Half-Hourly Electricity Meters: Are You Stuck With One — and How to Cut the Costs

😲 The Nasty Surprise Many New Business Owners Face

You’ve just taken over a new site — excited to get started, open the doors, and welcome your first customers.
Then your first electricity bill lands…

Instead of a simple standing charge and unit rate, you’re hit with:

• Daily standing charges far higher than you expected
• Extra MOP (Meter Operator) and DC/DA (Data Collector/Aggregator) fees you’ve never heard of
• Capacity charges for kVA you’ll never use

The reason?


Your supply is fitted with a Half-Hourly (HH) electricity meter — most likely because the previous occupant had very high demand. They needed it. You don’t. But now you’re paying for infrastructure you’ll never use.

⚡ Why Half-Hourly (HH) Settlement Exists

Since the 2017 P272 regulation, Ofgem has required certain larger business electricity supplies to be settled half-hourly — meaning your consumption is recorded every 30 minutes and sent automatically for billing.

✅ The benefits:

• More accurate bills
• Better data for the grid to balance supply and demand

❌ The drawbacks for low-usage sites:

• Higher standing charges
• Extra metering service fees
• Capacity charges linked to infrastructure you may not need
  

The Two Common Types of HH Meter

Even though both are classed as HH meters, there are two distinct types with different cost implications:

💷 The Other Costs Beyond Standing Charges

When you have a Half-Hourly meter, the daily standing charge is only one part of the picture.
Most businesses also pay extra fees, such as:

• Meter Operator (MOP) charges – for maintaining and communicating with the meter
• Data Collector/Aggregator (DC/DA) charges – for gathering your half-hourly readings
• Reactive power penalties – if your power factor drops below a certain level
• DNO capacity charges – based on your agreed kVA



Some of these are unavoidable, but kVA charges are one of the biggest areas where savings can be made.

📏 Understanding kVA Charges — and Why They Matter

Your electricity supply comes with an Agreed Supply Capacity (measured in kVA).
Think of it like reserving a parking space that’s three times bigger than your car.

If you’ve been allocated 150 kVA but your peak demand is only 40 kVA, you’re paying for 110 kVA every month — and not using it.

Typical capacity cost:

• £1–£2 per kVA per month
• 150 kVA × £1.50 = £225/month
• That’s £2,700/year in wasted costs if you’re not using the capacity

📌 Example — When You Might Be Overpaying

• You’ve taken over a site that was once a manufacturing facility. The old tenant needed high capacity for heavy machinery. You’re now running a coffee shop — your demand is far lower, but the kVA hasn’t been changed.

• You’ve been in the same site for years. Your operations have scaled down, but your capacity setting hasn’t.



In both cases, reviewing and lowering your kVA could save thousands a year.

👉 Are you paying for more kVa than you need?

Our free 15-minute Capacity Review will check your past usage, compare it to your agreed supply, and tell you exactly how much you could save.

🔄 Can You Downgrade From HH to Non-HH?

In most cases, no — but there’s a narrow exception.

Suppliers like SSE and Crown Gas & Power state that downgrades are not part of their process. That’s because Ofgem’s long-term plan is Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement for all meters by 2025–26.

However, the Balancing & Settlement Code does allow a downgrade (Change of Measurement Class) if:

• Your maximum demand is well under 100 kW
• You can provide ~12 months of HH data proving it
• The DNO confirms they don’t require maximum demand monitoring
• Your supplier is willing to submit the change

⚠ Reality check:

• Even with all criteria met, many suppliers will still say “no” for policy reasons
• You’ll likely need to run 12 months on HH first — meaning you’ll carry those higher charges until you can prove the case
• You may need to switch supplier to one who will process the request
  

🧾 What If You Really Want to Remove Your CT Meter?

If you still want to explore replacing your CT HH meter with a smaller WC smart meter, you’ll likely need:

• A full service disconnection
• New NHH supply cable installed by the DNO
• Metering reclassified and reinstalled by a supplier

It’s not cheap — but in some rare cases (e.g. closing production facilities or sub-letting part of the site), it might be worth it.


We can help you assess the feasibility, risks, and total cost.

Final Thoughts

Half-Hourly settlement is here to stay — but overpaying for oversized infrastructure doesn’t have to be.
Whether it’s trimming your kVA, switching suppliers, or exploring a meter redesign, there are still ways to get control of your electricity costs.

Take Control of Your Electricity Costs

Don’t keep paying for capacity you don’t use.
A simple review could save you hundreds — even thousands — each year.