Meter Operator Agreements

What are Meter Operator Agreements?

A Meter Operator (MOP) is required for all half hourly electricity contracts.  Any site with a maximum demand of over 100kW should have a MOP agreement in place. These agreed operators cover the supply of the meter, maintenance of the meter, as well as telecommunications for sending your consumption data to your energy supplier.

It is a little confusing – but your MOP contract is completely separate from your energy contract. Often – MOP contracts are five-year agreements ranging from £250 – £600 per year. This does vary based upon the meter operator and the type of meter. Additionally, there will likely be a separate charge for the associated communications link. As this agreement is always stand-alone, you will always be invoiced directly from your meter operator.

Initially, you must arrange a contract with your MOP for any work to go ahead. Once this is in place, they will begin the process of installing a half-hourly meter. These meters are read remotely via telecommunications link – and don’t require any user interaction for these readings. By providing more regular, up-to-date readings ensures you are billed accurately from your energy provider. This removes the reliance on estimated readings to calculate your monthly bill.

Who needs a MOP agreement?

As already mentioned, MOP contracts are required by law for anybody with half-hourly meters – and seeing as sites with the electricity demand of over 65kW must have a half-hourly meter, these sites are first to be included.

Non half-hourly meters are more commonly used for smaller sites with lower demand and can be installed by a local meter operator. Your supplier will often choose the installer for this meter, but you are able to nominate another alternative if you so wish.

We recommend that you indicate a preference for choosing your own MOP, rather than the one appointed by your supplier. As is often the case, suppliers will have preferred companies to work with – and will choose based on the best option for them, not for you. By shopping around a little, you will find a MOP that will likely provide better service (for a fraction of the price).

In order for a meter to be installed, a MOP agreement must already be in place. Following the installation of the meter, a further contract can be agreed upon for the maintenance and continuation of service.

Why Energy Solutions

We offer a fully managed service to our clients looking for either upgraded or new supplies. We work alongside suppliers, as-well as take advice onboard from your consultants and builders to provide a flexible tailor-made service. We do this completely for free while we arrange the ongoing supply contract to your site. Not to worry, if this is not applicable then we can arrange a fee payable on the site going live.

At Energy Solutions, we offer MOP management within our range of services. Most of our current customers have one or more half-hourly metered sites within their portfolios with us, so there is little we haven’t seen or experienced. We recognise that every customer is different and has different commercial needs, which is why every half-hourly site is priced on an individual basis – with complete clarity on where charges originate.

Give us a call to find out how we manage to be quite so different from the rest!

Common Questions

Who is my meter-operator?

Often, you should be able to tell from any billing sent to your address. If this is not available then you should complete a visual inspection of your installed meter, there may be some branding or logo visible.

If neither of these two options yields results, you should contact your current energy supplier for that building.

What are MOP charges?

A MOP charge is a payment due to your Meter Operator as per your agreed contract with them. These charges are often split into different sections, but most often pertain to the supply of meter (often these are leased), maintenance, and the telecommunication data needed to transmit your consumption data.

What does MOP and DC/DA mean?

MOP stands for Meter Operator – and is something that you will need to have in place if you consume over 65kW of energy. Anybody with a half hourly meter will need to have a MOP in place.

DC/DA stands for Data Collection and Data Aggregation. Often you will see companies offering DC/DA as a separate service to MOP. Data Collectors (DC) are responsible for collecting data from your meter and validating data obtained. This is then forwarded on to Data Aggregators. Data Aggregators receives the data and then validates it to be further used for billing.

Can I choose my meter operator?

Yes, you can. Your energy supplier will appoint a MOP if you do not indicate a preference. It is important to understand that this will be to their preference and will likely not be the best MOP available for you.