A practical guide to your smart meter's In-Home Display (IHD)

Your smart meter comes with a handy digital device called an In-Home Display (IHD). In this guide, we cover what they are, how they work, and what makes them so clever. 

What is an In-Home Display?

It’s a digital device that’s connected to your smart meter. But instead of being tucked away, it’s portable – so you can access it easily. 

The In-Home Display shows your energy use in real time, and how much it’s costing in £ and p. It even comes with a touch-screen, so you can get stuck into all its energy-saving features.

Here’s a quick video with more info.

Why do smart meters come with an In-Home Display?

According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), an IHD is the most effective way to track your energy use and lower your bills. That’s why they now come with every smart meter.

They also keep you in control of your energy. So you always know exactly how much you’ll be paying at the end of the month, instead of getting estimated bills. 

How does a smart meter connect to the IHD?

The “smart” bit of the meter is the communication hub. It securely shares your energy info with us at OVO and with your IHD. That means you can say goodbye to monthly meter readings – your smart meter sends them for you. 

You don’t need a smartphone, laptop, or an internet connection to use your smart meter. It connects with us through the WAN (wide area network) and to your IHD through the HAN (home area network). 

The IHD is portable, so it can be used anywhere in your home. The battery lasts around 4 hours, but it’s best to keep it plugged in when you can. And ideally it should be in the same room as your smart meter, or within 15 metres. 

How to get started with your In-Home Display

On installation day, the engineer will have shown you how to read your smart meter and use your IHD. This is what the current IHD6 looks like, but it might be slightly different if you have an older version.

Here’s what all of those symbols mean:

1. Connection indicator – keep the IHD within 15m of your smart meter for the best connection.
2. Energy use dial – this rises through the day as you use more energy. The flash symbol is for electricity, and the flame means gas. 
3. Home – press the little house symbol to see how much energy you’ve used that day.
4. Wi-Fi (and battery) – if you’ve been using the IHD around the home, remember to plug it back in to recharge. It has a battery life of around 4 hours. 
5. Number display – see how much energy you’ve used in £ and p (inc. VAT). 
6. Energy use period – this tells you which time period is being shown. You can scroll between: So far today, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.
7. Menu button – you can choose between settings, meter readings, energy budgets, and your account info. It also confirms which one you’ve selected.

You might have the older IHD3 version, which looks like this:

Most of the buttons have the same function as the IHD6, with some small differences:

1. Wi-Fi – the IHD3 doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi, so there’s no Wi-Fi button.
2. Connection indicator – keep the IHD within 15m of your smart meter for the best connection.
3. Home – see how much energy you’ve used that day.
4. Now – see how much energy you’re using in real time.
5. Utility – switch between your electricity use (flash symbol), gas use (flame symbol), or both.
6. Calendar – go through your daily, weekly, and monthly energy use.
7. OK – this is the menu button and works in the same way as the one above.
8. Lights – these tell you how much energy your home is using right now. Green means low, amber is medium, and red is high.

How do I check my meter readings on an IHD3?

• Tap “OK”
• Press the right arrow three times
• Tap “OK”
• Use the “UTILITY” button to switch between your electricity and gas readings

How do I check my meter readings on an IHD6?

• Tap “MENU”
• Press the right arrow to go to the next page
• Tap “METER INFO”
• Use the arrows to scroll through your old readings and your Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN)

How do I check my account info on an IHD6?

Go to “MENU”, then “ACCOUNT”. You can use the arrows to scroll through your account details – like your unit rates, standing charges, account number, and payment method.

How does an In-Home Display help me manage my energy?

The IHD is a window into your energy use. It shows you how your home uses gas and electricity, helping you spot ways to save. 

Thanks to your IHD, you can see:

• How much energy you’re using in kWh (the unit used to measure energy, just like kg measures weight)
• What your energy costs in £ and p – daily, weekly, or monthly
• How to set budgets to reduce your energy use

Here’s how your IHD can help you save energy:

• Check your IHD when only the essential appliances are switched on, like your fridge or freezer. This shows you the basic cost of running your home.
• One by one, switch your other appliances on.
• Keep checking your IHD to see how these other appliances affect your energy costs.
• Now you know which appliances use the most energy, you can aim to use them less. You can even set weekly or monthly budgets, too.
• It’s also a good idea to check your IHD before you go out, to see if you’ve left anything switched on.

Your IHD can also help you see the impact of: 

• Taking a shower instead of a bath
• Washing your clothes at 30 degrees instead of 60 
• Selecting the eco setting on your dishwasher
• Heating a full or half-full kettle
• Using LED bulbs instead of regular ones

With an IHD, all of this info is at your fingertips. You can see how small changes in your daily routine could help you save energy and money. 

Once your smart meter has been up and running for a few weeks, you can find more information in your online account – like our easy-to-read graphs and other useful insights.

How do I set an energy budget on my IHD6?

Budgets can help you keep track of your energy costs. Here’s how to set one up on your IHD6:

1. Go to “MENU”
2. Tap the “BUDGET” option
3. Choose the fuel type (electricity or gas) you’d like to set a budget for
4. Tap “CHANGE”
5. Use the arrows to increase or decrease your budget
6. Tap “TIME PERIOD” to choose how long you want the budget set for 
7. Press “SET” when you’ve finished
8. Tap “OK” to save everything

Your IHD can even send you alerts if you’re getting close to the maximum amount of energy you want to use. Smart!

How do I set an energy budget on my IHD3?

You can set budgets on an IHD3 too, here’s how:

1. Tap “OK”
2. Press the right arrow
3. Choose “ADJUST SETTINGS” 
4. Tap “OK”
5. Choose “SET BUDGET”
6. Press “OK” again
7. Select “CALENDAR” to choose how long you want to set the budget for (daily, weekly, or monthly)
8. Use the arrows to increase or decrease your budget 
9. Tap “OK” once you’ve finished

Not with OVO? Don’t miss out on an award-winning experience

We’re proud to be BusinessGreen’s Company of the Decade 2020. That’s the UK’s most prestigious green business award! 

And we’ve had other big wins since. In the 2022 Uswitch Energy Awards, we were awarded Best Energy Supplier in 4 categories, including Best Smart Meter Experience. So with OVO, you don’t just get the latest tech – you get one of the best installation experiences around.

Here’s what some of our customers had to say:

"The engineer went above and beyond today, as he noticed my gas cooker was dangerous. He disconnected and capped it off for me, also leaving me with a brand new hot plate to use whilst waiting for a new cooker."

Eve M.

"Operative was very friendly and helpful, provided good advice and information on the smart meter and how it operates. Satisfied with the quality of the visit today."

Jade D.

So join us on the path to energy that’s better for you, your wallet, and the planet. You can get a quote for any of our energy plans online. And if you haven’t got a smart meter yet, we can set one up for you once you’ve switched – just pick a time slot that suits you.