Guidance

Smart meter In-Home Display: voluntary replacement principles

Updated 10 April 2024

Smart meters are replacing traditional gas and electricity meters as part of a national infrastructure upgrade that will make our energy system more efficient and flexible, enabling us to use more renewable energy and increase our energy security.

In-Home Displays (IHDs) play an essential role in ensuring households benefit from smart meters. They provide near-real time information about energy consumption in pounds and pence, so consumers can easily understand how to use less and save money on their bills.

Currently, energy suppliers are obligated under Energy Supply Licence Conditions to maintain IHD equipment for the 12 months following installation with the occupier that received the installation. While some suppliers are already offering IHD support beyond the 12-month obligation period, evidence indicates that an increasing number of consumers require replacement IHDs beyond this period but are not always able to get them.

Government considers that suppliers should have processes in place to support consumers who want or will benefit from a replacement IHD beyond this 12-month period, especially for vulnerable consumers who rely on their IHD to track spending, or those who use their IHD to top up a smart meter in prepayment mode.

These voluntary principles, developed alongside industry and with the support of consumer groups, will ensure that consumers can access a replacement IHD after the 12-month obligation period has elapsed. They will create greater consistency across the market and ensure smart meter owners continue to benefit from long-term engagement with their IHD.

The voluntary principles

Principle 1: When a domestic customer identifies that their IHD may be broken or missing, a supplier should offer the customer a clear path to resolution and maintain an effective triage approach for customers seeking an IHD replacement.

Industry good practice includes:

• providing clear information on a supplier’s website detailing the customer’s journey to resolution
• offering effective troubleshooting of IHD problems
• ensuring customer service agents are trained to offer support in cases of a faulty IHD
• promoting the Citizens Advice IHD help pages on the supplier’s website, in addition to relevant troubleshooting guides
• recognising that customers who use their IHD as a prepayment top up device (PPMID), and rely on this to top up, will need additional support and will require a replacement device more urgently
• following all relevant Ofgem guidance relating to PPMIDs

Principle 2: Once the IHD is confirmed as being missing or broken and cannot be repaired, a supplier should offer a replacement IHD or provide a means by which a replacement can be purchased.

Industry good practice includes:

• supporting the customer to choose a solution that is right for them and considering their needs - this may include discussing alternatives to IHDs (such as Consumer Access Devices and apps) in addition to, but not instead of, discussing IHD replacements
• identifying whether the customer may benefit from an Accessible IHD, including checking their Priority Services Register status
• offering customers in vulnerable circumstances and customers who are on the Priority Services Register a replacement IHD for free or at the lowest possible cost
• if a replacement IHD would not function correctly due to technological factors, ensuring the customer understands the reasons why an IHD is not suitable and support them to find the ‘next best’ solution for their needs

Principle 3: After the replacement IHD has been provided to the customer, a supplier should ensure the new IHD is working and correctly paired with their smart meters in a timely manner.

Industry good practice includes:

• ensuring any support materials shared are accessible to the customer - for example, paper copies distributed where appropriate
• signposting to external stakeholders (such as Citizens Advice’s IHD help pages) and/or manufacturer instructions
• providing information on how to utilise their IHD, including energy efficiency advice

Principle 4: To monitor the effectiveness of these principles, a supplier should maintain a record of how many IHDs have been requested, repaired and replaced, and share this data with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ofgem when requested.

Industry good practice includes:

• maintaining an up-to-date record of how many Accessible IHDs have been requested, repaired and replaced, in addition to conventional IHDs

Energy suppliers who have agreed to adopt the principles

• E (Gas & Electricity)
• E.ON Next Energy
• Ecotricity
• Good Energy
• Octopus Energy
• OVO Electricity & OVO Gas
• Scottish Power Energy Retail
• Utilita Energy
• Utility Warehouse