Industry Jargon Explained

Meters that automatically pass accurate meter readings to energy suppliers. AMR’s are universal unlike smart meters.

An amp is electrical current

The term used to describe the annual consumption of a gas meter

Measured in KVA, it is the maximum amount of electricity that can be drawn via the meter at any point. 

Governed by ELEXON. The rules that govern the settlement and metering systems in the electricity market.

A government department, which was created by Theresa May on 14 July 2016 following her appointment as Prime Minister, created as a result of a merger between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

• The major energy suppliers in the UK: BGB, SSE, Npower, E.ON, Scottish Power and EDF Energy

Where a supplier is unable to meet the RO they must make payments into a fund for renewable investment

The quality of gas measured by the release of energy when gas is completely combusted under specified conditions

Where a business energy customer moves in or out of a premise owned by a landlord

Where a business owner moves in or out of a premise

Introduced in 2001 and levied on businesses to incentivise the use of renewable to increase efficiency and reduce carbon emissions

The telecommunications businesses, Arqiva  & Telefónica who will facilitate the full functionality of smart metering

The usage of a meter, derived from the meter advance and applicable to any time period, most often annual

Replacement for RO, mechanism for top-up payments to renewable plants when electricity price is below a set level

The measure used to convert cubic meter gas units into kWh, the standard correction factor is 1.02264

Formerly the Carbon Reduction Commitment is a mandatory emissions reduction scheme in the UK that applies to energy-intensive businesses in the public and private sectors

Data Flow – Flows transmitted between the MOP, DC, DA, MPAS, Supplier and Distributor via the DTN facilitating actions in the competitive market

• D0010 – Meter Readings – The flow that communicates Meter Readings taken from a customer meter to the industry
• D0019 – Metering System EAC/AA Data – Derived from the D0010, the flow communicates the estimated annual consumption of a meter
• D0036 – Validated Half Hourly Advances for Inclusion in Aggregated Supplier Matrix – The flow that contains the meter readings, demand and advances of a Half Hourly Meter
• D0055 – Registration of Supplier to Specified Metering Point – Registers the supplier’s intent to register a meter to their portfolio
• D0057 – Rejection of Registration – Reports a rejection of the D0055 because certain critical industry data does match that held by MPAS
• D0058 – Notification of Termination of Supply Registration – Informs the incumbent supplier that the new supplier is intending to take ownership of the meter on the date stated
• D0064 – Notification of an Objection to Change of Supplier Made By the Old Supplier – Notification that the incumbent supplier is ‘objecting’ to the transfer of the meter point to the new supplier
• D0067 – Notification of an Objection to Change of Supplier Sent to the New Supplier – Sent to the new supplier to inform them that the incumbent supplier has objected to the transfer of the meter

• Data Aggregator (DA) – The entity that sums the meter readings gathered in order to identify the demand levels in any combination of meters
• Data Collector (DC) – The entity that collates the meter readings and attributes them to metering systems, customers and suppliers

Is a measure which has been introduced by Ofgem to ensure HH supplies that exceed their available capacity pay significantly more.

From April 2018 the new regulatory change from Ofgem, DCP 228, will alter the way in which electricity distribution charges are calculated.

DCP228 changes the way that peak time tariffs work for certain network charges, to distribute costs more accurately across the three time bands: Red, Amber and Green. The change will also affect Common Distribution Charging Methodology (CDCM) and how customer tariffs are set.

The government department led by Ed Davey responsible for the energy industry & which controls Ofgem. Part of BEIS from July 2016

Standard charges applied to Change of Tenancy customers before they agree or refuse a contract with the incumbent supplier

The 14 ‘regional’ networks that connect to the transmission system and manage electricity distribution to homes and businesses

The charges related to a meter’s usage of the distribution network representing around 20% of the average business energy bill

• Economy 7 Meter – A two-rate (day/night) meter to provide cheaper energy off-peak and commonplace in bakeries and take-aways.

• Evening Weekend Meter – A two-rate meter measuring day & evening / weekend usage. Commonplace in bakeries and take-aways.

• Evening Weekend & Night Meter – A three-rate meter measuring day evening / weekend & night usage. Commonplace in pubs, nightclubs and restaurants.

• Half Hourly Meter (HH Meter) – A high demand meter (>100kW) that records and transmits usage every half hour.

• Seasonal Time of Day Meter (STOD) – A complex meter with up to 56 rates across night, day, peak & other periods measured separately by season.

• Standard Meter – A single rate meter, providing a single tariff for all units used. Ideal for offices, shops & cafes.

• Maximum Demand Meter (MD Meter) – A meter that measures the maximum energy ‘demanded’ at specific points & the absolute consumption to provide the load factor. Upgraded to half hourly (HH) as per P272 in April 2017.

The party that manages the BSC focusing on settlement processes, metering systems & managing supplier adherence to industry rules.

Small scale generation, often renewable, that is in place at a site of an energy consumer and not a generator.

Part of the Ombudsman Service covering  the communications, energy, property and copyright licensing industries to whom escalated complaints are made

The term used to describe the forecast annual consumption of a electricity customer’s meter

A scheme to incentivise renewable energy generation. Levied on all consumers to reward those businesses with eligible generation. Itemised on consumers bills by SSE Business Energy