters installed, you'll also normally get a small portable device with a screen that shows your energy usage or prepayment balance. This is called an ‘in-home display’ (IHD) or a ‘smart energy monitor’.
You’ll need to either plug in the IHD or use batteries. It will then connect to your smart meters, without using wifi.
If you have a smart meter for both gas and electricity, your IHD can connect to both of them - you don’t need separate IHDs.
Fixing problems with your IHD
To help fix a problem with your IHD, it’s worth checking the instructions or searching for the IHD instructions online. You’ll usually be able to find the brand name or model number on your device - for example, ‘IHD6 CAD PPMID’.
If your supplier gave you the IHD less than a year ago, they should also be able to help you with it. They can often repair it or replace it. If they won’t help you with it, contact your supplier to make a complaint.
Your supplier won’t always help you with your IHD problem if either:
- it’s been more than a year since they gave it to you
- your previous supplier gave it to you
If your supplier won’t help you and you can’t find your IHD’s instructions, there are some things you can try to deal with the problem yourself.
If your IHD stops showing your energy usage or prepayment balance
Wait for an hour and check if this information has come back.
If your usage or balance hasn’t come back after an hour, your IHD might be having trouble connecting to your smart meters.
You can try to fix by moving your IHD so:
- it’s closer to your meters
- there are as few walls as possible between your IHD and your meters
- you can still look at it easily
If you have smart meters for both gas and electricity, it's usually best to make sure your IHD is closest to your electricity meter.
You might need to plug your IHD into a different socket and wait for it to restart.
After you move your IHD, it should connect to your meters within 24 hours and show your energy usage or balance. To make sure it has connected properly, you can check the meter readings on your IHD and compare it with the readings on your smart meters. They should be the same or very similar.
If you’re not sure how to read your meters, you can:
If your IHD hasn’t connected to your meters after 24 hours
Contact your supplier and tell them. In many cases they can fix it by turning your communications hub off and on again - you won’t usually be able to do this yourself.
If they can’t help fix it or this hasn’t worked, it might be because your meters have stopped working in smart mode. This might happen if:
- you have an older type of smart meter and you switched supplier
- your supplier has gone bust
You can check if your meter is working in smart mode.
If your meter isn’t working in smart mode, you’ll need to send regular meter readings yourself.
You should still be able to use your online account or app to check your usage or prepayment balance. You can also contact your supplier to ask for this information.
If your IHD won’t turn on or the screen is blank
Check your IHD is:
- plugged in or has working batteries
- switched on - if it has an ‘on’ button
If your IHD still isn’t working, you might be able to use your online account or app to check your meter readings, usage, or prepayment balance. You can also contact your supplier to ask for this information.
If your IHD readings don’t match what your smart meters say
The readings on your IHD usually take a bit longer to update than the ones on your meters - this delay is normal.
If your supplier asks for meter readings, take them from your meters rather than your IHD. You can:
If your IHD starts working differently after you’ve switched suppliers
This can sometimes happen if your old supplier doesn’t give the right information to your new supplier.
If it’s been over 48 hours since your IHD started working differently, contact your new supplier to check if there are any problems. If there are, your supplier should help fix them so your IHD starts working again.
Checking if your IHD has started working properly again
You can check the IHD has started working properly again by:
- comparing the tariff information on your IHD with your bill or new contract - for example the tariff name, unit rate and standing charge
- checking that the meter readings on your IHD are similar to the ones on your meters
If your supplier can’t help you fix any problems, it might be because you have older types of smart meters. This can mean that your meters are no longer working in smart mode. Check your meters are still working in smart mode. If your meters aren’t working in smart mode, you’ll need to send regular meter readings yourself.
You can:
You can use your online account or app to check your meter readings, usage, or prepayment balance. You can also contact your supplier to ask for this information.