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Business Electricity FAQs

• What Is A Half-Hourly Meter?

  Half-hourly meters are mandatory for large consumption businesses with a maximum demand of 100 kWh or greater in a 30-minute period.

  These meters submit energy readings to your supplier every 30 minutes to ensure you’re not billed based on estimated usage.

• How To Find The Best Deal On Half-Hourly Meter Contracts?

  Comparing business electricity prices as you would normally through our website is still one of the best ways to find a deal for a half-hourly meter contract quickly.

  Here’s what the process looks like:

  • We’ll take some basic details and meter numbers on our online comparison engine. Feel free to call our expert team if you would prefer. 
    
    
  • We’ll ask you to complete a Data Release Letter that enables us to obtain your current consumption data for the past year.
    
    
  • We ask each energy company to bid for your contract using this information.
    
    
  • Our relationships and specialist “group buy” or “basket” pricing enables us to beat other brokers by up to 10%.
     
  • Select your preferred option to conclude the process. We’ll process the necessary paperwork to update your contracts.

• What Data Do I Need for a Half Hourly Meter Renewal?

  Your consumption data is collected and stored by your current provider. You can only access the information once you’ve provided a letter of authority.

  This data, with your building address with postal code, is enough to obtain the latest electricity prices. Not all energy companies will bid on your contract, but the majority will offer competitive quotes.

• Are There Benefits of Having a Half Hourly Meter?

  There are two main features and benefits associated with half hourly meters.

  Automated Meter Readings

  Half hourly meters offer large businesses more detailed and accurate information on their energy usage. This is useful for businesses seeking to increase their energy management.

  Software programs allow you to import the raw data collected from a half hourly meter. From this, you can analyse trends and produce energy management reports. You’ll be able to check and monitor consumption for any cost centre or premises you manage.

  Energy Management

  Advanced software packages can create alarms if usage is over a certain threshold. You can highlight variances against historical trends from the information produced.

  Most companies save an additional 10% on an annual basis by using these advanced analytical tools.

• What Is A Multi-Site Meter?

  Got multiple business addresses? A multi-site meter allows owners to consolidate multiple buildings onto one contract and bill. This makes managing electricity usage for several sites much easier.

• Can I Get A No Standing Charge Tariff?

  Some suppliers offer no standing charge tariffs. Whilst on the surface, a no standing charge tariff may seem very appealing, suppliers will usually offset this by charging a higher unit price. Businesses using a small amount of electricity could benefit from this type of tariff.

• How Long Does It Take To Switch Suppliers?

  We aim to switch our customers to their new business electricity supplier within 5 working days of approval. 

• Is Electricity Cheaper At Night?

  Electricity is cheaper at night if an Economy 7 or 10 tariffs is selected. These are often called multi-rate meters. There could be multiple unit rates set by the provider for day, night and weekends. 

• What Is A Micro Business?

  There are multiple benefits to being classed as a micro business including a requirement to receive a renewal notice. Businesses are classed as ‘micro’ if they fit into one of these categories: 

  • Employs less than 10-people and has an annual turnover of no more than €2 million
  • Uses less than 100,000 kWh of electricity annually 

• Will My Electricity Supply Be Cut Off When Switching?

  No, you won’t lose your business electricity supply during the switch. We will liaise with your new and old supplier to ensure your switch can take place seamlessly.

• What Is The Climate Change Levy (CCL)?

  CCL is an environmental tax used to encourage businesses to become more energy efficient. Any UK business can join the Climate Change Agreement Scheme to pay reduced rates. 

  The 2023 CCL rate for electricity is set at 0.00775 per kWh.

• What Is P272 Legislation? 

  Introduced almost 10 years ago, the P272 legislation aimed to move all high-consumption users onto a half hourly meter.

  This was phased in over time by energy regulator Ofgem for businesses in profile classes 5 to 8 to manage the Balancing and Settlement Code.

• Does The P272 Legislation Apply To My Business?

  All businesses in profile classes 5 to 8 that have an advanced meter installed are impacted. If your profile class is in this range, you need to upgrade to a half hourly meter asap. 

• What Is P322?

  This is a further modification to profile classes 5 to 8 helping these businesses and suppliers move to a half hourly meter. 

• How Do I Find Out The Profile Class On Half Hourly Meter?

  You will find your profile class number on your electricity meter. Look at your Meter Point Administration Number and to the box right of the 'S'. This is your profile class number.

• What Are Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)?

  Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) act as contracts between a company buying energy and a renewable energy provider.
  They set out the details for selling electricity over a specific time at a fixed price.

  These agreements are essential in supporting renewable projects, offering assurance of income for developers and ensuring stable costs for buyers in the long run. Renewable sources such as wind, solar, or hydroelectric power can be part of these agreements.