What is a half hourly meter?

What is a half hourly meter for electricity?

As the name suggests, a half hourly meter, or HH meter, is designed to send an accurate, up-to-date usage reading to your energy supplier at 30-minute intervals. Half hourly electricity tariffs are usually cheaper as you are only paying for the energy that you are using.

Designed especially for businesses, half hour electricity meters are connected to a phone line which automatically sends accurate updates to your energy provider. Half hour metering takes the worry out of needing to check your usage regularly.

To help ensure your business is using energy as efficiently as possible, these meters can also provide a detailed breakdown of exactly how much energy you are using and when you are using it. At UKPower, we can help you find the best half hourly electricity prices.

Does your business need half hourly electricity?

If your business uses a high level of energy and has a maximum demand of at least 100kW in any half hour period, you’re required to have a half hourly meter fitted.

The types of businesses that require half hourly electricity tariffs are usually more energy intensive, places like assembly plants, department stores, manufacturing plants and printers. But half-hourly plans aren’t exclusive to these types of businesses, and you will also have the option of a half hour electricity meter if your business has a maximum demand of 70kW or more in any given half hour period.

If you think your business has a high energy demand, this pricing model could save you money as the accuracy and regularity of the data allows the supplier to tailor your price to your level of usage per day. You can get your half hourly electricity quote now and start saving money on your business bills.

What's the difference between half hourly and non-half hourly meters?

Half hourly electricity bills are usually more accurate than regular energy pricing. They provide the supplier with regular information about your energy habits and your bill is based on this rather than an estimate. Half hourly electricity meters make sure suppliers can tailor their charges to individual businesses as a result.

If you run a larger business, costs can quickly add up, so half hourly pricing can be beneficial when making sure you’re not paying over the odds for your energy. Half hourly electricity suppliers will be able to provide you with a custom-made deal perfect for your business.

What is P272?

P272, put simply, is a new regulation that 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) was April 2017.

P272 was introduced by the energy industry watchdog Ofgem and is a mandatory regulation. It aims to change the way that energy suppliers handle billing and settlements for their business energy customers.

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 half hourly electric meter to take readings. If you haven't heard from them or are unsure, it’s a good idea to give them a ring to check or you could look on your latest bill.

How to check if you have a half hourly electricity meter

To check whether your business is already using a half hourly meter yourself, look at the S number on a recent energy bill.

The S number will be shown in a small box containing six different multi-digit figures. If the top left number reads 00 then your business is already on a half hourly meter. If not, then you haven't already got one installed.

What is a settled half hourly electricity meter?

Energy settlement is when the difference between the energy purchased by energy suppliers from generators and the energy sold to the customers is reconciled.

Accuarte billing helps with energy settelment and half hourly meters are better at doing this than standard meters as they automatically send accurate readings every thirty minutes.

In order to help home energy settlements, Ofgem has changed the rules so that suppliers can now access half hourly data from domestic smart meters.

Will a half hour meter save your business money?

While it can be a pain to get fair half hourly metering contract in place, one big advantage of HH meters and half-hourly settlement is that they give you much more data about your business energy usage compared to home users and most SMEs.

By using this data, you can save money in at least three ways:

1. Regular data makes comparing competing contracts much more accurate as you’ll have specific information about when you use power. This will allow you to compare it between the other rates available.
2. Once you know when you’re spending the most on electricity, you may be able to shift some energy intensive processes to when rates are lower.
3. If you can’t shift production to off-peak times, you can consider looking into implementing energy efficiency programs to offset some of the cost.

How to switch to half hourly metering

If you need to move across to a half hourly meter, our team of experts are on hand to help. They will talk you through the process and find the best deal available on the market. Give them a call now on 0800 688 8773.

We can also help if your business is already on a half hourly meter and is looking to switch provider to secure a better deal. It’s our business to compare the market in the simplest way to get the best deal. All you need to do is fill in the form at the top of the page for a fuss-free list of the best half hourly electricity tariffs.

We work closely with both your business and the electricity suppliers to make sure you get the most competitive half hour electricity price on the market.

Our team handle all aspects of the process. There is no need to worry about any negotiations or paperwork. Leave that to us, so you can get on with the day-to-day running of your business.