Metering

Backed by one of the largest metering companies in the UK that have a rich heritage in Data Collection and Metering services, covering 25% of the UK’s entire electricity consumption with over 250,000 metering points. Our specialist end-to-end energy management solutions, combined with experienced engineers, extensive industry knowledge, and a powerful web tool, can deliver tangible energy, carbon and cost savings to your organization by giving you access to data intelligence on ‘how’, ‘when’ and ‘where’ you are using energy.

Our extensive experience in delivering energy management solutions means customers can be confident in our ability to deliver a robust service tailored to their needs. With full accreditation in Security, Quality and Energy Management as well as Institute of Customer Service, we have established expertise in helping our customers reduce their energy consumption and helping them to achieve up to 30% cost savings.

We have an extensive range of metering solutions that can deliver the most accurate resolution when dialing and maintaining meters. Our metering services reduce the requirement for more costly manual meter reading and ensure that you have full transparency of data. We also provide independent advice on metering equipment and support all customers as their portfolio may change.

Whatever your requirements for metering we are able to provide a cost effective solution that spreads the cost equally on a monthly basis, this offers budget certainty to our business clients.

Energy Data Collection

With over 20 years’ experience in energy Data Collection, our energy data services give customers the assurance that the data they receive is accurate, verified, independent from suppliers and secure, establishing the foundations for energy management and efficiency opportunities. In 2015 our partner was ranked 1st place for Half Hourly Data Collection service compliance in an independent industry audit.

We offer the below metering services:

• Half Hourly Data Collection
• Sub Metering AM&T
• Gas Services
• Non Half Hourly Data Collection
• Other Data Collection Services
• Water Services

P272

The wholesale energy market has come under much scrutiny in recent years, with the UK government under increasing pressure from the worldwide governing bodies. As a direct result of this, we have seen ever increasing introduction of new policy along with white papers in an attempt to reduce the amount of non-renewable energy used in the United Kingdom.

As a response to this pressure, we have seen increases in the stealth taxes added to the energy charges displayed on business energy invoices. These charges such as the FiT (Feed In Tariff Incentive) R.O (Renewables Obligation) & CCL (Climate Change Levy) are placed directly to assist the government fund the replacement of aging or worn out generation plant. In most cases these additional costs are built into your energy unit rates, you may, therefore, be unaware of the strong level of impact they have in the overall cost of energy. In more recent times we have seen the introduction of a government scheme set out and agreed by the industry regulator OFGEM named P272. This scheme initiates the upgrade of all maximum demand meters with a profile class of 05 – 08 to half Hourly Settlement; this covers over 160000 meters across the United Kingdom.

Better Connected are here to be your counterpart during the review of your business energy contracts. As we deal with the wholesale purchase of energy from the UK suppliers on a daily basis; we are placed in the perfect position to advise on how best to improve your energy purchasing strategy.

What is P272 and will it affect my business?

P272 is the name of a piece of OFGEM regulation. P272 requires that all maximum demand meters (Profile Class 05-08) who have AMR (Automated Meter Reading) meter fitted will need to be settled on actual half hourly (HH) consumption data in the same way that Half Hourly meters (Profile 00) are currently settled. Currently settlement occurs using an industry wide forecast that is predetermined in order to allocate electricity volumes to each supplier.

Does P272 affect me?

P272 affects any business who have a maximum demand supply (Profile classes 05-08 inclusive) that has an AMR fitted. In order to ascertain if you have one of the affected profile classes, check your bill and find the box that is similar in layout to the below:

The above example has the profile class highlighted in red. If the numbers in this box on your bill are 05, 06, 07 or 08 then your meter will be affected by the changes.

Will P272 affect my costs?

As P272 will measure energy usage based on half hourly readings, this will allow energy suppliers to price your contract based on your actual consumption pattern (Also known as a load profile) and also provide you with a bill that better reflects the actual cost of your energy. You will be charged separately for capacity charges that are currently included within your unit rates or standing charges. You will also need to sign a meter operator agreement & data collector agreement at an annual cost.

When is P272 happening?

All suppliers within the UK are obliged to be compliant with P272 by 1st April 2017. Certain suppliers are pricing new contracts that will be affected as HH meters in order to help smooth the transition and avoid customers having contract alterations occur on 1st April 2017.

Will P272 mean that I will need to replace my meter?

The majority of customers who are affected by P272 will not need to have a new meter installed. If your meter is able to be configured remotely it will already be capable of taking the HH readings and it will be unlikely that you will need to have your meter replaced. This will vary on an independent basis and in all cases you will require a meter operator agreement.

How do I obtain a meter operator agreement?

In a similar way to the method we use to tender for your energy supply itself, we are able to tender across suppliers for a meter operator agreement. This means that you will be able to select the offer that is best cost, and suits your financial terms rather than having the supplier appoint a party of their choice. If you do not select your own meter operator, the supplier will choose a company of their preference and if this happens it is likely that this will be a greater cost to you.

Contact us to discuss your personal requirements.

If you are affected by the P272 changes we are able to arrange the required works and based on the present contract end date, we are able to advise the best time to complete works. We would recommend that this is done as early as possible as this will enable you to collate as much data as possible; this will assist with achieving lower costs when tendering for the supply contract. This will also enable you to be compliant ahead of the end of deadline rush; some energy suppliers have already received hefty fines from OFGEM for not acting quickly enough. As existing energy consultants for a large number of energy supplies, we have surveyed the energy market to look at alternative costs for our existing clients. It is because of this work that we are able to discuss prospective costs when looking forward.

Once the meter has been upgraded to Half Hourly metering; at the point of the following contract renewal, you should be able to realize improved pricing based on the then Half Hourly profile. We are also able to assist in completing full open tender across suppliers and are able to explain the benefits of each offer at that time. By means of our tender process, it is our aim to ensure that you have all required items covered under one fixed monthly/annual cost.

Market Regulatory Information:

You will now be aware that under the changes brought in from OFGEM under regulations named P272 & P332 this change has been enforced and must be complied with, for addition supporting evidence I have attached the OFGEM White Paper a copy of which can also be found at the following web address: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2015/07/factsheet_131_cheaper_electricity_for_businesses_web_0.pdf