A guide to metering and how to find out what type of meter you have installed at your school
It can be confusing trying to figure out what type of meter you have installed at your school and whether it is able to share data with Energy Sparks, so this guide aims to explain this in more detail.
To join Energy Sparks, your school needs to have a meter which is capable of automatically taking meter readings every 30 minutes. These readings are used to calculate how much energy is consumed in half-hourly blocks. This is known as half-hourly consumption data and it is this data which Energy Sparks uses to analyse your school’s energy usage.
What types of meters are there?
- Non-half hourly (NHH) meter
- This type of meter is used for smaller demand supplies
- They are not capable of sharing half-hourly data and customers either have to provide manual readings to their supplier or the energy supplier will send someone out to read the meter periodically
- Half-hourly (HH) meter
- This meter is legally required for electricity supply points greater than 100kW
- They automatically send meter readings every half hour
- Non half-hourly Advanced Meter Reading (NHH AMR) meter
- These are non half-hourly meters that have an AMR device attached to them which captures the meter readings
- It uses a SIM card to send the half-hourly consumption data to the data collector (DC)
- Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS2) meter
- This meter is capable of capturing meter readings
- They work by using a secure national communication network (called the DCC) to automatically and wirelessly send energy usage data to your supplier and other appointed third parties such as Energy Sparks
- They are the second generation of SMETS meter and are also known as a smart meter
- SMETS2 meters often hold tariff information
- Energy Sparks accesses the data via a DCC service provider, rather than the energy supplier, so there should be no interruptions to the data feed if a school switches supplier
HH, NHH AMR and SMETS2 meters are all capable of sharing half-hourly consumption data.
How do I know if my school has a meter which is capable of sharing half-hourly consumption data?
Take a look at a recent bill:
- Are you being charged for actual usage? (You can check this by looking at the meter reading. An ‘A’ next to the reading indicates an actual meter reading. Whereas, an ‘E’ indicates an estimated meter reading and a ‘C’ indicates a customer-supplied meter reading. Both ‘E’ and ‘C’ readings would suggest that your meter is not capable of sharing half-hourly data.)
- Does it say ‘00’ next to the large S on your electricity bill? This indicates that a HH meter is installed.
- Are you being billed for a metering data collection, HH or AMR charge?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then your meter should be capable of sharing data with Energy Sparks. If you’re unsure, check with your supplier directly or your Local Authority or procurement organisation (depending on how you purchase your energy.)
I don’t have the right meter installed, what do I need to do next?
You will need to request an upgrade from your supplier, or, if you purchase through your Local Authority or procurement organisation, then the request needs to go through them.
It is usually free to upgrade your meter but suppliers may charge an annual fee to access the data, so it is worth asking about any fees or charges before requesting an upgrade. Most fees are in the region of £50-£100 per meter, per year* and this amount is almost always recovered as a result of the savings made when using the Energy Sparks platform. For example, having access to the energy use data allows schools to identify if their heating is running at the weekend, in the school holidays or coming on too early in the morning. Many schools find that they can recover the cost of accessing the energy data in just a few days of savings.
You may be offered the choice between having an AMR or SMETS2 meter installed. Both types of meter are capable of sharing half-hourly consumption data but where available, Energy Sparks recommends installing a SMETS2 meter for electricity and an AMR device for gas.
*An important note if you are supplied by Total Energies Gas. This supplier offers different data packages. If your school has the bronze package, this means that your meter is enabled to share monthly readings with the supplier for billing purposes but not the half-hourly data. If you have signed up to the platinum package, then your meter will be enabled to share half-hourly consumption data. There is a fee to upgrade to the platinum package and your supplier, Local Authority or procurement organisation will be able to confirm the exact costs.
Further reading
An introductory guide to smart meters for the public sector: A guide to metering and how to find out what type of meter you have installed at your school