MOP Contracts for Business
If your electricity supply is half hourly (HH) metered, your site must have a Meter Operator (MOP) appointed. If you do not arrange your own MOP contract, your supplier appoints one for you and adds its default MOP charges to your bill, which are commonly far higher than a negotiated agreement.
E for Energy arranges MOP contracts for half hourly sites across the UK, from single sites to large multi-site portfolios in sectors such as manufacturing, hotels, hospitals and data centres.
What Is a MOP Contract?
A meter operator installs, maintains and repairs the electricity meter at your site, and makes sure it records accurately. A MOP contract is the agreement between your business and that meter operator. It sits alongside your supply contract, and your supplier uses it to know who looks after your meter.
Half hourly metering applies to sites with a maximum demand of 100kW or more, and many other larger sites have moved to half hourly settlement too. These sites typically use current transformer (CT) meters, which need specialist installation and periodic checks. For a deeper explanation, read our guide: what is a MOP contract.
Why Have Your Own MOP Agreement?
Your own MOP agreement gives your business the ability to:
- Avoid supplier default MOP charges, which are usually higher than a negotiated rate.
- Get billing based on actual half hourly readings rather than estimates.
- Access detailed half hourly data, which you can use to manage and reduce consumption.
- Stay compliant with metering rules for half hourly sites.
How Much Does a MOP Contract Cost?
Without your own MOP contract in place, your supplier could be charging you between £50 and £150 every month, up to £1,800 a year. With a MOP contract negotiated by E for Energy, meter operator services start from around £25 a month (£300 a year). That is a potential saving of up to £1,500 a year per meter. You can see what the charges cover in MOP charges explained.
MOP, DC and DA: Who Does What?
Meter Operator (MOP)
Installs, maintains and repairs your half hourly meter and any CT equipment, and keeps the meter technical details up to date.
Data Collector (DC)
Retrieves the half hourly readings from your meter, validates them and estimates any missing data.
Data Aggregator (DA)
Combines your validated readings with others so your supplier can be settled correctly for the energy you use.
Your supplier
Bills you for the energy. If you have no MOP, DC or DA agreements of your own, it appoints its default providers and recovers their charges from you.
Under Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement, these roles are being reorganised into Metering Services and Data Services as sites migrate. The principle stays the same: an agreement you have negotiated is usually cheaper than a default appointment.
How We Arrange Your MOP Contract
- Review: we check your bills and meter details to see whether you are paying supplier default MOP charges.
- Compare: we obtain prices from accredited meter operators for your meter type and site.
- Appoint: we handle the paperwork and coordinate the appointment with your supplier, DC and DA.
- Manage: we keep track of renewal dates so you never fall back onto default charges.
We also arrange new connections and metering and temporary meters for construction and development projects. If you are not sure whether your site is half hourly, see half hourly meters explained.
Talk to our experts today
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MOP Guides
- What is a MOP contract?
- MOP charges explained: meter operator costs and duties
- Why MOP contracts matter for half hourly meters
- Do temporary meters need a MOP contract?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Meter Operator (MOP) agreement and does my business need one?
A Meter Operator (MOP) agreement is a mandatory contract for any business with a half-hourly (HH) electricity meter, required when a site's maximum demand exceeds 100kW. Without a MOP agreement, your electricity supplier will automatically apply default MOP charges, which typically range from £50 to £150 per month. E for Energy arranges MOP contracts that can reduce these charges by more than half.
How much can a business save with a MOP contract arranged through E for Energy?
Without a MOP contract, suppliers typically charge between £50 and £150 per month, up to £1,800 per year. With a MOP contract arranged through E for Energy, costs start from just £25 per month (£300 per year). This represents a potential saving of up to £1,500 every year for businesses with half-hourly metered electricity supplies.
What are the benefits of having your own MOP agreement?
Having your own MOP agreement gives your business the ability to avoid unreasonable supplier default charges, obtain billing based on actual consumption rather than estimates, access detailed half-hourly data for energy management and consumption reduction, and ensure compliance with energy market regulations. E for Energy negotiates MOP agreements on your behalf to deliver maximum value.
Which businesses require a Meter Operator contract?
Any UK business with a half-hourly (HH) electricity meter is required by law to have a Meter Operator agreement in place. HH meters are typically installed at sites with a maximum demand over 100kW, including large manufacturing facilities, data centres, supermarkets, hospitals, hotels, and other high-consumption commercial premises. E for Energy advises businesses on their metering obligations and secures competitive MOP agreements.
How does E for Energy arrange a MOP contract for my business?
E for Energy manages the entire MOP contract process on your behalf. The team assesses your current metering setup, identifies whether you are on default supplier charges, and negotiates a compliant, cost-saving MOP agreement from its panel of accredited Meter Operators. Once in place, E for Energy monitors the arrangement to ensure ongoing compliance and value.
What happens to MOP contracts under Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement?
Under Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) the meter operator role is being replaced by Metering Services, and data collection and aggregation by Data Services. Sites still need an appointed metering service, so it remains worth having your own agreement rather than paying supplier defaults. We manage the change for you as your site migrates.
Can I change my meter operator mid contract?
Usually yes, subject to the notice terms in your current MOP agreement. We check your existing terms, line up the new meter operator and coordinate the appointment with your supplier so there is no gap in service.
GET IN TOUCH
Get your free quote
Four quick questions. No obligation, no cost to you.
Thank you, your request is with us.
One of our procurement specialists will be in touch shortly with the options worth looking at. If it is urgent, call 0115 902 9431.