Technical Services 
Commercial Metering Services

Streamlined metering maintenance and utility management tools for every business and budget.

The Carbon Trust estimates that businesses unknowingly waste 20% of the energy that they're charged for as a direct result of outdated or faulty metering units.

As the UK continues the rollout of their half-hourly (HH) meter installation initiative, it's never been more important to understand the many advantages associated with Automatic Meter Reading (AMR). According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), simply installing a smarter meter can save SMEs and landlords more than £200 each year. For larger organisations, the savings can be exponential.

Following Ofgem's introduction of P272 policies, it became mandatory for businesses within a certain Profile Class to undergo the Change of Measurement Class (CoMC) process and migrate to half-hourly metering.

To make sure your organisation is compliant with the latest metering regulations, get in touch today. Take back control of your energy bills with our streamlined metering solutions and full access to consumption data.

What's the difference between Half-Hourly (HH) and Non-Half-Hourly (NHH) metering?

Before AMR and half-hourly metering technology were introduced, businesses relied on providing manual gas and electricity meter readings to their supplier. Outdated Non-Half-Hourly (NHH) devices put customers at risk of overcharging, undercharging, or back-billing (especially when changing suppliers or moving premises) as invoices are solely based on estimated use.

The latest half-hourly metering technology automatically sends suppliers gas and electricity consumption data through a secure, wireless network every 30 minutes. This almost entirely eliminates the risks associated with sending manual gas and electricity readings and ensures that invoices are based on actual usage, not estimations.

The transition from traditional non-half-hourly (NNH) meters to AMR has given customers unprecedented control over their electricity and gas bills. Suppliers now allow customers to view real-time consumption data online, too. These invaluable insights can be used to identify operational inefficiencies, spot billing inaccuracies, and reduce your business' tCO₂e (tonnes of carbon dioxide or equivalent) emissions to meet climate change obligations.

What is a smart meter?

Both smart meters and AMR units operate on a half-hourly basis and send real-time data directly to your supplier. Smart meters also calculate how much energy you’re using and what it will cost over time. While smart electricity meters are connected to the mains and monitor how much power you’re using in real-time, smart gas meters are battery-powered and remain “asleep” most of the time. Every half hour, they "wake up" and send a reading via the electricity meter.

Smart meters operate through a centralised data communication company and are held to standards established by the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Standard (SMETs). SMETS1 (most smart meters installed prior to 2018) unitscommunicate with your supplier through a 3G mobile network, whereas SMETS2 units communicate with your supplier through a new, purpose-built network.

What are the key differences between AMR units and smart meters?

AMR units only communicate from the customer to the energy supplier, whereas a smart meter offers two-way communication between the energy supplier and the consumer. Moreover, AMR meters only provide kWh information and possible peak kW demand for the month.

Depending on the size of your business, a standard smart meter may not fit the bill. If this is the case, we can still arrange for the installation of AMR units, negotiate Meter Operator Contracts (MOP), directly liaise with your preferred Data Collectors (DC) and Data Aggregators (DA), and provide ongoing consumption reporting.

What are the benefits of half-hourly metering?

• Consumption data is transmitted directly to the energy supplier, eliminating the need for manual submission.
• Mitigates risk of human error and billing inaccuracies.
• Ensures invoices are based on actual usage, not estimations.
• More detailed usage insights improve operational efficiency (OPEX), lower energy costs, and allow for better financial forecasting.
• Uncover more opportunities to reduce carbon emissions and improve environmental credentials.

   

How can we help?

We analyse ongoing consumption data to profile your energy usage data and prevent billing anomalies. Our advanced financial forecasting tools help us build budgeting strategies best suited to your specific needs. To do this, we conduct an audit of your current position to generate consumption prediction models. This allows us to track actual consumption in relation with predefined savings parameters and operational workload.

Our metering services also include:

• Smart meter and AMR installation, management, and ongoing consumption reporting.
• Recommendations to improve resource efficiency and reduce carbon (CO₂) emissions.
• Disconnections, fuse removal, and temporary supply.
• UMS certification with Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) for unmetered supplies.
• Sub-metering management.
• Re-energisation and de-energisation.
• Meter and supplier changeovers to prevent smart meters from going "dumb".