electricity bills Archives

Refurbishing your premises or expanding to new sites can add complex and time-consuming energy admin to your workload. EIC takes the stress out of this process, coordinating your organisation’s new utility connections in a seamless and hassle-free way. Here is a step-by-step guide of what to expect and prepare for on your new connections journey.

Step 1: Register

The first step is to register your requirements with the relevant parties. This is a good time to reach out to an energy specialist at EIC. We will guide you through the process, answer your questions and translate the technical jargon.

Step 2: Gather information

Moving forward, we will need some details including an idea of your estimated energy usage and your Meter point numbers. For electricity, you will need the Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) which you can get from your local electricity distributor. For gas, you will need the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN). For this, simply call the MPRN enquiry line. Alternatively, you can get this information from any bills you have received if it’s an existing supply.

If this is a completely new supply, you may not have received these yet, so don’t worry if you don’t have them.

At this point in the process, EIC will send a quote for the new connections service needed. If you are happy with it, we will follow up with a contract and dive in. Our goal is to power up your site or business as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Step 3: Infrastructure plans

Next, infrastructure plans will need drafting. This will mean applications, potential site work considerations, supply contracts and arranging for meter installation.

EIC provides peace of mind throughout this process by liaising with all respective parties and gathering all the necessary technical information. This includes location maps, building layouts, meter positions, and utility loading needs. If there are site works to consider, EIC can help provide temporary builder’s supply. We can also coordinate alteration or rerouting of supply with minimal disruption, and meter removals and disconnections.

Step 4: Gas and power supply contracts

If you haven’t already, it is time to secure gas and electricity supply contracts. Having established relationships with a range of reputable suppliers, EIC can shop around for options that best fit your organisation’s needs. Whether you need a single connection or multi-site rollout, we can manage and deliver your power and gas requirements with ease. All the while, providing necessary updates and ensuring open communication and transparency.

Step 5: Meter Installation

After contacting the meter operator (MOP) to arrange the appropriate contracts, it is time to install meters and power up your business. EIC can simplify every aspect of this process and coordinate the design, planning and installation, upgrade or removal of your meters.

Your metering solutions will help decide the efficiency of your space and requires a thoughtful and comprehensive approach. EIC’s services extend beyond meter installations for new connections. We also provide everything from smart submetering to next-generation energy management systems. These solutions can help reduce energy costs and cut carbon emissions. Helping to build a sustainable foundation for your business from day one.

Once the meters are installed, we will make sure that they are registered and live on the national database.

Step 6: Bill validation

Once everything is up and running, it is time to run final checks and make sure you are not being overcharged. EIC helps to ensure the billing is accurate by confirming the first invoice received from the supplier reflects the agreed contract rates.

If we removed, upgraded or altered meters, we ensure the final invoice received from the supplier reflects the closing or opening meter readings respectively.

Step 7: Rest easy

By entrusting this process to EIC, project managers can now rest easy knowing that they have been provided with the most reliable, efficient and cost effective energy solutions.

Moving forward, a sustainable energy infrastructure will be essential for any growing business, especially as the UK transitions to a net zero economy. EIC can help you implement and use intelligent building strategies to cut your carbon footprint and boost your savings. This includes IoT building management systems, green lighting solutions, and carbon compliance services.

To begin, or boost, your sustainable energy journey with EIC, contact us today.

In April 2018, major changes were made to how National Grid charged for transmission losses from the electricity system. As these changes are now being reflected in electricity bills, consumers need to make sure these costs are being passed on correctly.

The net impact of the changes in transmission losses is that consumers in the north of the country are going to see notable benefits, while the south will see an increase.

What are transmission losses?

Transmission losses refer to the electricity lost in the main high-voltage transmission network, as it travels from generators to where it is needed. The losses are a normal and an unavoidable result of the physics of transmitting energy over any distance. However, these losses still need to be accounted for and, as a result, generators are required to provide more energy than is actually used to ensure the system is balanced.

In electricity bills, transmission losses reflect the cost to consumers for providing this extra energy. Though they are not a huge part of an energy bill, amounting to less than 1%, the modifications regarding how these losses are calculated could result in a large change in this small element of overall costs.

How have these charges changed?

Following the Energy Market Investigation conducted by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in June 2016, it was decided that regional variations in transmission losses charges would be introduced. The CMA concluded that losses didn’t reflect the actual costs for operating the system, due to the fact that all consumers paid the same level of losses, regardless of their location, or proximity to generators.

In theory, those regions closer to where the electricity is generated will see lower levels of energy network losses compared to those who are located more remotely from generators. Therefore, the CMA’s solution was Zonal Transmission Losses. Each region would face different levels of losses, reflecting the actual costs of delivery to their location.

Previously, all consumers faced a cost based on the same calculation; all metered consumption was uplifted by the same amount – around 1% or multiplied by 1.01. The cost of the losses reflected the difference between the metered cost of energy and the cost for suppling the uplifted volume of electricity.

As of April 2018, each of the 14 transmission supply zones – which correlate to the 14 main electricity distribution networks –have a different multiplier for the extra energy to be supplied – the Transmission Loss Multiplier (TLM). These are also seasonal, as the level of energy lost on the network is impacted by weather and temperature conditions.

What is the impact of these changes?

For the largest businesses, which have bills that pass-on transmission costs directly, losses can change on a half-hourly (HH) basis, reflecting the changing level of energy requirements on the system throughout the day. Average monthly TLMs since April 2018 show how the multiplier has changed significantly in the last few months. This can be seen in the graphs below.

As shown, the zonal TLMs vary significantly around the average TLM for all regions, estimated to be remaining at the 1.01 level.

Of particular note is that both Scottish zones have a TLM below one. As the multiplier is less than one, this in practice means that those exposed directly to these half-hourly TLMs in Scotland could see negative transmission losses costs. This is to reflect that the majority of the UK’s generation is in the north, with consumers closer to sources of generation, while the bulk of demand is in the south, much further away from the majority of generation.

This wide variation in TLMs means there is also the potential for large swings in transmission costs based on location. The actual annual costs for transmission losses will also vary based on consumption over the year, particularly given that the changes will be seasonal too.

Based on the data on TLMs seen so far, it is estimated that transmission costs will be around 110% more than they might have been in the Midlands supply zone, while northern Scotland will see these costs drop by nearly 200%. Though this sounds significant, we must highlight that the scale of costs relative to the other parts of the energy bill are small, so in many cases consumers may not notice a huge difference in their overall annual bill as a result.

We can help ensure your bills are correct

Whatever the impact on your final bill, you should be aware of the variations that came into force in April. With such a wide variation in Transmission Loss Multipliers, it’s important that bills are checked for accuracy, particularly if a contract allows for full pass-through of the costs. Even a small error could – over time – lead to notable costs to businesses.

Here at EIC, we have an in-depth understanding of all the charges that can appear on your energy bills, and how you can control them to lower their impact.

To find out more about our energy bill checking service visit our website.

Tag: electricity bills