The type of electricity meter your business has depends on how much electricity you use. That means your meter may need to be reprogrammed or replaced if it doesn’t suit your current energy usage. This is known as a “change of measurement class” (CoMC).
Here we explain what measurement classes are and when you might need to change yours, with step-by-step instructions how to do it.
There are two main types of business electricity meter which differ according to how they measure your electricity usage:
These meter types are divided into seven Measurement Classes (A-G) depending on how they measure your electricity and how much you use. Only the four classes listed in the table below relate to business premises.
Non-half hourly meters (A) also have a Profile Class (1-8) which reflects how much energy you use and when you use it.
Look for your 21-digit “S” supply number (also known as Meter Point Administration Number, or MPAN) on your electricity bill. The Profile Class is the first two digits of this number.
In the example above, “04” indicates that your Profile Class is 4, so your meter is non-half hourly.
There are two main situations where you’ll need to change your meter type:
Traditionally, only businesses with the largest demand (over 100kW) were required to have half-hourly meters. That changed with the introduction of regulations P272 and P322 on 1 April 2017.
All businesses in Profile Classes 5 to 8 are now required to have half-hourly meters. In practice, this means that if your demand rises to 69-100kW or above, you’ll have to upgrade your meter type to half-hourly.
Part of Ofgem’s transition to a smarter electricity grid, switching more businesses to half-hourly metering not only helps suppliers balance the network, it’s also good for your business. You’ll get more accurate and timely billing, and the half-hourly data can give you a more accurate picture of your energy usage so you can find ways to make savings.
Three different companies will be in involved in upgrading your meter.
If you’re an SSE Business Energy customer, you’ll need to take the following steps to upgrade your meter:
The whole process takes about five weeks from the day you first contact us.
Most businesses won’t need to replace their meters to upgrade because they already have advanced meters capable of sending half-hourly meter readings. These meters just need to be reprogrammed.
But in some cases, the DNO may decide that the best option is to install a new meter. This won’t be an upgrade to your supply but a new connection with a new supply number (MPAN).
If you need a new connection, you’ll need to fill out an Electricity New Supply Form. Find out more by calling our new connections team on 0345 070 9385.
The industry rules don’t allow you to downgrade a half-hourly meter to non-half hourly. That’s because Ofgem wants to move as many businesses as possible onto half-hourly meters to help us transition to a smarter national electricity network.
Call us on 0125 681 5413 or email us at mbs.data.management@sse.com. We’ll be happy to help.