Electricity industry Data Insights and Analysis: News
Webinar on the Insights Solution data service and switching off BMRS
Elexon has now completed development of the Insights Solution, our new wholesale market data service which replaces the legacy Balancing Mechanism Reporting Service (BMRS).
Balancing Mechanism Reporting Service will be switched off on 31 May 2024
Elexon can confirm that all Balancing Mechanism Reporting Service (BMRS) endpoints will be switched off on 31 May 2024 as they have been replaced by the Insights Solution.
Enhancing our customer enquiry processes using Elexon Support
In our recent customer feedback survey, a number of customers expressed the need for a more efficient and streamlined process to submit and track enquiries and concerns related to the BSC and its services.
We’ve taken this feedback on board and have been working on an enquiry management tool called Elexon Support. Elexon Support will provide you with a centralised platform to easily manage your interactions with us.
BSC Insight: How to get more detailed metered volume data from our Insights Solution
Through the electricity Settlement process Elexon obtains metered volume data which shows the generation and demand volumes of electricity for each Balancing Mechanism Unit (BMU) on the system and whether this is an estimated or actual value. This data is included in our SAA-I014 report which covers all Settlement activity for every half hour, each day and it is easily accessible on our wholesale market data service the Insights Solution.
BSC Insight: Accessing Maximum Export Limit and Maximum Import Limit data on our Insights Solution
If you currently use the www.bmreports.com service to access Balancing Mechanism (BM) data, you can now access the data through the new Insights Solution. You can use the ‘Balancing Mechanism data by Market View’ page to view BM Unit data at Market level. It can also be used to view Physical, Dynamic, Bid Offer and Balancing Services Volume data.
Current performance issues on BMRS
We are aware that Balancing Mechanism Reporting Service (BMRS) has not been operating to the expected service levels. We recognise that this can be both frustrating and disruptive for our customers. We have put in place a number of actions to address the issues that you have recently experienced.
- BMRS website
Workaround for loading Market Domain Data version 338
Please note that there was an error within the blue text in the original Circular sent on Thursday 10 August. This has since been amended in the version in the online archive.
Please refer to the below information to make manual adjustments.
New and improved REMIT portal live on the Insights Solution
Elexon has built a new and improved portal for publishing Regulation on Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency (REMIT) disclosures by the industry.
Changes to how some BSC Portal reports are accessed
The following datasets will no longer be published on the following Elexon BSC Portal pages from Thursday 4 May 2023. This is due to the internal migration of our Settlement Administration Agent (SAA) system. However, replacement pages have been created to enable you to access the datasets.
Decommissioning the TIBCO service could lead to significant savings
The Balancing and Settlement Code Panel has agreed to Elexon’s recommendation to raise a Modification to remove our obligation to provide Balancing Mechanism Reporting Service (BMRS) data through the High Grade communications line service.
Obsolete BMRS email alerts sent to BSC Portal subscribers
There was an issue with Elexon BSC Portal publishing email alerts. This has now been fixed but after fixing this, the BSC Portal sent email alerts for backfilled data.
These email alerts are not for current system events and can be ignored.
We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this issue.
Data Release Consultation: Data flows under P315 Data Licence (DR531721 & DR699000)
This consultation seeks to remove current restrictions and publish all data items within the P0276 and P0277 data flows under a BSC Open Data Licence.
Decommissioning the TIBCO Service in March 2024
We have written to users of the TIBCO software service and the High Grade communications line about our intention to decommission them in March 2024.
The TIBCO software and the High Grade line supply users with near real time updates on wholesale market data from our Balancing Mechanism Reporting Service (BMRS).
Treatment of De-energised Metering Systems in Charging Data Reported to National Grid
We implemented the P402 Alternative Modification ‘Enabling reform of residual network charging as directed by the Targeted Charging Review’ in the February 2022 Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) Release.
New Insights Solution ‘data push’ service goes live
The Elexon Insights Solution data platform Real-time Information Service (IRIS) is now available.
BSC Insights: Using Open Data to map the financial impacts of failed Suppliers
In this BSC Insight, Muhammad Raees Usman, Product Analyst in our Analysis & Insight Team, outlines how you can use newly Open Data from the BSC Modification P398 Open Data Request service to gain an insight into the energy market. He does this in view of the unprecedented market conditions experienced in the second half of 2021 and how these conditions led to a substantial number of Supplier default events. The article also provides an insight in to how Python can be used to ingest Open data files for analysis.
BSC Insights: Using the Insights Solution to predict Capacity Market Notices
In this BSC Insight, Angus Fairbairn outlines how you can use forecast data from the Kinnect Insights Solution to monitor generation, demand and margins preceding events on the GB Electricity System. He does this through the lens of the summer 2022 heatwave and the resulting Capacity Market Notices (CMNs).
BSC Insights: How we use the Annual Demand Ratio to maintain accuracy of Settlement data
In this insight article Mehdi Jafari and Jason Jackson explain what the Annual Demand Ratio (ADR) is, how it helps us maintain the accuracy of Settlement data, and what we are doing to resolve potential errors indicated by the ADR.
BSC Insights: The Insights solution puts data on the wholesale market at your fingertips
In this BSC Insight article by Reza Nia, Head of Analysis & Insight, explains why Elexon developed a new data service (the Insights Solution) and the benefits of it to BSC Parties and other stakeholders. All of the Insights Solution data is available to download for free.
Elexon approves first request for open data
From today anybody regardless of whether they work in the electricity sector or not can get access to the same level of data that is used for most of Elexon’s reporting on electricity Settlement.
Data Release Consultation: Data Relating to Default Funding Share (DR343096)
Seeking views from industry on data requests received, prior to the Balancing Mechanism Reporting Service Change Board (BCB) making a determination on whether to release requested data.
Elexon to partner with Icebreaker One to provide Net Zero data
Elexon will be joining forces with industry not-for-profit Icebreaker One as part of their government-supported Open Energy programme, which seeks to revolutionise the way data is shared across the energy sector to make sure the UK achieves its Net Zero goals.
Data Release Consultation: P114 Data Items
Seeking views from industry on data requests received, prior to the Balancing Mechanism Reporting Service Change Board (BCB) making a determination on whether to release requested data.
BSC Insight: ‘Event-driven’ architecture can help to release the value of energy data
This BSC Insight article, written by Peter Stanley, Director Digital Operations at Elexon, explains why Elexon would be best placed to operate ‘Event-driven’ IT architecture (EDA) to support Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement which is due to be implemented in GB in October 2025.
BSC Insights: Why did the average System Price increase in 2021?
In this BSC Insight our Senior Product Analyst, Emma Tribe, shows how the high wholesale gas prices have caused System Prices to increase to record levels in 2021.
P114 Dataflow on the Elexon Portal updated to version 11
The version of the SAA-I014 Settlement Report subflow 2 (S0142) published on the Elexon Portal has updated to version 11 since 8 December 2021. Previously version 9 of the S0142 was published on the Elexon Portal.
Changes to version used
The latest version of the S0142 includes new data items introduced in the November 2021 release. This includes more Balancing Services Adjustment Data, providing greater transparency on the actions taken by National Grid ESO to balance the electricity system.
For the full list of data items included in version 11 of the S0142 please refer to the P114 data items
Why has the version changed
When version 11 of the S0142 was introduced by the November 2021 Release on 4 November 2021, National Grid ESO elected to remain on version 9 of the S0142. National Grid ESO has now elected to start receiving version 11 of the S0142 from 8 December 2021.
The version of the S0142, which is one of the P114 files, published on the Elexon Portal depends upon the version of the S0142 that National Grid ESO (NGESO), elects to receive.
Consequently, the S0142 for the II Settlement Run published on the Elexon Portal on 8 December was the first in the new version 11 format.
About this data
P114 files are available for download via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to all Elexon Portal accounts that have a participant ID associated with their account, or have licensed P114 data from Elexon.
If you would like to start receiving this data please make a request through the BSC Service Desk
BSC Insight: What is Credit Cover and how does the Credit Assessment Price affect it?
The Credit Assessment Price has changed nine times in 2021 and we recently consulted on increasing the Credit Assessment Price again to a record high of £184/MWh. The Credit Assessment Price is used as a proxy for future Energy Imbalance Prices in the calculation of Credit Cover requirements. Emma Tribe, our Senior Product Analyst from the Analysis and Insights team, explains how the Credit Assessment Price is related to a Parties Credit Cover requirements.
BSC Insight: What is driving the latest increases in Credit Assessment Price?
In this BSC Insight article, Mehdi Jafari outlines the recent trends in forward market prices and how we measure the Credit Assessment Price (CAP) process effectiveness against the System Buy Price. The article also provides an update on our Insight Article in May 2021, where the sixth CAP change of 2021 was in process.
BSC Insight: How to find your own insights from Supplier Market Share data
In this BSC Insight, Emma Tribe our Senior Product Analyst and Nick Groves our Data Steward Lead, demonstrate some of the insights that are possible using data from the Quarterly Supplier Market Share report from Elexon.
BSC Insight: Update on Settlement Performance during the COVID-19 pandemic
In this Insight article, Mehdi Jafari provides an update on the Settlement Performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This BSC Insight follows on from a previous BSC Insight we published to show how COVID-19 pandemic had affected suppliers’ performance in 2020.
Open Data Requests for BSC Data now available
From 24 June 2021 individuals can request that BSC data is made openly available, regardless of whether or not they are a BSC Party.
BSC Insight: Why Non Half Hourly electricity use increased in the first four months of 2021
In this insight article Emma Tribe, our Analysis and Insight Senior Product Analyst, explains how the colder temperatures between January and April 2021 increased Non Half-Hourly electricity demand.
BSC Insight: Update on Demand Reduction during COVID-19 lockdown
In this BSC Insight, Hussein Osman uses the latest data from BMRS and our internal databases to compare the changes in demand following Government advice that people stay at home with the demand patterns from similar periods in previous years.
BSC insight: Forward Market Prices drive six CAP value reviews this year
We issued a consultation on changing the Credit Assessment Price (CAP) value on 17 May 2021. This is the sixth time in 2021 that the CAP value is going to change. This is the most CAP change events to occur in the first five months of the year since the CAP weekly monitoring process was introduced in 2007.
BSC insight: How Covid-19 impacts Load Profiles
There are two different types of data that the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) requires for electricity Settlement; Half Hourly and Non Half Hourly. Electricity Settlement happens in Half Hourly periods, so Elexon uses the profiling process to calculate Half Hourly data from Non Half Hourly meters. In this Insight article, Mehdi Jafari discusses the Group Average Demand data used in the profiling process and the way it has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.