Smart Meter
A digital electricity or gas meter that records consumption in half-hourly intervals and communicates it to the supplier remotely.
A smart meter is a digital electricity or gas meter that records consumption in half-hourly intervals and transmits readings to the supplier over a national communications network operated by the Data Communications Company (DCC). For UK domestic and small-business customers, smart meters are being installed under a national rollout that began in 2014 and is ongoing.
There are two generations:
- SMETS1 — the original generation. Initially worked only with the supplier that installed it; most have now been migrated to the DCC and operate as fully interoperable smart meters with all suppliers.
- SMETS2 — the standard for new installations. Fully interoperable with all suppliers from day one.
For domestic customers, a smart meter ends estimated billing, supports time-of-use tariffs (Octopus Agile, EV-overnight tariffs, heat-pump-friendly tariffs) and gives access to in-home displays. For microbusinesses, a smart meter — or its non-domestic equivalent, the AMR (Automated Meter Reading) meter — supports half-hourly settlement under the MHHS programme and enables more accurate procurement.
For half-hourly business customers, the equivalent technology — the HH meter with a dedicated MOP and DC/DA contract — has existed for decades and is unaffected by the smart meter rollout.
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Half-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 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.
Read definitionMeter Operator
MOPThe licensed entity that owns, installs and maintains a half-hourly electricity meter; contracted separately from the energy supplier.
Read definitionData Collector / Data Aggregator
DC / DAThe licensed entities responsible for collecting half-hourly meter readings (DC) and processing them for industry settlement (DA).
Read definition
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