What is Half Hourly Metering?
Half hourly (or HH) metering is a type of electricity meter.
They measure how much electricity is being used in each half an hour and automatically send a meter reading via a phone connection. They are a bit like a smart meter albeit using older technology.
Because the meter is automatically read, there is no need to take meter readings and will enable accurate energy bills to be delivered.
Half hourly meters also help a business to see how much energy they use at different times of the day, helping them become more energy efficient and reducing expenditure.
Half hourly meters also enable a supply to be accurately priced by the supplier who knows exactly how much is being used and when allowing them to create the perfect tariff for the business. This is in stark contrast to the situation with Non-Half Hourly meters which are subject to generic load profiles in order to estimate demand.
What kind of businesses has half hourly meters?
There are around 100,000 half hourly meters in the UK and they are for businesses with high energy usage. They are mandatory for all business electricity customers with a maximum demand of 100 kW or more in any single half-hour period. This is known as a mandatory half hourly meter.
Businesses with maximum demand of more than 70kW can opt to have a half hourly meter.
How do I know if I have a half hourly meter?
The S number on your bill will help you identify if you have a half hourly meter. If the S number has a ‘00’ in the top left box, then you have a half hourly meter.
Is half hourly meter pricing different to standard pricing?
Yes, whilst the accuracy of your pricing against your actual consumption is increased by virtue of a half hourly meter, the actual cost of the metering is significantly more expensive than with a ‘standard’ non-half hourly meter. This cost differential is largely insignificant for the heavy energy users that half hourly meters are aimed at but the consequence is that they are unsuitable for low or medium users.
Can I switch my half hourly business energy tariff?
Half hourly contract negotiation can be an involved and complex process, due to constantly fluctuating wholesale market prices, variable supplier hedging strategies and the requirement for detailed demand data. But it is not impossible and throws up some fabulous purchasing opportunities, even more so than with a standard meter.
If you’d like to understand more about the benefits of half hourly metering or would simply like to secure a better deal for your existing supply call us on 0800 051 5770, we’d love to hear from you.