IHD from Eon next

WiserMiser

It seems anti-competive if the Octopus mini can no longer be used if the consumer switches supplier.  That suggests it should be additional to an IHD, not an alternative.

'Which?' say that Octopus have signed up to the voluntary agreement to support IHDs beyond 12 months and they will offer 'a free replacement if an IHD has physical problems, a fault has occurred or the customer has lost it'.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/why-your-energy-company-isnt-fixing-your-smart-meter-monitor-auRKH6V44h8M

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meter-in-home-display-voluntary-replacement-principles/smart-meter-in-home-display-voluntary-replacement-principles

So it's worth a try and then asking E.On to pair it.

indefatigablesaver

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6642032/ihd-from-eon-next

Sorry you were lied to. E.On do not have any record of when an IHD was installed (such a database does not exist).

Big 6 suppliers have been falsely conflating meter install date records as IHD install records - if you challenge E.On they will likely eventually accept that they have no record of any IHD being installed and have lied about this to you.

They will try to get you to pay for an IHD but if you IHD is not working as a result of a switch or if supplied in last 12 months - quite clearly both the case here as IHD from Octopus in Feb 2025 (less than 12 months old when issue arose and as issue arose as result of switch from Octopus as Octopus mini linked to smartphone app is not one that they support).

Hopefully you have an email or some evidence from Octopus about them sending you the IHD as recently as Feb 2025 as E.On have been known to ask for this information.

Wish you all the best in getting the right outcome, clearly some regulator action required here as Big 6 suppliers clearly trying to fleece customers for costly IHD replacements rather than meeting their obligations - your case is another where you meet two criteria to prompt them to supply you with an replacement IHD free of charge - yet they try to get you to buy one for £50 - goodness knows what the profit margin is on that!

See below thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6635287/smart-meters-supplier-ihd-customer-exploitation

Ildhund

@indefatigablesaver

I would ask you please not to post misleading statements like this:

Sorry you were lied to. E.On do not have any record of when an IHD was installed (such a database does not exist).

A database of every device linked directly or indirectly to its smart meter network is maintained by DCC. This database is available to network users and includes details of each installed IHD's manufacturer, model, GUID, installation date and firmware update status.

indefatigablesaver

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81864905#Comment_81864905

A few brief points of information on the above:

• I note Ildhund does not suggest the DCC has any record of the date any IHD has been sent to any customer - certainly no such records exist on records relating to addresses explored at a cursory glance at the link above.
• I note Ildhund does not state that this database is one that the big 6 suppliers have access to or reference - I was literally told by the big 6 energy supplier in question eventually that their agents had misrepresented and had repeatedly falsely referred to the limited smart meter database records they had access to by equating this to evidence of IHD provision, when such data was not in fact included on the database the supplier was referencing for any customer.
• I was also eventually told that the supplier had no such IHD data to refer to for my property and so should have trusted my correct information and should not have asked me to prove anything or disputed the accurate data I provided.
• Other comments on the forum such as the OP here suggest others have had the same experience in similar circumstances to me in response to their initial attempts to procure IHDs they should be provided with by suppliers based on gov.uk, citizensadvice.org and MSE's own guidance.

Based on such comments in this forum, on multiple occasions data suppliers have made claims to customers regarding the age of an IHD which are clearly false and have used these false dates as false justification for failing to provide replacement IHDs free of charge.

So based on Ildhund's assertion some of the representatives of big six energy suppliers have definitely been lying, either about the fact that they have any data relating to how old a customer's IHD is, or by stating that they don't have access to such data when they do.

Arguments as to whether suppliers can access or do access this DCC database aside.

Furthermore, records that an IHD has connected to a meter historically are in no way records of when or if an IHD has been supplied, for example an installer could for example test a local meter network with an IHD but not leave one for a customer or a supplier might supply an IHD by mail but a customer might then fail to power it on or connect it. Existence therefore of the DCC database of linked devices even if it contains "installation date" for an IHD therefore seems a bit irrelevant to these discussions which are documenting big 6 suppliers clearly refusing IHD replacements free of charge based on false information.

squirrelpie

A few brief points of information on the above:

I note Ildhund does not suggest the DCC has any record of the date any IHD has been sent to any customer - certainly no such records exist on records relating to addresses explored at a cursory glance at the link above.

I note Ildhund does not state that this database is one that the big 6 suppliers have access to or reference - I was literally told by the big 6 energy supplier in question eventually that their agents had misrepresented and had repeatedly falsely referred to the limited smart meter database records they had access to by equating this to evidence of IHD provision, when such data was not in fact included on the database the supplier was referencing for any customer.

I'm sorry but I have to agree with Lidhund here. Entries in the database he is referring to can be retrieved using the RetrieveInventory command by any Energy Supplier and also by Other Users. One of the Other Users shared my entry with me, and i can see it does include details of the meter and comms hub, as well as my IHD. The details include DeviceID and DateCommissioned for each of these components.

indefatigablesaver

Read again.

"Based on Ildhund's assertion some of the representatives of big six energy suppliers have definitely been lying, either about the fact that they have any data relating to how old a customer's IHD is, or by stating that they don't have access to such data when they do."

It's a lie to customers either way around, whether you agree with Ildhund or not as Ildhund is just arguing that the big six suppliers have been lying to customers to get out of replacing IHDs but in the opposite way!

"Furthermore, records that an IHD has connected to a meter historically are in no way records of when or if an IHD has been supplied, for example an installer could for example test a local meter network with an IHD but not leave one for a customer or a supplier might supply an IHD by mail but a customer might then fail to power it on or connect it. Existence therefore of the DCC database of linked devices even if it contains "installation date" for an IHD therefore seems a bit irrelevant to these discussions which are documenting big 6 suppliers clearly refusing IHD replacements free of charge based on false information."

So really whether they have or utilize access to the data in the DCC database is actually irrelevant.