Using an Alt HAN device with your smart meter
When OVO installs your smart meter, the engineer will check the Home Area Network (HAN) signal in your home. The HAN makes sure your electricity and gas meters and In-Home Display (IHD) can communicate with each other.
If the engineer thinks the HAN signal might not be strong enough, they may use Alternative Home Area Network (Alt HAN) devices to boost the signal. Find out more about Alt HAN below.
How does Alt HAN work?
Your smart meter comes with an IHD, which shows you near real-time information about your electricity and gas use, as well as what it costs you. For this to work, a device called a communications hub is connected to your electricity smart meter. Through the HAN it communicates with your electricity and gas meters and IHD. Your electricity and gas meter readings are sent to OVO over a secure national Wide Area Network (WAN).
Sometimes the signal from the communications hub to your smart meter and IHD isn’t strong enough. This could be because the devices are too far apart or thick walls are in the way. When this happens, your IHD might not show your usage, and we might not receive your automatic meter readings.
An Alt HAN is a device that solves this problem. It acts as a signal booster, so that the communications hub can reliably communicate with your smart meter and IHD. This will make sure your IHD shows your energy use in real time and how much it's costing in £ and p, as well as sending meter readings to us.
What are the benefits of Alt HAN?
With Alt HAN, more people in the UK can benefit from smart meters. Your meter readings are sent directly and securely to OVO, which means more accurate bills, and an end to estimated and manual meter readings.
How will Alt HAN be installed?
The engineer installing your smart meter will plug a device, a bit like a WiFi booster, into a power socket near your IHD. This will allow your smart meter to send information to your IHD, and meter readings securely to OVO.
Do I need to keep the Alt HAN device plugged in?
Yes – for the Alt HAN smart signal booster to work, you’ll need to keep it plugged in. If it’s unplugged, your smart meter won’t communicate with your IHD, so you won’t be able to track your home’s energy use and spending. It might also mean that you’d need to send readings to us manually.
How many homes need Alt HAN?
Over 700,000 homes in the UK will need Alt HAN.
Are all energy suppliers installing Alt HAN?
Most energy suppliers, including OVO, are now providing Alt HAN devices to help boost the signal between the communications hub, electricity and gas meters and IHD.
