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Business Electricity Meter Types

Guide to Business Electricity Meters

There are many kinds of electricity meter for businesses, here we provide you a guide about, how they differ and how they can benefit your business.

This is a very early version of what is now known as a smart meter. A Half Hourly meter is linked to a phone line or in some instances uses substitute communication technology and as its name suggests the meter takes and records a reading of your demand every half an hour. This information is then relayed to your supplier to provide an accurate view of how much energy you use and when.

Other things to know:

  • A Half Hourly meter is easily identifiable from the Supply Number. Any Supply Number that begins with “00” shows a Half Hourly meter is installed.
  • Only around 200,000 Half Hourly meters are installed in the UK
  • Half Hourly meters are mandatory for customers with more than 100kW demand
  • A customer can also opt for a Half Hourly meter where their demand is greater than 70kW
  • Half Hourly meters require a separate Meter Operator and Supply contract to be agreed
  • Smart and advanced meters are planned to operate in the same way as Half Hourly meters but with extra accessible technology (mobile telecommunications) and at a lower cost.
  • The Smart Meter Roll Out of 2015-20 will see us all have meters with the capability for Half Hourly Meter Reading

The information sourced from the meter creates a 365 (days) x 48 (half hours) of data that allows a bespoke ‘demand profile’ to be created. This information is significant for our I&C Professional customers to source the best pricing via our Reverse Auction service.

This is a one-rate meter and is the most ordinary type of business meter. There are only a single price and measurement period in one rate meter; this will most likely be described as ‘All Units’ on your electricity invoice. As a result you will only have one tariff that is applicable for all your usage meaning that pricing is relatively straightforward and that all suppliers will be happy to accommodate your meter type.

Other things to know:

  • A Standard meter is easily identifiable from the Supply Number. Any Supply Number that begins with “03” shows a Standard Meter is installed.
  • Our SME Lite customers will often be supplied via a Standard Meter

This is the simplest two-rate meter existing and it is very common amongst both businesses and households. One rate is used to calculate your daily usage and this will be charged at a higher rate to characterize ‘peak’ hours. You will then be charged a lower unit rate for the Economy 7 hours during the night.

Other things to know:

  • An Economy 7 meter is easily identifiable from the Supply Number. Any Supply Number that begins with “04” shows an Economy 7 meter is installed.
  • The timing of the Economy 7 Rate varies between suppliers.
  • However, the Economy 7 Rate normally occurs for a 7-hour period between the hours 11 pm and 8 am.
  • Our smaller customers will often be supplied via an Economy 7 Meter

This is a two-rate meter but with an extensively more complex set up. As the name suggests this meter’s two-rate functionality isn't defined just by hours but also days. As a result you will have a Day Rate and a second rate for your Evening and Weekend usage.

Other things to know:

  • The evening and weekend rate will be cheaper than the day rate
  • Such a meter is advantageous for companies who use most of their energy during the evening and weekend such as restaurants.
  • This meter type can appear with our SME Lite customers as well as part of larger groups suitable for our SME Professional and I&C Professional customers.

This is a three-rate meter with additional complexity by virtue of calculating and charging for energy usage across three distinct periods. This Meter will consist of a Day price, an Evening & Weekend price, and a Night price.

Other things to know:

  • The most expensive rate will be for your day usage
  • The evening and weekend rate will be cheaper than the day rate
  • The night rate will be the cheapest of all
  • The timing of the Evening and Weekend and Night Rates vary between suppliers.
  • Such a meter is advantageous for companies who use most of their energy during the evening and weekend such as nightclubs.
  • This meter type can appear with our SME Lite customers as well as part of larger groups suitable for our SME Professional and I&C Professional customers.

This is a one-rate meter, related to a standard meter but which is designed to hold high demand customers.

This is a two-rate meter, related to an Economy 7 meter but which is designed to hold high demand customers.

Other things to know:

  • Maximum Demand Meters are most likely to feature as part of larger groups suitable for our SME Professional and I&C Professional customers.

This is a multi-rate meter and the most difficult single meter of all. Under this metering system, your consumption will be dividing into different times of the day and different months during the year.

Other things to know:

  • This complex metering system can have with up to 56 rates across the night, day, peak & other periods each measured separately by season.
  • This can be a useful meter if your business has extreme peaks and troughs with its usage throughout the year.
  • SToD meters are most likely to feature as part of larger groups suitable for our SME Professional and I&C Professional customers

A Related Off-Peak Meter is a metering system where a second meter is connected to the main meter. The ‘related’ meter will consume less energy than the main meter and is classed as off-peak. As is general with all meters, the off-peak prices will be cheaper than the main meter prices.

Other things to know:

  • Each meter has its own individual MPAN’s but unusually they will be invoiced on the same bill as if they were one and the same meter
  • You cannot switch your main meter supply without also switching the related meter and both must go to the same supplier.
  • Your current supplier can ‘object’ to your switch to a new supplier if you do not transfer both the main and related meter.
  • Related Off-Peak meters are most likely to feature as part of larger groups suitable for our SME Professional and I&C Professional customers.

A Multi Metered MPAN is a set up where multiple meters nourish into one main meter and it is that main meter that logs the consumption of all the meters within the chain.

Other things to know:

  • There is only a single MPAN attributed to the multiple meters installed
  • The multiple meters will be invoiced on just one bill under the single MPAN
  • Multi Metered MPANs are most likely to feature as part of larger groups suitable for our SME Professional and I&C Professional customers.

More Information

If you would like to find out more about metering types and how to identify your metering system or if you simply want to see what our service options can do for your business call our energy experts on 08000488472.

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