Half-hourly settlement, explained — what changed in April 2025 and why it matters
From April 2025, half-hourly settlement became the default for almost all UK electricity meters. That means your consumption is now reconciled with the wholesale market in 30-minute blocks — and you can finally see, in detail, where your bill is actually going.
What changed in April 2025
Ofgem's market-wide half-hourly settlement (MHHS) programme rolled out through 2024 and into 2025. From April 2025 onwards, almost all UK electricity meters are settled half-hourly, meaning the supplier reconciles your consumption with the wholesale market in 48 daily blocks rather than via monthly profile-based estimates.
Why this is a buying opportunity
HH settlement gives you data you didn't have before:
- Real consumption patterns. You see when your load actually happens — overnight, in shoulders, in peaks — instead of supplier-modelled profiles.
- Time-of-use tariffs. Suppliers can offer (and you can negotiate) tariffs that price energy differently across the day.
- Demand response. If you can shift loads to cheaper periods or reduce demand during peak windows, you have the measurement to prove it.
- Sub-metering ROI. Once your HH data is meaningful, sub-metering individual loads becomes easier to justify.
What you need in place
- A half-hourly capable meter — most commercial meters are now HH-capable by default.
- A Meter Operator (MOP) contract — handles the physical meter.
- A Data Collector (DC) contract — collects the HH data from the meter.
- A supply contract that reconciles on HH data, not on monthly profiles.
The bigger picture
HH settlement is the foundation of a more dynamic, more decentralised UK energy market. Time-of-use tariffs, DSR markets, battery arbitrage and proper carbon attribution all depend on it.
Bottom line
Businesses that adopt HH visibility early take advantage of the new tariffs and revenue streams. Businesses that don't will simply pay the same averaged price for energy they could have bought cheaper.
Half-hourly settlement, explained — what changed in April 2025 and why it matters — quick questions
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