What is an MPAN numberWhat is your Meter Point Administration Number

Your electricity MPAN or Meter Point Administration Number is the unique identifying number for your properties meter supply point in a similar way that gas has a unique identifying number with an MPR or Meter Point Reference Number. Your MPAN is sometimes referred to as the supply number and is unique to each meter and each property.  Although suppliers can change the MPAN remains consistent.

What is a mpan number

MPAN or Meter Point Administration Number

Your supplier has an obligation to print this on your bills, however some suppliers decide to only print the bottom half of this and remove the valuable top line.  It can normally be located by finding a large “S” on the bill and it has a set industry format indicated by a unique set of 21 digits normally displayed in the same format as this example.

If you can’t initially find your MPAN number on your business electricity bill then it may be printed on the 2nd or 3rd page, but a supplier must print this information on every electricity bill.

If you don’t have an electricity bill available, which can be the case when you move into a new property it is still possible to find out what your MPAN is.

You can do this by locating your electricity meter and looking for the unique meter serial number which is printed on every meter. In most cases there are lots of number printed on the meter, but you need to find the serial number only, we often advise customer to take a picture of the meter and we will help identify this for you.

The telephone numbers for each local Distribution Company’s MPAS service are listed here:

telephone numbers for each local Distribution Company

What Do All The Numbers Mean?

Armed with the serial number and the full address of the property, including the correct postcode you can call your local Distribution company for your area, and they will be able to provide you with the full 13 digit MPAN core over the telephone or bottom line as its called in the industry.

Profile Class – Every meter has a profile class and profile classes are used when a meter isn’t a half hourly electricity supply and sets out an expectation of how electricity will be consumed throughout the day. Profiles start from 01 and 02, which indicates a domestic supply, they then move up to 03,04 for small businesses and 05,06,07 and 08 for larger commercial supplies. Where half-hourly metering is installed we would expect to see 09, but in fact the profile class is 00.

Meter Time Switch Code or MTC – The Meter Time Switch Code indicates how many registers or sets of meter reads or dials your electricity meter has, and at what times they will operate during a 24-hour period. For example a meter with two registers will have a MTC code that will show these two registers, one which records your day consumption, and the other which records your night consumption. These numbers have ranges and these ranges help us to identify certain information about the meter, for example 001-399 is specific to the local distribution network operator, 500-799 indicates that a 2nd meter is related to another meter.

Line Loss Factor or LLF – The Line Loss Factor code indicates the amount of lost energy incurred whilst delivering electricity over the local distribution companies network. Electricity can either be delivered from cables above or below ground over varying distances, and its this factor that is accounted for in the line loss factor. More energy goes in at the front end due to losses in the network so a supplier must account for these loses to deliver whats required.

Distributor ID – The Distributor ID will help to identify the local Distribution Company for your electricity supply. The Distribution company is responsible for the management of the distribution system and electricity cables which allow suppliers to deliver electricity to your meter.

> 10 – Eastern Electricity
> 11 – East Midlands Electricity
> 12 – London Electricity
> 13 – MANWEB
> 14 – Midlands Electricity
> 15 – Northern Electricity
> 16 – NORWEB
> 17 – Scottish Hydro-Electric
> 18 – Scottish Power
> 19 – Seeboard
> 20 – Southern Electricity
> 21 – SWALEC
> 22 – SWEB
> 23 – Yorkshire Electricity

Meter Point ID Number – This is a unique number within the distribution area to identify the actual metering point and is unique to each meter.

Check Digit – This number is calculated from the Distributor ID and Meter Point ID Number to provide a check digit that other systems can use to validate that both numbers are correct and verified.

Business Electricity Prices - Buying OptionsQuickly compare business electricity prices and tariffs from all UK leading suppliers.

Award Winning Business Energy Consultants, we provide a fully risk managed flexible electricity procurement service to large energy intensive users.  Or we can combine your business into an electricity portfolio product with other like-minded organisations that are looking to have the ability to spread energy purchasing decisions throughout the life of the contract. Thus, taking advantage of market conditions and helping lower costs and reduce your business electricity prices. For those seeking a more traditional fixed electricity price approach or a business electricity price no standing charge option we have a huge choice of suppliers and options for you.

Business Electricity

Business Electricity Purchasing OptionsMore Choice with our Business Electricity Options

FIXED CONTRACTSBusiness Electricity

Fixed price electricity contracts provide a convenient fixed or semi-fixed price for the length of the contract.

FLEXIBLE CONTRACTSCommercial Electricity

Flexible risk managed contracts provide access to wholesale energy prices and allow for multiple purchasing decisions.

PORTFOLIOBusiness Electricity

Basket or portfolio products combine the benefits of fixed contracts with the buying options of flexible solutions.

Business Electricity Services.Infinite possibilities. Endless opportunities.

Flexible Business Electricity PurchasingOur range of bespoke business electricity supply contracts are available to larger energy intensive users.

Smart Business Electricity Procurement

We will develop and implement your working strategy to optimise your business electricity purchasing and hit your business objectives.

Multi-Purchase Commercial Energy

Make small multiple purchasing decisions during the life of the agreement.

Professionally Managed Business Power

We have our own selection and valuation tools which provide us with an exhaustive search, analysis and monitoring process.

Our range of bespoke flexible electricity supply contracts are available to larger gas users looking to take advantage of the full flexibility of the wholesale gas markets. Working with a pre-agreed risk management strategy allows us to make small multiple purchasing decisions during the life of the agreement to take advantage of market lows and avoid market highs.

Our award-winning procurement team will work with you to establish your appetite for risk and build a personal strategy that supports your goals and financial needs.

We will then develop and implement your working strategy to optimise your electricity purchasing and hit your business objectives. Our range of bespoke reports will then indicate our trading performance with our trading performance reports and provide analysis against market prevailing conditions.

This along with our weekly and monthly energy market price reports allows you to understand the key drivers influencing the market prices. For those businesses that can take advantage of flexible energy contracts, there is fantastic opportunity to reduce business electricity costs, but it does carry an element of risk.

The key to managing that risk is understanding your position in the market and having a robust purchasing strategy that is thoroughly managed. We help manage this whole process for our clients and reduce the risks involved in flexible business electricity procurement.

We understand that better analysis makes for better trading decisions, so we use Reuters Eikon to screen market data and intelligence by sector, we then analyse in detail the key fundamentals and drivers in order to evaluate the current and future markets.

We have our own selection and valuation tools which provide us with an exhaustive search, analysis and monitoring process.

Eikon, an information distributing system developed by Thomson Reuters provide a unique insight into the energy commodity markets. Thanks to the automatic synchronization provided by the Reuters terminal, we can always keep updated on the latest market news effecting the energy markets.

We can actively monitor the markets for analysis, news and prices and all of this market data allows us to be more flexible and act quickly in the moment where we should take decisions in order to aid our customers in their decision-making processes, such as contract pricing or identifying arbitrage opportunities.

REQUEST A CALL BACK.

Would you like to speak to one of our energy advisers over the phone? Just submit your details and we’ll be in touch shortly. You can also email us if you would prefer.

    I would like to discuss:

    Flexible Business Electricity - Portfolio or Basket SolutionsOur award-winning procurement team have developed an exclusive product that lowers the entry requirements for businesses looking for a flexible business electricity contract.

    Combined Purchasing

    Our Business Electricity Basket allows you to manage your energy spend more effectively and leverage greater buying power.

    Hedging Strategies

    Multiple purchases made over time provides greater opportunity to achieve purchasing savings and will spread the risk of a volatile market and the impact on your business.

    Professionally Managed

    We have our own selection and valuation tools which provide us with an exhaustive search, analysis and monitoring process.

    Many businesses want to take advantage of the benefits of purchasing electricity on the wholesale power markets but are restricted as they don’t have the spending power to access these types of products.

    Flexible Gas Portfolio

    Our award-winning procurement team have developed an exclusive product that lowers the entry requirements for businesses looking for a flexible electricity contract. Our Flexible Portfolio solution allows smaller businesses the opportunity to combine their buying power with other companies to get the best gas prices on the wholesale electricity market.

    This is an in-house risk managed service operating to our own risk strategy allowing us to make proactive purchasing decisions when the market opportunity presents itself throughout the contract duration.

    In this way our team reduces the risk of taking one single fixed price, whilst at the same time retaining budget certainty.

    This type of product appeals to those business that want to access the wholesale markets that either don’t have the volume to enter them on their own or would prefer the for the purchasing decisions to be made on their behalf to take advantage of changing market conditions.

    These are the key features that will appeal to many businesses that are looking to reduce costs and deliver on their financials.

    By joining our Flexible Electricity Portfolio, you are buying as a group of customers contracted together but import the overall prices are immediately lower than you could achieve individually, due to the reduced risk premiums that suppliers apply to companies within group purchasing plans. You still have the ability to change back from a flexible contract to a fixed contract at any time during the contract period.

    Any business that is considering flexible purchasing for the first time will be comforted to know that this product offers complete financial price transparency and together with regular reporting to provide all the information they need to satisfy themselves that they are on target to meet their budgets.   A flexible energy contract allows businesses to spread energy purchasing decisions throughout the life of the contract, taking advantage of market conditions and helping lower costs and reduce energy overheads.

    The benefits of flexible energy contracts:

    > No take or pay. Re-forecast consumption throughout the contract term to maximise costs savings and avoid volume tolerance.

    > Lower risk premiums than fixed term energy contracts.

    > Multiple purchases made over time provides greater opportunity to achieve purchasing savings and will spread the risk of a volatile market and the impact on your business.

    REQUEST A CALL BACK.

    Would you like to speak to one of our energy advisers over the phone? Just submit your details and we’ll be in touch shortly. You can also email us if you would prefer.

      I would like to discuss:

      Fixed Term Electricity Plans or Fixed Price Electricity ContractsThese types of business electricity products will guarantee the unit price of electricity per kWh for a set period of time.

      Choice of Contracts

      Fixed products provide a known unit rate for 1,2,3,4 or even 5-years.

      Full Supplier Panel

      We have a huge choice of tier 1 and 2 business electricity suppliers and the best of the independents on our supplier panel.

      Award Wining Service

      We have a team of award winning energy consultants who are happy to quote for your next commercial electricity contract.

      These are the most common form of electricity contracts and have been the cornerstone of commercial power contracts for years.

      Our award-winning procurement team will provide an enormous range of contract options based on our customer’s requirements.

      We can help review fully fixed and semi-fixed options and advice on suppliers terms and conditions for recovering any unknown and unexpected 3rd party charges.

      wholesale electricity prices

      These types of products will guarantee the unit price of gas per kWh for a set period of time and allow companies to have fixed price certainty during the life of the agreement. Usually between one and five years – protecting you against energy price hikes during this fixed term.

      Electricity Bridge Contracts

      These are still a fixed price solution where the unit price of gas per kWh is set for a period, but with a bridge contract these are normally for a shorter period, in some cases as short as a month. These reason for having a bridge agreement is normally to bring a site contract date in line with other sites in your portfolio or to allow you to join a new flexible purchasing arrangement if this starts on a set date.

      Group Electricity Contracts

      Our award-winning business electricity procurement team have developed a range of services and solutions specifically tailored to those customers who have multiple locations. Customers who have a multi site portfolio normally have the biggest choice of options to choose from. This gives them the choice of either fixed or flex options or a combination of both depending on the requirements.

      Business Electricity Services.Infinite possibilities. Endless opportunities.

      Business Electricity Quote - Fixed PriceOur range of business electricity fixed price options

      As the UK energy market grows more complex, the independent advice offered by energy brokers and consultants helps many energy buyers find the right business electricity or business gas contract for their business.

      With over 60% of UK energy contract now procured through energy broker and energy consultants, it demonstrates how strong this proposition has become.

      So why do so many organisations choose to use an energy consultancy firm such as Catalyst to find cheap business electricity prices, rather than simply employing internal resources to fulfill their energy purchasing requirements.  Please review our electricity procurement brochure and an overview of our product selection process.

      There is a general acceptance in many organisations that, at a basic level, using consultants simply provides an independent and fresh approach to evaluating opportunities that can add value.

      A ‘fresh pair of eyes’, with relevant experience of achieving tangible results in other organisations, can often uncover areas for significant improvement that may not have been previously identified.

      There is significant benefit in exploiting the breadth and depth of experience that consultancy firms accumulate as a result of working with many different organisations, yielding ideas, methodologies and approaches that can be applied to other circumstances.

      But the major underlying reason that consultants are contracted is because the work relating to delivering change – be it reducing costs, increasing efficiency, market intelligence, improving quality or capacity, or simple understanding the market conditions – is almost always an ‘up-front’ activity rather than an on going basis.

      The other key factor is supplier relations, as it is more cost effective for an energy supplier to manage a range of energy brokers who in turn manage a large portfolio of clients than having to manage the business electricity portfolio directly.

      This allows the suppliers to focus on the challenges of service and delivery of products, whilst the energy consultant can add value and additional support to the standard business electricity services offered by the supplier.

      So if you are looking for the cheapest business electricity that you can, or are simply looking to compare business electricity tariffs or need help in choosing the right business electricity rates per kwh, then contact us today.

       

      Energy Procurement Services

      Highly skilled and knowledgeable in our field, Catalyst have been helping companies to reduce their business electricity costs for the best part of the last two decades.

      Catalyst currently works on behalf of thousands of UK companies helping them to make significant savings in their energy bills, through well informed procurement decisions, by eliminating and recovering over payments and by helping those customers manage their energy consumption through the provision of consumption data reports, and ongoing invoice analysis.

      Catalyst is independent and purchases business electricity on behalf of thousands of companies, ensuring that we hold strong purchasing leverage within the market.  Our service is offered on a risk free basis and our confidence is such that we operate our business with no contractual tie-in with our clients.

      Our Business Electricity Products & Services

      We pride ourselves on quality, reliability and customer satisfaction and this is just a few reasons why:

      > Confidence – Are you confident you’re getting the best deal from your business energy supplier? We are committed to offering the most commercially viable energy solution, however on the rare occasion, better prices are available by going direct to the supplier, we will be happy to explain the pros and cons of choosing this option.

      > Comparison Service – Our business is comparing business electricity deals for you, saving you money and time.

      > Comparing Offers – Offers are notoriously difficult to compare, as different suppliers bundle different elements together, which makes the precise factors very difficult to isolate. Potential suppliers can be asked to respond to a customer request by listing the various aspects of the prices and charges that are to be applied.

      > Free Energy Management – All half hourly customers benefit from your own monthly energy reports and we provide a comprehensive diagnostic tool for analysing and manipulating your supply data.

      > Personal Service – Talk to a Catalyst expert about cutting your business’s electricity bills today.

      > Independent Advice – We are totally independent of any supplier and we will search through our comprehensive panel of suppliers to find the right solution for your business.

      > Comprehensive Supplier Panel – We have supply agreements with every major energy business electricity supplier in the UK and we also have agreements with all of the independent suppliers who operate within certain market sectors.

       

      Business Electricity Quotes - Quarterly & Monthly Billed Meters

      Catalyst offers a comprehensive and independent electricity procurement service, offering a range of supplier quotes suitable to your business electricity requirements. Before helping you to select the most competitive and appropriate contract to meet your specific needs. You are under no obligation to accept our recommendations and are free to choose from another energy supplier in our detailed report. If you are happy with your quote, we will then complete all of the outstanding administrative tasks to ensure the smooth implementation of your new supply contracts for;

      > 03 – Single Rate Supply meters and

      > 04 – Day and Night Rate Supply meters

      The transfer process will take approximately 6-8 weeks to complete and we will manage the transfer process on your behalf, and assist you in any queries that may arise during this transition period. We can also provide quotes on 05-08 Meters, Half Hourly Meters, and any Business Gas requirements that you may have at the same time. Then we have maximum demand meters where the MPAN profile is from an 05 to and 08, which is a monthly billed meter. The first two digits of a full MPAN reflect its profile type and on a maximum demand meters these range from 05 to 08 and generally, though not always, use less than 100 kWh in a half-hour period.

      > 05 – Commercial Maximum Demand – Poor Load Factor (0-20% Load)

      > 06 – Commercial Maximum Demand – Medium Load Factor (20-30% Load)

      > 07 – Commercial Maximum Demand – Good Load Factor (30-40% Load)

      > 08 – Commercial Maximum Demand – Excellent Load Factor (>40% Load)

      The load factor refers to the percentage of the available capacity that the supply is importing through the meter. In addition to our standard commercial electricity procurement solutions, we can help with the organisation and preparation of all new electricity meters and new electricity connections.

      Our business energy consultants can add significant value to any project requiring an interface with the electricity industry including; New Electricity Meter Connections, New Gas Meter Connections, Upgrades & Network Reinforcement and Temporary Builders Supplies.

      We can offer as much or as little support as you require. Some clients engage us at the earliest possible stage of a development leaving us to initiate and co-ordinate every single aspect of the projects total utility energy needs.

      On other occasions clients merely need a helping hand with perhaps initiating a new electricity meter installation on their new connection, or arranging the safe removal of live services prior to a building’s demolition.

      No matter the size of your business or your product requirement, we can offer a range of products from all suppliers based on your exact business electricity requirements.

      If you are looking for our small business electricity prices and want to compare electricity prices for small business online then click here to compare gas and electric unit prices instantly.

      Non-Commodity Reporting Tools

      Optimal Terms on your Business Electricity with Catalyst

      With our diverse bank of business customers throughout a range of industry sectors having an annual consumption of over a billion kWh, Catalyst is one of the market leading independent energy brokers in the UK. Catalyst has a vast amount of experience in managing the energy procurement requirements of public and private sector organisations, ranging from small single site retail, energy intensive sites, through to large and complex multi-site groups.

      Our confidence is such that we operate our business with no contractual tie-in with our clients, the partnerships that we develop are based on performance alone. This results in our standards remaining very high, which is reflected in our client retention rate of over 93%.

      This scale of clients ensures substantial bargaining power with suppliers, and preferential product selection. Coupled with our significant purchasing experience, allows us to negotiate far better terms and models than individual customers can do on their own.

      Utilising our Energy Broker service you let us apply our knowledge, expertise, and market position to handle your electricity or gas purchases in a professional and efficient manner. We work full-time on getting the best possible terms for our clients.

      With our Energy Broker service you gain access to:

      > Qualified supplier selection – We have a very comprehensive supplier panel of 28 energy suppliers which we believe offers access to the most comprehensive choice in the UK.

      > Catalyst selects professional suppliers with low rates, great service and who can deliver proven cost effective results.

      > Long-term focus and market monitoring with our monthly market briefs.

      > Energy Broker’s 2 to 3 year time horizon in purchasing enables us to minimise market risk by strategic price optimisation, assuring our clients of low and predictable energy costs in the longer term.

      > Volume buyer benefits – Pooling its clients’ electricity and gas purchases Catalyst negotiate contracts at terms usually reserved for larger commercial customers. We secure prices lower than small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) can achieve on their own, and enable access to privileged models and strategies for our corporate clients.

      > Savings – The Energy Broker service has achieved savings for its clients of as much as 42%

      Electricity purchasing and ongoing monitoring of current contracts is our core business. Let our energy brokerage handle this for you and free up time for your core business activity.

      Product Overview:

      We provide a full range of business energy procurement solutions that match your exact purchasing requirements. From basic fixed priced products, that offers a guaranteed price over the life of the contract, ranging from 12-months up to 60-Months and combinations in between.

      We can provide these types of contracts for small, medium or large commercial gas or electricity customers, including half hourly electricity supplies.  For the more adventurous purchaser we offer a range of flexible energy purchasing solutions based around your company’s appetite for risk.

      These all include practical advice on selecting the right product to suit your budget requirements. In addition to these standard business purchasing arraignments we also offer group energy purchasing solutions, basket procurement options, and contract analysis.

      All of these solutions and services are designed to make the selection and management of your business energy contracts as easy as possible.

      Other Energy Procurement Solutions:

      Browse our full range of energy buying solutions in each section above and discover the right energy buying solution for your business or contact one of our consultants who will be glad to explain all the options available to you.

      With so many suppliers offering different types of contracts with varying terms it can be difficult understanding whats going to be best suited for your business needs.

      For example with our full range of commercial  suppliers we can provide commercial  prices from our entire portfolio, whilst at the same time providing your business with free water audits or natural gas procurement services.

      Or we can compare our wholesale LPG prices with other similar LPG wholesale prices to establish further potential savings. So If you wish to discuss any of our procurement services or solutions further, please feel free to contact our dedicated energy team, who will be more than happy to explain anything that you require in greater detail.

      Our business energy switch solution should remove the need for expensive oil, electricity and gas procurement services. In addition to all of this our online self service SME platform provides access to some of the cheapest business electricity and gas prices on the market.

      Half Hourly Electricity – Compare Suppliers and Prices

      Since de-regulation in April 1994 two distinct retail market segmentation’s have emerged in the UK electricity markets, half hourly electricity metered sites and that of non half hourly metered sites. The retail electricity market in the UK has become highly competitive in both segments. Review our Half Hourly Procurement Brochure and an overview of our approach and methodology process.

      Two distinct market trends have emerged from this as the various supply companies decide upon their chosen strategy to cope with intensive market competition. The first discernible trend is that the various participants are merging in an effort to consolidate market share and as this reaches critical mass it allows for operational costs to be apportioned over greater volumes of customers.

      Secondly, suppliers are actively pursuing the business of competitors by employing aggressive pricing policies.

      Catalyst is ideally positioned to negotiate and tender with these suppliers in pursuit of the best value for money and overall service value for your commercial half hourly electricity needs.

      Half hourly electricity Meters or “00” electricity meters have a peak load above 100kW and are equipped with a ‘half hourly’ primary meter.

      These commercial electricity meters cover all sites that have a large commercial supply of electricity, and the electricity meter is automatically read every 30-minutes of the day, hence the name half hourly electricity meter.

      This means that total consumption is recorded every half hour of the day and night, and this information is automatically retrieved from the meter and passed directly to your contracted energy supplier ensuring your energy bills are accurate and you are only billed for the consumption that you use.

      > All Major Suppliers Prices Provided
      > 100% Independent Service
      > No Contract Tie In Period
      > Free No Obligation Quotes
      > Dedicated Account Managers

      Half Hourly Electricity Quoting Service

      We offer an extremely competitive and comprehensive independent half hourly electricity tendering service for half hourly supplied electricity sites.

      Our initial research will confirm your supply details in preparation for your energy tender.

      We will then tender your settled half hourly meter energy contract in line with your commercial requirements with our extensive panel of half hourly electricity suppliers which covers the big 6 energy suppliers and a range of leading independent suppliers.

      We will then agree a delivery date of initial offers for your consideration and provide a detailed financial comparison between your current business electricity tariff, your supplier’s best renewal offer, and invited tenders from our range of suppliers.

      Offers are notoriously difficult to compare with different suppliers bundling different elements together, which makes the precise cost factors very difficult to isolate.

      Potential suppliers can be asked to respond to our requests by listing the various aspects of the prices and charges that are to be applied.

      We will illustrate all of our findings and present this in an easy to understand report comparing like for like costings and highlighting any additional costs or erroneous conditions of supply.

      Our energy experts will provide practical advice on these offers and explain any industry terminology clearly. Within our report we present our supplier recommendation based not only on price, but overall delivery of service, support levels and type of contract, and recommended length of contract.

      Half Hourly Electricity Reports

      We will support any recommendation with market price evidence to give you the confidence that you are getting the very best solution for your exact requirements.

      This combined solution will allow your business to select the most competitive and appropriate contract to meet your specific needs.

      Half Hourly Electricity Contract For Your Needs

      With a half hourly electricity supply you have a huge choice on the type of contract that will best suit your exact requirements and our team of consultants will offer practice advice and recommendations based on what they think will work best for your consumption and needs.

      For a basic example, it is currently possible to ask for a ‘pass through’ contract or an all-in contract.

      > Pass Through – With a pass through contract the pure energy price is set down and it is agreed that all other distribution charges are passed through directly. This can be particularly beneficial when a customer wishes to compare a suppliers raw energy prices for half hourly electricity contracts.

      > All Inclusive – Some suppliers will offer ‘all-in’ pricing with an all-inclusive energy contract where the supplier has to take a view on the likely level of these extra charges throughout the length of the contract.

      > Standard – The vast majority of half hourly electricity contracts are all inclusive contracts as they are convenient and simple, and offer a single price for electricity, and so expenditure and budgets are relatively easy to work out.

      However, the ‘convenience’ element will inevitably have a cost. In general, because of the reduced risk to the supplier, pass-through contracts are likely to result in slightly keener prices.

      You may also have an appetite for more risk and be willing to look at the possibility of a fully flexible contract which can deliver significant business benefits.

      Generally speaking as a rule of thumb the closer that you can get to next day delivery purchasing then the lower the prices will be.

      Half Hourly Electricity Services

      However the same can be said for the level of risk involved as you are beholden to the market price at that point of entry, so if events have caused a sudden and rapid increase in prices then you have no other choice but to purchase energy at this going rate.

      Also as a rule of thumb the larger your energy consumption portfolio the more choice of these types of products becomes available to you. With the ability to dip in and out of the market and select block of energy for forward delivery.

      On Going Half Hourly Electricity Support Service

      Because of the complexity of these types of contract we encourage an on going relationship for all of our half hourly customers.

      This is achieved through your dedicated Account Manager who will manage and guide your account through the various stages of the contract life cycle.

      This ensures a smooth journey and a great customer experience, as we work to ensure that you get the best value for money with our solution at all times.

      We will also provide you with our monthly market report to keep you updated with the latest price changes, or regulatory requirements that could affect your business costs. When appropriate we will also suggest an opportunity to secure future energy contracts inline with the wholesale energy market.

      All energy suppliers are required to collect this data in order to bill you accurately and they must provide access to this data.

      half_hour_sample_reports

      In addition to our monthly market report all half hourly meters along with the half hourly data provides a great source of information for improved on site energy management.

      But be warned just because suppliers have to give you access to your own meter data, it doesn’t mean they should let you have it for free, with many suppliers charging an annual fee to access this information.

      We provide all of our half hourly customers with free access to this data in the form of a personalised consumption report for your business, which will help identify potential energy savings on site and even provide your very own carbon consumption report based on your actual energy usage.

      All half hourly customers benefit from your own monthly energy reports and we provide a comprehensive diagnostic tool for analysing and manipulating your supply data.

      > Investigate in more detail when and how energy is used.

      > Identify and monitor exceptional usage patterns.

      > Benchmark energy consumption between buildings or processes.

      > Identify potential control setting problems & energy cost penalty. Improve forecasting & setting of energy budgets.

      > Increase visibility gives greater incentive to reduce & control costs.

      > Improve data for future procurement contract renewals and tariff optimisation.

      > Evaluate the effectiveness of cost reduction measures.

      > Measure your business carbon footprint.

      > Half Hourly Electricity Requirements & Future Pricing

      If you are a large commercial customer on a half hourly meter you must have a contract based on readings taken each half hour period during the day. These are known as half-hourly metered contracts and the price of electricity will vary depending in part of the national demand for power at particular times in the day and seasons of the year.

      These prices for each month fluctuate throughout each day as energy contracts are traded ready for future onward delivery in some long term cases suppliers and energy traders are exchanging long term contract out to 5, 10 or even 15 years in some cases.

      Fixed energy contract prices are made up of the monthly delivery cost over the life of a contract, for example if your contract was due to start in January and you wanted a 12-month fixed price agreement with a supplier, they would calculate the price for each moth at the current market rate, and then average these out over the 12-month period.

      Suppliers then need to include additional costs for the delivery and distribution of the energy to your premises, the cost to serve your account, and of course the supplier’s margin.

      Only the delivery cost element is regulated by the industry regulator Ofgem, and although the costs do change periodically the supplier will allow for these changes in any contract that they provide.

      Our role as an energy broker is to determine what influencing factors are effecting these short term and long term energy prices, and this could be anything, for example weather, economic factors, micro economics and even future government polices.

      We use this information to assess the constantly fluctuating monthly future delivery cost of energy to determine a suitable time to obtain offers, and over what time scale to achieve the most optimum result for our customers.

      In simple terms, if long term prices were lower than short term prices, it may be advantageous to select a longer term contract as this would lower the average cost over the length of your contract.

      The delivery element of the contract is fixed and regulated so each supplier will simply pass the same charges through to their customers each time. We can however target the cost to serve and the supplier’s margin element of your contract though as our management of your account removes this costly element from the supplier.

      We also have a very close working relationship with all of our suppliers, so we are familiar with working this to our advantage to achieve the best result for your contact and your business requirements.

      It is also possible to take advantage of these monthly fluctuating half hourly electricity costs by opting to look at alternative methods for purchasing your energy. These include a range of flexible solutions that allow you to set the fixed parts of the contract and purchase the energy element separately as you require it.

      These types of half hourly electricity contracts remove the price certainty that a fixed contract provides, but they can be very effective dependent on your company’s appetite for risk. You are able to purchase blocks of energy over several different periods ranging from 6-monthly, quarterly and monthly or in extreme cases even for next day delivery.

      To ensure compliance customers must have appropriate metering (Code 5 or above) for a half hourly supply, which are operated and maintained by an approved Meter Operator or sometimes abbreviated as a MOP.

      The data from these meters must also be collected by an approved Data Collector sometimes abbreviated as a DC. A full list of the current and approved meter operators and data collectors is available from the industry regulator, Ofgem.

      Non-Commodity Reporting Tools

      Half Hourly Electricity Suppliers

      Half hourly electricity suppliers explained – These types of supply are the ones most desired by energy companies as they can immediately know up front how much energy you are likely to use and more importantly how you are going to use it. For this reason you will always have a large selection of suppliers that are able to quote for this supply profile. But be warned, because with a half hour electricity meter all of the separate costs that go towards making up the final delivery cost charge to an end user may or may not be included in any quote. Review our Half Hourly Electricity Suppliers Brochure and an overview of our approach and methodology process.

      Different suppliers will include or exclude up to 20 of these variables in any number of ways when providing a quote to a customer. So without a clear understanding of the framework for these costs or how to compare them from supplier to supplier it can be very frustrating. Although you may turn directly to a half hourly electricity supplier for advise and guidance, we always recommend that you satisfy your own self that you understand what has being provided.

      The Big Six Half Hourly Electricity Suppliers

      When we talk about these suppliers we are really talking about the most dominant tier one energy companies in the UK energy market and these include all of the everyday household name suppliers. These include in no particular order the following;

      > Npower

      > EDF Energy

      > Scottish Power

      > E.ON

      > Scottish & Southern Energy

      > British Gas

      Although really as a supplier British Gas should be classed as an independent half hour electricity supplier as they are not the default supplier for any region of the UK, unlike the other 5 suppliers listed. They are always included because of their heritage as the UK’s default gas supplier and their sheer volume of market share that they still retain.

      Independent Half Hourly Electricity Suppliers

      Since the UK energy market first deregulated there has been a growing number of independent energy suppliers that offer half hour electricity contracts. Some of these are now huge brands within their own right that have a very large command of the market share, whilst others are not so well know and only retain a relativity small share of the market when compared to the big six suppliers. Some of these smaller suppliers have carved out a very successful market niche for them self’s or offer unique products to compete against the dominant market players. These include and again in no particular order the following;

      > Dong Energy

      > Hudson Energy

      > Gazprom

      > Haven Power

      > GDF Suez

      > Opus Energy

      > Smartest Energy

      > Total

      To find out which Half Hourly Electricity Suppliers are the best for your commercial enterprise, be sure to get in touch with one of the team here at Catalyst and we can help you choose the right HH supplier for your requirements.  With our full range of HH energy suppliers we are sure to find a product that best fits your needs.

      Business Electricity Services.Infinite possibilities. Endless opportunities.

      Half Hourly Business Electricity Market

      Any one that has an electricity supply that falls under the category of a half hour meter may be surprised to know that you are in a small select niche of customers.

      It has recently being estimated that there is only approximately 100,000 meters with this type of supply profile in the UK. If you do have one of the meters then your business is in high demand with suppliers, as all of them prefer these types of profiles over any other sort of profile.

      So lets take a closer look at the half hour electricity market and see what make this market so unique. Review our Half Hourly Procurement Brochure and an overview of our approach and methodology process.

      Typically we find 3 types of half hourly meter supplies in the UK

      > Mandatory Half Hourly: For sites with a peak load above 100kW need to be equipped with half hourly electricity meter which records a customers total electricity consumption in 30-minute blocks. This is a legal requirement due to the volume of electricity consumed on a site.

      > Voluntary Half Hourly: For sites who have voluntarily opted to have this type of meter installed but don’t necessarily use the legal volume required for a mandatory meter. The main reason for this, is for transparency on price, improved visibility of energy consumption data, and accurate billing information.

      > Pseudo Half Hourly: This covers all type of un-metered half hourly meters and normally these are only found in public lighting such as local authority street lighting or street sign illumination. Some times on very rare occasions these types of meters can also be found on billboards.

      But why do suppliers love these types of supply over traditional electricity meters? Well there are several reasons to this, but the main ones are that size of the energy consumption associated with this type of supply and the ability to accurately understand the exact shape and profile use.

      The later really helps a supplier in their future energy purchasing requirements as they can forecast exactly how much energy is going to be needed and when it needs to be provided. Put simply sites with consistent usage patterns throughout the year will generally be more attractive to a supplier against irregular and constantly changing consumption profiles.

      Understanding Half Hourly Meters

      In most of the UK, and especially in residential areas, consumers as well as small businesses opt to use traditional non half hourly meters. However, half hourly meters take a reading of the amount of electricity that is being used during each half hour period and send it back to the electricity company that is supplying the power.

      For non half hourly sites the same can be achieved with the help of what are known as ‘smart meters’,but for these types of meters a communication system is always included as standard.

      Many suppliers choose to use a GSM sim card now as this is a low cost and effective way to transmit supply data back. However these can also include a physical phone line or radio packet signal device in areas where a mobile signal is no longer effective or has poor coverage.

      There are many benefits to having this type of supply, and the half hourly electricity market in the UK continues to grow, as a result.

      Checking for a Half Hourly Meter

      Consumers or business owners who want to know whether or not they are part of the settled half hourly meter electricity market should first determine whether or not they are already using such a meter.

      This is relatively simple to do; it involves finding a recent copy bill from your supplier that is assigned to the building and then looking at your unique supply number.

      This is normally displayed within a box of numbers with a large “S” at the front somewhere on your invoice. Once you have located this box look at the first two numbers on the top row. If these first 2 number are “00” then you already have a half hour meter.

      The various other numbers on the bill represent different things. Some indicate whether or not the address is a heavy or light power user; others indicate whether you have installed the half hourly meter voluntarily or whether it was mandatory.

      Also included within this code of numbers will be the local distribution area that your meter is connected to, and the type of connection that you have. Either cable below ground or connected through electricity pylons. For a quick guide to determine if you have a half hourly meter, watch our short video overview.

      How Half Hourly Meters Save Money

      Large industrial buildings and certain types of businesses use large amounts of power, and while traditional non half hourly meters are quite reliable for measuring this usage, half hourly meters are even more accurate.

      They are wonderful tools for these businesses because they will allow them to save money and energy through an energy management system.

      Those who are part of the half hourly electricity market can also hire consultants who can use the readings from these meters to quickly put together reports regarding energy usage. These may include times of peak demand, times of least usage and more.

      As more and more business owners realise the benefits that these meters can provide, the half hourly electricity market will undoubtedly continue to grow. These meters ensure that usage is properly measured and that companies are properly billed for their usage, saving both time and money.

      Non-Commodity Reporting Tools

      Half Hourly Business Electricity Meters

      Half hourly electricity meters are a type of meter that is installed for large commercial or industrial sites in the UK. The volume of electricity is measured in 30-minute intervals and this is reported back to the supplier to measure and report the amount of electricity usage at that particular address.

      The meter also reports the usage to the electricity provider in order to provide accurate readings that are not hampered by human error. These meters are mandated for some businesses in the UK and optional for others.

      To read more on the mandatory requirements for a half hour meter, then please read our market overview. Review our Half Hourly Electricity Procurement Brochure and an overview of our approach and methodology process.

      What Half Hourly Meters Do

      Half hourly electricity meters are just like a standard meter that can be found outside any home or business, but rather than measuring the amount of electricity used on an estimated basis, they measure how much electricity is used during each half hour period.  Our range of energy validation solutions can help support any requirements.

      This is especially helpful for large businesses and manufacturing facilities because it helps to provide information regarding the amount of use during specific times of the day, in turn making it easier for such businesses to regulate their consumption and decrease costs. In fact, UK regulation mandates businesses that use a certain amount of power to have half hourly meters installed.

      Which Businesses Have Them?

      According to regulation in the United Kingdom, businesses that use 100kW or more of electricity in a single half hour period must have half hourly electricity meters installed.

      Those that use 70kW or more of power in a half hour period can opt to have half hourly meters installed, but this is not mandated. Those who are not sure whether or not they have these meters installed on their premises can check simply enough.

      Simply look for an S with two rows of numbers, afterward; if the first set of numbers is 00, or double zero, then this is a half hourly meter. If the number is 05, 06, 07, or 08, it may still be a half hourly meter.

      Pricing and Tariffs

      Because half hourly electricity meters provide such accurate information to energy suppliers, they can base the price that is paid by the company solely upon the exact amount of power that is consumed.

      The information is sent to the supplier via SMS or radio packet delivery like system, and this means that there is no room for human error when it comes to reading usage.

      The tariffs are typically negotiated on a contract, but this depends on the supplier. The prices fluctuate based upon factors like wholesale prices, the demand for detailed data and the hedging strategies of the supplier.

      However, in almost all cases, these meters will provide savings when they are installed in the proper setting.

      Half hourly electricity supply meters not only help businesses and industrial facilities save money on their power bills, but they also help power suppliers better regulate their prices.

      These meters are incredibly accurate and provide detailed information that was not previously available, making them a commodity that is sure to expand to other parts of the market in the near future and will start to apply to non half hourly electricity.

      Half Hourly Electricity Prices

      Trying to obtain prices for a half hour meter isn’t very straight forward, and unlike other energy products these prices are individual to your requirements and electricity demand.

      Because of this, prices can’t simply be quoted from any price book, they have to be determined by a number of factors. From these factors suppliers will build a price that is unique to your location, supply volume and consumption patterns.  Review our Half Hourly Brochure and an overview of our approach and methodology process.

      They do this by auditing your previous 12-months worth of consumption, looking at factors such as your base load, peak demand, and any seasonal variances in use.

      A number of other variables also go into making up your final contract price, but the general rule of thumb is that suppliers margin and cost to serve your account will be approximately 5% of your total bill value.

      The cost to deliver or distribute your electricity to you, then accounts for approximately 20% of the total bill value, and is dependent on your connection to the local distribution.

      For example cables below ground will attract a different cost to overhead cables, however this element is regulated and price controlled by the industry regulator Ofgem.

      This cost element is published and updated annually and all suppliers work of this industry set cost with out the room to negotiate any discount.

      The biggest proportion of your final energy bill is made up of the raw product cost, the actual energy and accounts for approximately 75% of your final bill.

      Your Annual Energy Consumption

      In order to obtain the best business electricity rates a supplier needs to understand your location, the type of meter that you have and how you are connected to the local distribution company.

      They also need to understand what your agreed available capacity is with the local distribution, and if you have a low voltage of high voltage connection.

      In addition to the technical information and in order for a supplier to price your half hourly electricity meter, they need to understand how and where you use your energy.

      Because these type of meters capture consumption data every 30-mins of the day, all of this data is gathered together to indicate how your energy is used over time.

      Do you have any seasonal, time of day, or time of week variants for example. So obtaining the cheapest half hour prices isn’t simply a case of using a price book from a supplier to cheap half hour prices, it is more involved and requires a high level of understanding to accurate measure the value of each offer received.

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