Energy Experts

Half Hourly Meter for Business

Half Hourly Meter is a special kind of electricity meter for businesses that checks the business's electricity consumption every half-hour. This smart meter is known as a half-hourly (HH) meter or a "00" meter. A half-hourly meter is a smart meter because it uses a system called AMR, which stands for Automatic Meter Reading, to take these regular readings without anyone having to do it manually. Every 30 minutes, like clockwork, this meter sends the electricity use data straight to the electricity company using a direct, secure connection.

How do I read Half Hourly Meters?

Half-hourly meters measure business electricity precisely every half hour and send this information straight to the business electricity suppliers in real time. This constant flow of data paints a detailed picture of when and how electricity is used throughout the day. For businesses, this means they can understand their energy habits better and make smarter decisions.

And for the electricity suppliers, it helps them manage the power grid more effectively, reducing the chances of blackouts. So, in simple terms, half-hourly meters are like super detailed energy trackers that help both businesses and electricity suppliers.

The benefits of having a half-hourly meter

For business electricity suppliers, these half-hourly meters are incredibly helpful, they get up-to-date information on how much electricity is being used. This helps them keep the electricity supply steady and avoid blackouts, especially when a lot of people are using electricity at the same time.

Half-Hourly meters are designed for businesses, to help in capturing every detail of business electricity consumption every half an hour. This frequent check-up on electricity helps in many ways. It provides an accurate picture of every business about their electricity consumption which will help businesses compare electricity prices and switch to a better electricity tariff.

A half-hourly meter is different from a standard meter because it sends data along with updates every 30 minutes, and it gives a very accurate picture of electricity consumption per kWh. This means businesses and electricity suppliers have the latest information to make smart decisions about using and providing electricity. This leads to better planning, potentially lower business electricity bills, and a more reliable electricity supply for everyone.

What Businesses need a half-hourly meter?

Half hourly metres are necessary for any type of business that has an annual business electricity consumption of about 100,000 kWh (Kilo-watt per hour). Businesses having 05, 06, 07 or 08-meter profiles also need to switch to half-hourly meters.

Also, businesses that have an annual consumption of 70,000 kWh of business electricity can opt for the installation of half-hourly meters.

What are the P272 Regulations?

P272 is a rule from Ofgem, which is the organization that regulates energy in the UK. This rule changes how electricity suppliers deal with the energy usage of businesses that fall within a certain level of energy use. Specifically, it means that meters labelled with profiles 05 to 08 will now be settled on a half-hourly basis. These meters are also reclassified as half-hourly meters.

If your Meter Point Administration Number(MPAN) has an S number of 05, 06, 07, or 08, it means your meter profile will be switched to 00. This change is part of P272, and it means that your electricity usage will be recorded every half hour.

How Can Businesses Compare Half Hourly Electricity Tariffs?

If you’re on a half-hourly meter, you’ll still want to make sure you’re on the best possible deal to avoid overpaying for energy. The simplest way to compare business electric deals to find the best half-hourly electricity quote for your business is to speak to the tech-enabled experts at BBC Utilities.

It only takes a matter of minutes for us to find our best deals. And because we only compare electricity prices from our panel of trusted business energy suppliers, you can be sure you’ll also get quality service alongside great electricity rates.

To run a business energy price comparison, just fill in our contact form. Our energy expert will get in touch with you.

Half Hourly Meter FAQs

The big difference here is how standard business energy meters and half-hourly meters handle the electricity readings. With regular meters, businesses have to manually jot down the reading and send it to the electricity supplier, usually once a month. However, with half-hourly meters, the latest reading is automatically sent to the electricity supplier every 30 minutes.

Even if businesses have a smart meter, it typically only sends monthly readings unless the business specifically requests the supplier to change the settings.

A half-hourly meter operator (MOP) is responsible for installing and maintaining electricity meters in business premises. Their job includes making sure the meter can send data to the data collector. You can find more detailed information about this in our business energy meter installations guide.

The MOP can either be your energy supplier or a certified third party. Opting for a third-party MOP is often cheaper, but you need to have a contract with an electricity supplier for your power needs. MOP contracts can be separate from your energy supplier contracts. They typically last for around 5 years, whereas energy contracts may have different durations. However, if you don’t arrange a separate MOP contract, your supplier will automatically put you on a default MOP arrangement.

HH data, short for Half-Hourly data, refers to the information transmitted from your half-hourly meter to your energy supplier. This data includes details such as your daily electricity and gas usage, as well as the times when your usage peaks.

Suppliers analyze HH data to suggest changes to your tariff, ensuring your payments accurately reflect your energy usage. This proactive approach helps prevent situations where your actual usage is underestimated, which could lead to back-billing and accumulating debt over time. By using HH data, suppliers can provide more precise billing and help you avoid unexpected financial burdens.

Smart meters are electronic devices that measure how much electricity and gas is being consumed by your business via remote connection and send them directly to your supplier.

To identify the type of meter the business has, check the MPAN number on the recent energy bill. Find the MPAN number at the top left of your bill, just to the right of the 'S'.

If the MPAN number is '00', it means you have a half-hourly meter.
If the number is 05, 06, 07, or 08, it indicates that you have a different type of meter and should consider upgrading to a half-hourly meter. Businesses can arrange this upgrade by contacting the meter operator (MOP).