Profile Class
The classification of UK non-half-hourly electricity supplies by typical demand pattern; used to estimate consumption between meter reads.
The profile class is the classification used in UK industry settlement to estimate the half-hourly shape of a non-half-hourly electricity supply. Because NHH meters do not record consumption in real time, settlement systems use a standard profile — derived from sample-monitored sites of the same type — to allocate the monthly meter read across half-hourly periods.
The eight profile classes are:
- 1 — Domestic unrestricted
- 2 — Domestic Economy 7
- 3 — Non-domestic unrestricted
- 4 — Non-domestic Economy 7
- 5 — Non-domestic, low load factor (under 20%)
- 6 — Non-domestic, medium load factor (20–30%)
- 7 — Non-domestic, high load factor (30–40%)
- 8 — Non-domestic, very high load factor (above 40%)
The profile class encoded in the top line of an MPAN is supposed to reflect the actual demand pattern of the site. Mismatches — a 24/7 site coded as PC3 rather than PC8, for example — produce systematic settlement errors and can affect supplier pricing. We check profile class as part of the standard audit, and where the actual load factor does not match the recorded profile class we flag a reclassification request.
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Meter Point Administration Number
MPANThe 13-digit number that uniquely identifies a UK electricity supply point on the central industry database.
Read definitionHalf-Hourly Metering
HHThe metering and settlement regime in which electricity consumption is measured and settled in 30-minute intervals; mandatory above 100 kW measured maximum demand.
Read definitionAnnual Quantity
AQThe estimated annual gas consumption (or electricity equivalent on NHH) used to price contracts, allocate profile classes and calibrate settlement.
Read definitionMarket-wide Half-Hourly Settlement
MHHSThe Ofgem programme to extend half-hourly settlement to all UK electricity customers, leveraging smart-meter data; phased delivery through the late 2020s.
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