Hob H status codewhat it means
The zone is still hot. Hotpoint and Rangemaster publish the threshold — lit until the glass is below 60 degrees — and Lamona warn it can still burn you after it goes out.
Before you start
What H means
This is the most searched hob display there is, and it is not a fault. H, or a lower-case h, is the residual heat indicator, and it means the glass over that zone is still hot enough to hurt you. Beko are the clearest on what the two cases mean, printing it in words: H is high temperature and h is low temperature, with the display moving from one to the other as the zone cools, and they add that the hot zone can be used to keep a small amount of food warm in the meantime.
Hotpoint publish the number most brands leave out — the indicator stays lit until the hob temperature is below 60 degrees centigrade — and Rangemaster give the same figure in their induction guides, the H showing while the zone is above 60 degrees and going out once it has dropped below. That answers the question everybody actually has, namely why it is still showing long after the pan came off. And Lamona publish the warning the others leave out, in terms worth quoting: the cooking zone may still be hot when the letter no longer lights up, risk of burns. That matters because several brands imply the opposite. The indicator is a threshold, not a guarantee.
There is one more caveat, from Beko, and it is the one that could genuinely catch someone: when there is a power outage the residual heat indicator does not light up and does not warn the user about hot cooking zones. After a power cut the glass can be scalding and the display dark.
What causes it
| Cause | What is actually happening | How likely |
|---|---|---|
| A zone has recently been used | The ordinary case. On induction the glass is heated by the pan rather than by the hob, but it still gets hot and it holds that heat. | Common |
| Heat transferred back from the cookware | Hotpoint’s own explanation. The pan heats the glass beneath it, which is why the indicator can outlast the cooking by a long way. | Common |
| A power cut while the hob was hot | Beko publish the consequence: the indicator does not light after an outage and gives no warning at all. The glass is still hot. | Occasional |
What to try yourself
Do not touch that zone. That is the entire message the indicator is carrying.
Wait for it to clear on its own. Hotpoint and Rangemaster both publish 60 degrees as the point at which it goes out, so on a zone that has been on high this can be twenty minutes or more.
If you want to use the heat, you can. Beko note that a zone showing H will keep a small amount of food warm.
Treat the glass as hot even once the letter has gone.
Lamona publish this explicitly and it contradicts what people assume: the cooking zone may still be hot when the letter no longer lights up. Risk of burns.After a power cut, assume every zone is hot regardless of the display. Beko confirm the indicator does not light up after an outage.
Get a qualified appliance engineer to look at your hob
We do not pass enquiries to a repair firm, so there is no form here. When you book a qualified appliance engineer, tell them the make, the model and the exact code or message on the display, and ask whether they carry parts for this make — that is what turns one visit into a repair rather than a quote.
What it costs to fix
Typical repair cost
£0
Time on site
20 minutes
Nothing. This is a safety indicator working correctly.
Typical UK prices including parts and labour, updated September 2026. Your quote may differ.
Own this appliance and had this code? . Nothing is published until a person has read it.
Related hob fault codes
- Pan not detectedUsually simple to fixA zone that flashes and will not heat usually cannot find your pan. Induction needs a ferrous base, big enough for the zone and flat against the glass.Related: same brand
- U400Get it checkedThe hob is wired to the wrong supply. It appears within days of installation, and the person to call is the electrician rather than the appliance manufacturer.Related: same brand
- Zone cut outUsually simple to fixA zone that stops part way through cooking has usually protected itself from overheating. That includes the touch controls, which sit under the glass at the front.Related: same brand
- dEUsually simple to fixDemo mode. The hob lights up, responds to touch and never heats anything, because it is set up for a showroom floor.Related: same brand
Related guides
Common questions about hob H
How long does the H stay on?
Until the hob is below 60 degrees centigrade, which is the threshold Hotpoint and Rangemaster both publish. After a long session on high that can easily be twenty minutes or more, which is why it so often outlasts the cooking by a surprising margin.
What is the difference between H and h?
Beko print it in words: H is high temperature and h is low temperature, and the display moves from one to the other as the zone cools. Note that Bosch, Neff and Siemens also use both cases but never state in text which is which, so we will not attribute the mapping to them.
My hotplate is still warm but there is no indicator.
On a solid plate hob that is normal. Hotpoint publish it as a characteristic of the dense material rather than a fault — solid hotplates often feel warm long after the hob has been switched off.
Technical review
Not reviewed by an engineer
No engineer has read this page. Severity follows what the manufacturer publishes, and we would rather tell you that than let a byline imply a sign-off.
Sources and how we verified this
We establish the facts from the sources below and then write the explanation ourselves. We do not copy manufacturer wording and we do not host their manuals.
- Manufacturer technical and service documentation
- Manufacturer support portal
This page has not been reviewed by an engineer, and we would rather tell you that than imply otherwise. The severity rating follows what the manufacturer publishes: where they say isolate the appliance and call someone, so do we.