Taking control of your energy data
Your energy data can be a critical tool to inform your business strategy and reduce costs, by helping you to understand how much energy your business uses, when, how and even why.
Keep reading to see how to access your data, how to make the most it, and why your meter type matters for your business.
How to access your energy data
If you have a Half-Hourly (HH), Smart or AMR meter, your data is automatically collected and sent to us and records your consumption as frequently as every half hour. You can view this on MyBusiness.
If you have a NHH legacy meter that isn’t Smart or AMR, you or your Data Collector must give your supplier manual meter readings to measure your consumption.
Why your meter type matters
The type of meter you have can affect the accuracy and availability of your energy data. Here are three key ways your meter type impacts your business:
1. Automatic vs manual meter readings
Smart and AMR meters can automatically record your consumption data up to every half-hour. But, if you have a traditional Non-Half Hourly ('dumb') meter, you need to provide manual meter readings to us regularly. We’d recommend giving meter readings every 3 months, at the very least. You can submit your reading on MyBusiness or via our online form.
2. Billing accuracy
With Half Hourly, Smart or AMR meters, your bills will be more accurate, because we can base them on real-time data - that means you only pay for what you've used.
For a Non-Half Hourly meter that isn’t AMR or Smart, you need to send us manual meter readings regularly, or risk estimated bills. Even the best estimates can be way off – so, if you don't send readings regularly, it could leave you with a costly catch-up bill when you next provide a meter reading, or when prices change. It’s much better to give regular readings and keep on top of it.
3. Data insights to track your energy-saving progress
The accurate, half-hourly data provided by HH, Smart and AMR meters gives you insight into how much energy your business uses in a set time period. This can be a valuable asset in your business strategy and help you achieve your objectives. For instance, you could use it to:
- Plan your budget in advance, based on cyclical patterns of usage and expected events.
- Back up increases in spending by referencing anomalies in consumption against busy periods or extreme weather conditions.
- Justify spend on energy efficiency initiatives by proving what they’ve saved.
These insights can support future investment decisions - whether that’s to insulate a site, install EV charging points, or upgrade heating and lighting, it’s important to know your baseline consumption from the start. Having that data helps build the case for investment and target areas with the biggest bang.
How to upgrade to a smart or AMR meter
To register for a smart meter, complete our smart meter form.
If your supply has current transformers (CTs) present, isn't suitable for a smart meter or you'd just prefer an AMR meter, simply complete our AMR meter form.
Once you've sent us the details we need, we’ll work with you to make your meter upgrades as quick and convenient as possible, so you can start benefiting from your new meter.
How to give a manual meter reading
The more data the better, as we've explained in this blog. If you have a NHH meter, you can submit your meter readings on MyBusiness or via our online form.
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