If you’re involved in managing your business’s energy costs, then it’s likely you’ll have heard all about half hourly electricity meters. If you’re not exactly sure what one is though, or you’ve never heard of them at all, a half hourly electric meter is a special kind of business energy meter that sends updated readings to the energy supplier every half hour via a phone line.
One of the best things about half hour metering is that it’s an automated process that provides extremely accurate and up-to-date energy bills, all without the bother of taking and submitting meter readings manually.
As half hourly electricity readings are very detailed, they also have the benefit of making it far easier to identify the periods when your business is using the most electricity. The information provided by a half hour meter can be a huge help if you’re looking to reduce your usage and become more energy efficient.
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Large companies that use energy intensively, for example factories, warehouses and very big offices, are the main workplaces that make use of half hourly electricity meters. If your business has a maximum demand of 100kW or greater in any half hour period during the day, then the law states that you must use half hour metering. Businesses with a maximum demand of 70kW or more can also opt to have a half hourly electric meter installed.
If you've just moved your business to a new building, then you may already have a half hourly electric meter installed. You can check what type of meter your premises has by taking a look at the 'S number' on a previous energy bill. If the number in the top left box is 00 then this means you’re on half hour metering (see example below):
Half hourly electricity readings give the supplier remarkably accurate and regular information on which to base their billing. This means that half hourly electricity meters are able to tailor their charges much more to individual business needs than regular energy pricing.
P272 is a mandatory regulation that came into effect in November 2015. It was introduced by the energy industry watchdog Ofgem to change the way that energy suppliers handle billing and settlements for their business energy customers. It’s one of the biggest changes in the business electricity market since the deregulation of the energy sector and enables suppliers to produce more accurate bills to the benefit of everyone.
In a nutshell, P272 requires certain businesses to change from using Maximum Demand Meters, also known as Non Half Hourly Meters (NHH), to Half Hourly Electric Meters (HH). The deadline for this Change of Measurement Class (CoMC) to be implemented was April 2017.
If your meter profile class was originally 05, 06, 07 or 08, then your supplier should have already been in contact to set up your meter to take half hourly electricity readings. Depending on what was previously agreed with a supplier, the change to half hourly electricity meters can have an impact on contract structure.
If you think your business could benefit from half hourly metering and it has a maximum demand of 70kW or more in any given half hour period, then yes, it’s possible to switch to a half hourly electricity supplier or tariff. Changing to a half hour meter can be a bit more of a complicated process than switching regular energy contracts, but it’s well worth the effort as it could help secure your business cheaper energy rates.
Luckily at uSwitchforBusiness, we’re proud to count talented energy experts with a great deal of industry knowledge and experience in half hourly metering among our staff. We’ve got access to a wide panel of half hour metering energy suppliers and tariffs and can help to make this process as simple as possible for you.
We can handle all of the negotiation and paperwork involved in switching to a half hour meter, leaving you free to concentrate on running your business. And the best part? Our services may save you a bob or two, but they won’t cost you a penny.
Give us a call today on 0800 188 4930 to hear how uSwitchforBusiness can help you reduce your business electricity costs with a half hour meter. Or if you’d prefer, simply fill in the form on the right and we’ll call you back.