MHHS explained: what market-wide half-hourly settlement means for your business
Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement is moving every meter in Great Britain to half-hourly settlement. Here are the key dates, the new MSA, ADS and SDS roles, and a…
Half-hourly electricity specialists for UK businesses
Every half hour of your business electricity, bought and billed right
A half-hourly bill is built from 17,520 meter readings a year and a stack of network charges most suppliers never explain. We compare HH contracts from UK suppliers, check every line of your bill and get your meter and data ready for MHHS.
- Independent comparison across UK suppliers
- Free bill check, line by line
- No cost and no obligation to get a quote
Prefer to talk it through? 07565 147 170
16:00 to 16:30 red band – the most expensive time to use power
Independent
We are a broker, not a supplier, so we can compare half-hourly contracts across the market.
Fees in writing
Since October 2024 any broker fee must be shown in your contract’s main terms. Ask us and we will explain ours.
UK-wide
England, Scotland and Wales, across all 14 electricity network regions.
MHHS-ready
Every meter in Britain moves to half-hourly settlement by May 2027. We make sure yours is set up right.
Are you on a half-hourly supply?
Your bill shows a box with an S and two rows of numbers – the MPAN. The top row tells you how your meter is settled; the bottom row starts with your network region.
Type the first two digits of each row and we will tell you what they mean – including when the expensive red band falls where your site is.
What we do for half-hourly sites
All services- Half-Hourly Electricity Contracts Compare half-hourly electricity contracts from a range of UK suppliers, with fixed, pass-through and flexible options explained clearly so you can choose with confidence.
- Contract Renewals & Switching Renew or switch your half-hourly electricity contract on time, avoid costly out-of-contract rates, and keep your notices, meter agents and data in order.
- Half-Hourly Bill Checking Line-by-line checks of your half-hourly electricity bills, from DUoS bands and capacity charges to CCL and VAT, with clear help raising disputes when something is wrong.
- Half-Hourly Meter Upgrades Find out whether your site needs a half-hourly, AMR or CT meter, then let us arrange the upgrade and chase communication faults until data flows again.
- Metering & Data Service Contracts Keep your half-hourly bills based on real data by appointing the right metering and data agents, including the MOP-to-MSA and HHDC-to-ADS changes under MHHS.
- MHHS Readiness Review Get your sites ready for Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement with a practical check of MPAN data, meter communications, agent appointments and contract terms.
- Supply Capacity (kVA) Reviews Check whether your Agreed Supply Capacity fits how your site really uses power, so you are not paying for unused kVA or facing excess capacity charges.
- Load Profile & DUoS Analysis Turn your half-hourly data into plain-English reports that show your base load, out-of-hours waste and red-band peaks, and where shifting loads could reduce costs.
- Multi-Site Energy Management Bring every half-hourly MPAN in your portfolio under control, with aligned end dates, group contracts, consolidated billing and clear reporting across all your sites.
- Renewable Electricity Contracts Compare REGO-backed renewable electricity contracts for half-hourly sites, with honest advice on what green tariffs mean, on-site solar and export, and PPAs for larger users.
What is really on a half-hourly bill
Energy is often only part of the cost. Pick a charge to see what it is and what we look for when we check your bill.
Half-hourly electricity billCharge type
Energy (unit) charges
The price of the electricity itself, per kWh. On a half-hourly contract it can be one rate, day and night rates, or rates that change with the time of day.
What we check
That the rates match your contract, and that every kWh billed matches your half-hourly data rather than an estimate.
DUoS unit charges – red, amber, green
Distribution Use of System charges for using the local network. They are charged per kWh in red, amber and green time bands set by your network operator. Red is the expensive late-afternoon window on weekdays.
What we check
Which band each half-hour fell in, how much of your use lands in red, and whether you are on the right tariff for your connection voltage.
DUoS fixed charge
A standing charge per meter per day from your network operator.
What we check
That the tariff code (line loss factor class) on your bill matches your connection.
Capacity charge
A daily charge for every kVA of Agreed Supply Capacity (ASC) reserved for your site – whether you use it or not.
What we check
Your real maximum demand from 12 months of half-hourly data against the ASC you pay for.
Excess capacity charge
A higher charge when your demand goes over your Agreed Supply Capacity.
What we check
Whether the peaks were real, avoidable or a sign your ASC is set too low.
Reactive power charge
Charged per kVArh when your power factor drops below about 0.95 – common with motors, compressors and older lighting.
What we check
Your power factor from the data, and whether correction equipment would pay for itself.
TNUoS
Transmission Network Use of System. Since April 2023 most of it is a fixed daily charge based on your site’s band.
What we check
That your site has been put in the right band, and how your contract passes the charge through.
BSUoS and policy costs
Balancing costs plus government schemes such as Contracts for Difference, the Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariffs and the Capacity Market.
What we check
Whether they are fixed or passed through at cost under your contract, and that nothing is billed twice.
Metering and data charges
The Metering Service and Data Service that read and process your half-hourly meter (previously the Meter Operator and Data Collector).
What we check
Who appointed them, what you are paying and whether the contracts are still in place.
Climate Change Levy
A tax on business energy. The electricity main rate from 1 April 2026 is 0.801p per kWh. Sites with a Climate Change Agreement pay 8% of the main rate.
What we check
That any relief or exemption you qualify for is applied.
VAT
Most businesses pay 20%. A reduced 5% rate applies only to qualifying uses, such as some charities, with a declaration in place.
What we check
That the right rate is charged, and that any VAT declaration is on file with your supplier.
How it works
Send us a bill
Upload a recent bill or tell us your postcode and contract end date. A letter of authority lets us request your half-hourly data.
We check and compare
We check every charge against your data, look at your capacity and time bands, and ask UK suppliers to quote on a like-for-like basis.
You decide
You get a plain-English summary of the options, including our fee. If you go ahead, we handle the paperwork, the switch and your meter and data contracts.
MHHS: every meter in Britain is going half-hourly
Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement is Ofgem’s programme, run by Elexon, to settle all 33 million or so electricity meters on half-hourly data. For businesses it changes how your meter is read, who collects the data and how future contracts are priced.
- 22 October 2025Suppliers start moving meters to half-hourly settlement.
- June 2026More than 11.3 million migrations complete – about a third of meters.
- 28 October 2026Milestone 14: every market participant should be qualified.
- May 2027Deadline for all meters to complete the move.
Who we help
Small businesses
Single sites such as shops, workshops, care homes and schools – often half-hourly because of P272 or MHHS.
Small business supportMedium businesses
Factories, warehouses, hotels and leisure sites where capacity, time bands and contract type make a real difference.
Medium business supportLarge organisations
Multi-site and high-voltage portfolios that need flexible buying, clean data and one view of every meter.
Large organisation supportWe work with manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, cold storage, retail, hospitality, offices, care and healthcare, schools, farms and food processing.
What our customers say
All reviews★★★★★As a busy manufacturing business in Manchester, managing our electricity costs is essential. Half Hourly Electricity made the whole process simple and stress-free, helping us find a competitive energy deal suited to our high electricity usage. Their team was professional, knowledgeable and helpful throughout. We’re extremely pleased with the service and would highly recommend them to other manufacturing businesses looking to manage their energy costs.
★★★★★As a data centre business based in Glasgow, having a reliable and cost-effective electricity supply is crucial to our operations. Half Hourly Electricity helped us secure a competitive energy deal tailored to our high electricity consumption and 24/7 operational needs. Their team was professional, knowledgeable and made the entire process straightforward and hassle-free. We’re extremely satisfied with the service and would highly recommend Half Hourly Electricity to other data centre businesses looking to reduce their energy costs.
★★★★★Running a busy nail salon in Hackney, London, means keeping our electricity costs under control while providing a comfortable environment for our clients. Half Hourly Electricity made finding a competitive energy deal simple and stress-free. Their team was friendly, professional and helped us find a suitable electricity plan for our salon’s needs. The whole process was smooth and hassle-free, and we’re very pleased with the service. We would highly recommend Half Hourly Electricity to other beauty salons and small businesses looking to save on their energy bills.
Questions businesses ask us
What is half-hourly electricity?
A half-hourly supply is metered, settled and billed in 30-minute periods. The meter records 48 readings a day and sends them remotely, so your bill reflects when you actually used power rather than an estimate or a standard profile.
Who has to have a half-hourly meter?
Sites whose maximum demand is over 100 kW in any half hour must be half-hourly metered and settled (profile class 00). Since P272 in 2017, larger sites with maximum demand meters (profile classes 05–08) are settled half-hourly too, and under MHHS every meter moves to half-hourly settlement by May 2027.
How do I know if my supply is half-hourly?
Find the S box (MPAN) on your bill. If the first two digits of the top line are 00, it is half-hourly. A kVA capacity, a capacity charge or red, amber and green unit rates on the bill are other signs.
What is MHHS?
Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement is Ofgem’s programme, run by Elexon, to settle every electricity meter in Great Britain on half-hourly data instead of standard profiles. Suppliers started moving meters on 22 October 2025 and the deadline for all meters is May 2027.
What are DUoS red, amber and green bands?
They are the time bands for Distribution Use of System unit charges. Red is the most expensive, usually late afternoon on weekdays; amber is the shoulder; green covers nights and weekends. Each of the 14 network regions sets its own times.
Does half-hourly electricity cost more?
Not in itself. It prices your real pattern of use. Sites that use most of their power at cheaper times can benefit; sites with heavy red-band use or an oversized capacity may be paying more than they need to.
Find out what your half-hourly supply should cost
Send us a recent bill. We will check every charge, compare contracts from UK suppliers and tell you plainly whether you can pay less. Free, and no obligation.
