There are significant legislative changes that are due to take place on a huge number of meters by April 2017, writes Rachel Mould, Director Material Matters.
The Government has imposed mandatory changes to all meters with a Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) beginning 05-08 (this can be found on your invoice) under the “P272 Legislation”. What this means is that all of these meters will now be changed to provide data to your energy supplier every half an hour giving an exact indication of what and when you use the most electricity. This enables the National Grid to assess consumption requirements.
Unfortunately there are additional charges levied to obtain this information.
- Meter Operator Agreement (MOP) – a charge for the maintenance and upkeep of the new meters.
- Data Collector and Data Agreement – a charge for the collation and aggregation of the half hourly usage
- Production of a Half Hourly Report.
At present the Government has not given the suppliers a clear format of exactly what these charges are going to be nor a timescale for when they will be available. We do however know that different charges will apply to different types of Half Hourly Meters.
Charges may be subject to third party intervention as and when the Government confirm the format. We are therefore trying to ensure that any quotes are clear and concise to enable you to make the most informed decision.
Suppliers have already started updating meters and many will be done without warning. If you do receive communication check your MPAN. If this has changed it is likely to indicate that your meter has been updated.
Please don’t panic however as many of our existing Clubs are receiving calls from Energy Brokers trying to provoke concern and capturing your meter information so they can quote at the point your meter renews. Be careful who you talk to and what information you share so you are not inundated with calls you don’t want.
If you are worried about your Energy costs we can also provide Electrical Contractors who will undertake Energy Efficiency surveys, free of charge, and highlight savings that can be made. Their assessments focus on the sensible use of lighting, advice on Energy Saving Products which can reduce your bill by up to 40%, along with producing a DIALux report to check the light intensity of the building offering tailored advice on recommended levels.
For professional service and advice please feel free to speak to Material Matters on 01252 621114 or email us on Rachel.mould@materialmattersltd.com.