Electricity is essential for business operations and a business simply cannot function without it. Setting up an electricity account for a business is slightly more complicated than doing it for a home, and there are a few issues you need to be aware of, but it is still an easy and straightforward process.
Where can I get my business electricity from?Like with domestic residences, the vast majority of the UK’s energy suppliers also have specially tailored business contracts, so you can, for example, still get business electricity from British Gas. However, because business electricity usage is different from that of domestic metering and billing is likewise slightly different.Half Hourly MeteringAs a business operator, it is extremely likely that you’ll be on a half hourly meter (HHM). These meters measure and register how much electricity is being used every half hour of every day, and are designed to provide accurate data to your supplier. Because the meters produce data that is specific to your business, pricing is also based on individual energy usage rather than standard pricing.
As the energy supplier gets such accurate data, they can base your pricing on the individual energy usage of your business.Do I already have a Half Hourly Meter?To find out if you already have a half hour meter in operation, look at a previous bill. If the S number has a ’00’ in the top left box, as in the image below, then you have a half hourly meter.
HHMs are mandatory for all business electricity customers with a maximum demand of 100 kW or more in any single half-hour period. However, if your business uses less than this, but you would still like a HMM, they are easily available from your supplier.What if I’ve moved premises?If you’re upgrading your business space, or are moving into a vacated business property to start your own, you’ll need to ensure that you are not paying too much for your electricity. When you move premises, you will automatically be put on a high tariff called a “deemed rate” by the energy supplier to that property. It is called this because a contract is deemed to exist between you and the current business electricity supplier of that premises. Stay on the “deemed rate” and you’ll keep paying this pre-set price for your business electricity, even if it’s based on a higher usage than you require and aren’t actually spending as much on energy.