A half-hourly meter is essential for any UK business with peak loads of more than 100,000 kWh a year. Generally, half-hour electricity tariffs are intended to make readings more accurate for businesses, automatically recording energy consumption every half hour. This eliminates both the task and potential for error that come with regular manual readings.    This blog was put together to demystify the nature of half-hourly electricity suppliers and meter readings, so you can get a better understanding of what these readings might tangibly mean for your business during the Energy Crisis and beyond.   Are half-hourly meter readings more expensive? In short, no. Half-hourly electricity tariffs do not intrinsically increase energy supply costs – this is a major oversimplification of the system. The reality is that costs can be increased and decreased across multiple data points.    Increased costs 1. Standing charges The half-hourly meter standing charge is going to be a new cost for businesses that have recently had the meter installed. Half-hourly meters have a higher degree of technological infrastructure and data processing power, resulting in higher standing charges compared to traditional smart meters.    2. Capacity charges This is something that isn’t necessarily caused by a half-hourly meter – rather a result that comes alongside its arrival at the workplace. Once you consume enough energy to necessitate one of these meters, you’ll likely have to pay a fee to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). This fee ensures you can consistently meet demand based on your Maximum Import Capacity.   3. Operating costs Operating a half-hourly meter involves additional expenses. Installation, maintenance and data transmission services contribute to the overall cost.     Decreased costs  1. Better unit rates Businesses utilising half-hourly meters often benefit from lower costs per kWh. Larger businesses typically receive better rates, leading to significant savings.   2. Accurate billing The increased accuracy from half-hourly meters provides precise usage data, meant to eliminate estimated bills, which can often be inflated. Even if your energy supplier provides fixed wholesale rates, the accuracy of your half-hourly meter should make these rates closer to reality, and easier to manage in the long term.    3. Tariff flexibility Using a half-hourly system can allow businesses to utilise alternative, complex or more specific tariff structures. For example, there might be off-peak hour options, which could save them significant amounts of money.    Embracing Half-Hourly Meters All in all, half-hourly meters are generally associated with businesses that will be spending more on energy in general. Yes, there are a few additional costs. However, the increased accuracy of data collection should in turn result in better energy management – at the very least, creating a more realistic picture of bills and tariffs. It’s not necessarily going to raise or lower your costs – it’s going to create a newer, transparent structure within them.  For more insights into business energy supply, half-hourly meters and more, don’t hesitate to visit our website today. Ready to make the switch to a half-hourly electricity tariff? Contact our experts for a quick quote!

Half-hourly electricity meters are most often used by larger businesses and corporations, particularly by those who use a large amount of energy. They are designed to provide more accurate bills helping to reduce the risk of businesses spending too much on energy without realising.   What is a half-hourly electricity meter  Using automatic meter reading technology a half-hourly electricity meter will provide automatic readings every half hour. As this is done automatically and is reported to your electricity supplier using a mobile signal or phone line, your bills no longer need to be estimated. Meaning, that as a business you will not have to take your own meter readings, nor will you experience over-estimated bills that require overspending on your electricity. In fact, not only are half-hourly meters preferred by UK businesses, they are typically installed as a mandatory requirement for UK businesses with peak loads of more than 100,000 kWh of electricity per year.   The advantages of a half-hourly electricity meter  There are plenty of benefits that come with opting for half-hourly electricity meters. For businesses looking to save on their energy bills, this is the preferred option. Not only do these meters ensure you do not overspend and you avoid estimated energy bills, but they also help you to better understand your energy consumption. Allowing you to review your company’s energy usage and reduce this where possible. For larger companies looking to improve their carbon footprint, half-hourly meter readings will allow you to take the first steps in reducing your carbon emissions. Setting goals and seeing a visible reduction in the amount of energy you use will be easy with the data provided by a half-hourly meter. Other advantages of using a half-hourly meter for your business energy include, being able to predict your energy usage and experience more tailored tariffs from your energy supplier.   Save your energy bills At D-ENERGi, we offer half-hourly meters to businesses across the UK. We currently supply hundreds of half-hourly meters to sites up and down the country. With customers benefiting from more accurate energy bills, data to review their energy usage, and significant saving on their energy bills. With our experience working with UK businesses and supplying business energy to a wide range of businesses, we are well equipped to deal with a vast array of customer requirements. This includes increasing your capacity or helping you with Meter Operator Agreements. At D-ENERGi, all our energy business customers get their own dedicated account manager. They are able to help you with any requirements or enquiries promptly and provide the best half-hourly electricity prices for you. We ensure that all calls will be answered within five rings or less. Get a quick quote from our friendly team and start saving your energy costs today.

Essentially, any UK business with peak loads of more than 100,000kWh of electricity per year will typically have an half hourly (HH) meter installed. Half hourly meters can also be referred to as 00 meters. HH record data from consumption every 30 minutes – this information is communicated to the energy supplier. We will break down half hourly meters as best we can to hopefully ease your mind. Half hourly meters can be found everywhere   Ranging from call centres, manufacturing sites, supermarkets all the way to sites which consume as much as places like Manchester Airport, half hourly meters can be found everywhere! Over 160,000 sites are affected by this so it is definitely worth checking if you are part of this large number, further explanation on finding out how can be found below. If your site requires a HH it is vital you have a Meter Operator (MOP). MOP is an organisation in the energy industry who hold the responsibility for installing and maintaining electricity and gas meters. They also provide the technical meter details to the Data Collector to enable collection of consumption data. A HH Data Collector is in charge of collecting HH consumption data from the meter. The data is then certified and passed to the supplier for billing. HH meters allow you to understand your consumption and provides you with a reliable source of information for your businesses energy management. What more could you ask for? HH meters can be a great way to save your business money. Finding out if you have a HH meter is easy All you have to do is check the number next to your supply number marked ‘S’ – if the number reads 00 then you have a half-hourly meter.   Pricing for HH can vary. The following charges may appear on your bill if you have a HH Meter: Energy Charges: We offer fixed price contract means you know precisely how much you will pay every month and can budget accordingly. Once you are on a HH meter, you should never receive an estimated bill. This is measured in kWh. Capacity Charges: this charge relates to the Available Capacity for your site. The Average Capacity is the demand for your site which is agreed with the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) and they ensure this is available to you. Reactive Power Charge: this is the difference between the working power and the total power consumed. If a site has a high reactive power, more current has to flow to provide the same output. This means more capacity has to be provided, potentially increasing costs for DNO.   Our dedicated Account Manager will get to know and understand your business, we will provide you with tailormade solutions and any information that can save your energy bills. If you would like to know more about half hourly meters, please visit here. Switch and save with D-ENERGi, get your free quote today.