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Key takeaways
- The first two digits of your MPAN tell you the meter type: 03 = single rate, 04 = two-rate, 00 = half-hourly.
- Trading hours dictate the right meter: 8-5 Mon-Fri suits single-rate, evening / weekend trade saves with two- or three-rate.
- Above 100 kW peak demand: half-hourly metering is legally compulsory ; between 70 and 100 kW it is optional but worth it.
- Smart meters in 2026: only SMETS2 is now installed, and switching supplier no longer breaks them.
Seven meter types. Hover or tap to compare.
The badge on the left of each card is what appears in the supply-number box on your bill.
Single-rate meters: the default for 8-to-5 businesses
A single-rate meter charges the same unit rate around the clock. It is the right choice for any business whose trading hours sit cleanly inside Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm: most offices, accountancy practices, dental surgeries, professional services and light retail.
If you check your latest business energy bill and the 21-digit supply number in the box marked "S" starts with 03, you are on a single-rate meter. Anything else means you are paying for a tiered structure you may not be using.
Two-rate meters: cheaper evenings and weekends
Two-rate meters charge two different unit rates depending on the time of day. The peak rate covers daytime weekday hours ; the off-peak rate kicks in overnight or at weekends, typically 25% to 40% cheaper. Common variants are Economy 7 (seven hours of cheap overnight power), Economy 10 (a longer ten-hour window), and the evening-and-weekend tariff popular with hospitality.
The exact off-peak window depends on which of the UK's 14 distribution networks supplies your premises, so the same Economy 7 contract can mean midnight-to-7am in London but 1am-to-8am in Manchester. Your supplier publishes the schedule on request.
Two-rate meters suit restaurants, shops and hairdressers that trade into the evening or open at weekends. A supply number starting with 04 indicates this profile.
Three-rate meters: for 24/7 and late-night sites
A three-rate meter splits the day into three windows, typically labelled day, evening and night, with a different unit rate for each. The night rate is usually the cheapest, the evening rate sits between day and night, and the day rate is the most expensive. This profile suits pubs, nightclubs, late-night convenience stores, hotels, gyms and any site that consumes meaningful electricity around the clock.
Half-hourly meters: mandatory above 100 kW
Half-hourly (HH) meters record consumption every 30 minutes and transmit it directly to your supplier. Any business that draws more than 100 kW of electricity at any half-hour during the year is legally required to have one. Sites between 70 and 100 kW can opt in voluntarily for more accurate billing.
HH-metered sites are also assigned a Maximum Import Capacity (MIC), the peak load you have agreed with your distribution network operator. Exceeding the MIC triggers an Excess Capacity Charge from your DNO, which flows through to your supplier and onto your next invoice. Most HH sites review their MIC every couple of years to make sure they are neither paying for spare capacity nor consistently overshooting.
A supply number starting with 00 indicates HH metering.
AMR (Automated Meter Reading)
AMR devices are the practical alternative for sites that need automatic readings but do not hit the half-hourly threshold. They typically transmit half-hourly data through a SIM card, identical in principle to a smart meter, but without an in-home display. Common in retail chains, education sites and mid-size offices that want centralised billing visibility across multiple premises.
Smart meters in 2026
Like AMR and half-hourly meters, smart meters send readings to your supplier automatically, removing the need for manual reads. The main differentiator is the in-home display that shows your consumption in pounds and pence as it happens, making them the most useful meter for behavioural energy management.
In 2026, only SMETS2 meters are being installed (the older SMETS1 model was discontinued for new installations and all previously installed units have been migrated to the DCC network). Switching supplier no longer breaks the smart functionality, which was the major complaint about SMETS1 between 2018 and 2021.
Smart meters are free to install from your existing supplier. They are not legally required, but they are now offered to every microbusiness and SME by default.
Multi-site arrangements
If you operate several premises, a multi-site contract consolidates the bills from every location with one supplier under a single account. Each site keeps its own meter and MPAN, but billing, contract end dates and tariffs are aligned. The administrative saving is significant, and most suppliers will offer a discount of 1 to 3 p/kWh for the volume commitment.
Three-phase meters: heavy industrial loads
A three-phase meter connects your premises to all three of the AC phases coming out of the local substation, instead of just one. The result is a higher available capacity and a smoother power supply, which matters for big motors, industrial ovens, EV chargers above 22 kW and any site running three-phase machinery. They do not transmit data to the supplier automatically, so reading is manual unless you fit an AMR overlay.
Three-phase metering is unrelated to three-rate metering, despite the similar names, see our three-phase meter guide for the full breakdown.
Side-by-side comparison
| Meter type | MPAN prefix | Auto-reads? | Display? | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-rate | 03 | No | No | Standard office hours |
| Two-rate | 04 | No | No | Evening / weekend trade |
| Three-rate | 05-08 | No | No | 24-hour sites |
| Half-hourly | 00 | Yes | No | Above 100 kW peak |
| Smart (SMETS2) | Any | Yes | Yes (IHD) | Most SMEs |
| AMR | Any | Yes | No | Multi-site, mid-load |
| Three-phase | Any | No | No | Heavy machinery, 22+ kW EV |
How to arrange a new meter installation
Once you have chosen the meter that fits your trading hours, the process is the same regardless of supplier.
- Find your supply numbers. The electricity MPAN is on your electricity bill and the gas MPRN is on your gas bill ;
- Request a quote. Smart-meter swaps are free. Other meter changes can cost between £80 and £400 depending on complexity ; these fees are negotiable for SME contracts above a certain volume ;
- Book the appointment. Your supplier coordinates with the metering equipment provider and schedules the visit. Allow 30 to 40 minutes of power-off for the installation itself.
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Frequently asked questions
Look at the 21-digit supply number printed on your latest electricity bill, in the box marked "S". The first two digits tell you the meter profile class: 03 = single-rate, 04 = two-rate (Economy 7-style), 05 to 08 = various commercial profiles, 00 = half-hourly. The serial number of the meter itself is also a clue: anything with "SMETS" in the model is a smart meter, while AMR meters typically carry a SIM-card sticker.
A two-rate or three-rate meter. If your trading hours straddle the cheaper overnight and weekend windows, a tiered tariff routinely cuts the unit rate by 25% to 40% during those hours. Pubs, late-night convenience stores, gyms and 24-hour fast-food sites benefit most. A standard single-rate meter is the wrong fit for any business that uses material energy outside 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
If your business draws more than 100 kW at any half-hour interval during the year, a half-hourly meter is legally required. The threshold is checked by your DNO from your maximum demand reading. Sites between 70 and 100 kW can opt in voluntarily for more accurate billing and access to half-hourly tariffs, which are usually cheaper than fixed-rate equivalents for high-load businesses.
No. Suppliers must offer a smart meter to every microbusiness and SME, but installation is not mandatory. SMETS2 is the only model installed in 2026 (SMETS1 is no longer being deployed). All previously installed SMETS1 meters have been migrated to the DCC network and operate identically to SMETS2 from a user perspective.
No. AMR and half-hourly meters already send readings automatically to your supplier, which is the core function of a smart meter. The difference is that smart meters add an in-home display showing real-time consumption in pounds and pence, which AMR and half-hourly meters typically do not. If you want that visibility, ask your supplier about a parallel display unit rather than replacing the meter.
A like-for-like smart meter swap takes about an hour with a 30 to 40 minute power interruption. A new meter at a new connection point takes 5 to 14 days from order, while an additional meter or a capacity upgrade can take up to 12 weeks because the DNO must approve and schedule the work. Plan ahead if you are fitting out new premises.