IHD help.

lor6126

GGood Morning. I am with Fuse Energy. My smart meters have not worked since I joined them last summer. I eventually got them to agree to fit new meters which are now working. I have noticed that my IHD no longer works. When I contacted Fuse they said tough luck basically and that I don't need it as I can check things on their app. But I am disabled and cannot check my meters to see that what is on the app corresponds with them. I got a huge bill due to my bills being estimated recently and my daughter suggested the IHD would be a way I could keep track but its not working. Ìs my being vulnerable and the fact that the meters have just been installed and i am not able to check them something I could use to encourage Fuse to give me a new unit ?

squirrelpie

Energy suppliers have a legal obligation to provide a working IHD for one year after you join them, so go back to them and insist they provide you with one. Take it to the Energy Ombudsman if they won't.

Reed_Richards

There must be some get-out clauses. My installer couldn't get the comms hub to commission (i.e. establish WAN connections) whilst he was there, although it did so after he left. Because of that, he said he wasn't able to set-up the LAN connection that an IHD required so he could not give me one. Based on my experience, if you can get your supplier to give you an IHD they will have to send an engineer to set it up.

MWT

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81977600#Comment_81977600

It is for 1 year after they fit smart meters, not after you join them, but either way it works in this instance as they should have provided a working IHD along with the new smart meter.

MWT

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6665737/ihd-help

Are you registered as 'vulnerable' with Fuse?

If so they are supposed to make greater efforts to ensure you have access to a working IHD, but in this instance they have that obligation anyway as they have just fitted a smart meter and they are supposed to demonstrate a working IHD at the same time.

Scot_39

FUSE seem to be being less than helpful here, and potentially even behind current Ofgem instruction (not restrospective afaik) if a really recent install (last 2months).

And especially for vulnerable, registered on their Priority Service Register their's is an even stronger obligation - albeit much of it been too voluntary for a while - to support vulnerable with their IHDs beyond their statutory license obligation of just 1 year from supply

When exactly were your smart meters installed ?

They are as I understand it now obliged to offer a new IHD (or alternative like Octopus and their mini) and get it paired with the new meter - ideally on day - if not most should work within 24 hours of the install - and if not once wan comms established retriggered by reseting the comms hub or sending it a command to identify ihd on han and pair up to it.

You mention your old ihd, for the existing meters, how old were they, did it work jntil most recent upgrade - didnt they replace when supplied tge latest operational meter ?.

Their failure to do so may even see you entitled to compensation if fitted after Feb 22 according to this mse article - and thats just for failing to come up with plan to fix within 5 days to deal with a no longer functioning display. That mse says covers meters and ihds here

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2026/01/smart-meter-compensation-update/

And if standard han not suitable other technology to extend networks like alt han are available to suit many homes and again the vulnerable should ideally have better access to such technology.

Sone suppliers even had special large button / text display ihds for certain disabilities etc

lor6126

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81977721#Comment_81977721

Hi my new meters were only fitted on Friday by Fuse. My IHD was supplied by British Gas and worked until I joined Fuse late last summer At the time I simply thought the problem was with my meters . I hadn't realised they should have supplied me with a new one on Friday. It was only when the two meters went online I noticed that it still wasnt working. So going forward I can quote that I am entitled to have had a working IHD supplied at the time of installation being disabled and vulnerable and what should be my steps if they refuse please.

molerat

The question must be why did the installer not leave an IHD or at least pair the old one with the new meter ? Do you know which company fitted the meter ?

Good luck with a complaint, Fuse will just waffle on with incorrect information - their responses are quick but fail to actually accept anything they are doing is wrong, in fact they will insist they are correct in the face of unarguable facts.

You should though be able to get daily gas and electric meter reads - taken at 01.00 daily - and half hourly electric use with their app. Why would you think their reads would be wrong ? Surely the previous problem was that the smart metering was not working at all which would have been obvious from the app not showing meters as "on line" and "accepted" against reads.

FreeBear

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81977625#Comment_81977625

I had issues with Octopus after they replaced the electricity meter. After several emails and phone calls (along with a threat to raise it with the ombudsman), they eventually sent me a new IHD. Emailed them a photo of the bar code and numbers on the back, they paired the IHD with both gas & electricity meters remotely. No need for an engineer to visit.

Side note - Also have an Octopus Mini that was successfully paired when the meter was swapped out. Octopus has an app that displays the real time data, but it crashes and burns on my tablet.