Metering: News

The pre-qualification submission window for Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement (MHHS) participation has been opened today (5 February) and final submissions must be provided by 26 April 2024.  

Non-System Integration Testing (SIT) Suppliers, Supplier Agents and Meter Equipment Managers, New Entrant LDSO Programme Participants are required to provide a Pre-Qualification Submission for MHHS Qualification.

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.

Elexon’s Metering Team recently hosted a webinar where Siemens Energy gave a presentation on a new type of technology that has the potential to be used within Settlement Metering Systems, Low Power Instrument Transformers (LPITs).

This is the second in our series of articles that provide statistics and information on Radio Teleswitch System (RTS) meters. Since April 2020 the costs for the RTS service have been recovered through the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) charging arrangements.

This is the first in a series of articles on Radio Teleswitch System (RTS) meters.

Long before smart meters, an option for variable rate meters was the Radio Teleswitch System, which relied on a radio signal for timing information. Since April 2020 the costs for the RTS service have been recovered through the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) charging arrangements. They were previously borne by the Energy Networks Association (ENA). The cost for the RTS service is a direct pass through to BSC Parties, and it has increased from £1.5m in 2022/23 to £4.9m in our 2023/24 business plan.

Elexon implemented Balancing and Settlement Code Modification P419 ‘Enhanced Reporting of Demand Data to the NETSO to facilitate BSUoS Reform’ in February 2023.

P419 introduced a process to allow Non-Final Demand Operators and Suppliers to declare Supplier Volume Allocation (SVA) Non-Final Demand Facilities through BSC processes so that they would be exempt from Balancing Services Use of System (BSUoS) Charges. 

• Find out more about P419

This is of interest to all Suppliers with Non Half Hourly portfolios

At its meeting on 27 April 2023, the Performance Assurance Board (PAB) approved the deployment of EFR for Settlement Risk 008; the risk that Supplier Volume Allocation (SVA) metered data is not processed or transferred correctly, or is not processed at all.

Due to a global shortage of materials and disruption of global supply chains, there is a shortage of semi-conductors among other crucial components, which impacts the ability for Meter manufacturers to produce and supply electricity Meters, including those required for Settlement under the BSC.

This shortage of Settlement Meters impacts on new connections and fault resolution in both the Supplier Volume Allocation (SVA) and Central Volume Allocation (CVA) markets, and consequently impacts the integrity and accuracy of Settlement.

We implemented Change Proposal (CP) 1527 ‘Increase the minimum data storage capacity for Settlement Outstations and mandate specific selectable integration periods for Metering Codes of Practice’ on 30 June 2022, as part of the June 2022 BSC Release.

CP1527 incremented the Issue (and version) numbers of the below CoPs, by one.

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.  

Due to a global shortage of materials and the impact of COVID-19 on global supply chains, there is a shortage of semi-conductors among other crucial components, which impacts the ability of Meter manufacturers to produce and supply electricity Meters, including those required for Settlement under the BSC.

This shortage of Settlement Meters impacts on new connections and fault resolution in both the Supplier Volume Allocation (SVA) and Central Volume Allocation (CVA) markets, and consequently impacts the integrity and accuracy of Settlement.

On 30 June 2022, Elexon will implement Modification P375 ‘Settlement of Secondary BM Units using metering behind the site Boundary Point‘.  This is a major change to the Wholesale Electricity Trading Arrangements, which supports Net Zero by creating more opportunities for smaller asset owners to provide balancing services.  

We are in the process of contacting Outstation manufacturers to confirm whether or not their Outstations currently comply with the new requirements. This is because the Issue numbers and versions of Codes of Practice 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 are changing and will be implemented on 30 June 2022 via the June 2022 BSC Release.

We have recently received a request to add five new Current Transformer (CT) Ratios to the CT and Voltage Transformer (VT) Valid Set.

The Code of Practice Compliance and Protocol Approvals spreadsheet on the Elexon website has been updated to reflect two changes that relate to Outstations.

The Trading Disputes Committee (TDC) has recently encountered a number of Trading Disputes where the root cause was determined to be issues with implementing or maintaining a Shared Supplier Volume Allocation (SVA) Metering System. We want to ensure that Parties understand their obligations and the processes they must follow to prevent future impacts to Settlement.

On 19 March 2021, the EMA1 (integral Outstation) Meter passed compliance and protocol testing against our Code of Practice. We have updated the Code of Practice (CoP) Compliance and Protocol Approvals spreadsheet on the Elexon website to reflect this.

Energy regulator Ofgem has approved BSC Modification P375 a ground-breaking change to the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) which will allow individual Asset Meters located ‘behind the boundary point’ to be used for Settlement purposes.

Elexon has identified an issue at a Grid Supply Point (GSP) within GSP Group_A (Eastern region), which is causing the Annual Demand Ratio (ADR) for the GSP Group to deviate beyond accepted tolerances within Settlement.

A Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) consultation for P379 ‘Multiple Suppliers through Meter Splitting’ has been issued by the BSC Panel. We are asking you to get involved by completing our consultation for P379.

We are looking for volunteers, primarily Unmetered Supplies Operators (UMSOs) or Meter Administrators (MAs), to take part in a workgroup to discuss two new proposed Data Transfer Network (DTN) flows between UMSOs and MAs for exchanging Unmetered Supplies inventory and control file data.

Consulting has begun on proposals to change the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) so that individual asset meters located ‘behind the boundary point’ can be used for Settlement purposes.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has published its decision to not require the smart meter Data Communications Company (DCC) to provide an enrolment service for the ‘first generation’ SMETS1 EDMI meter set.

See updates regarding estimation derogations during COVID-19.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is consulting on whether the smart meter Data Communications Company (DCC) should be required to provide an enrolment service for EDMI SMETS1 (Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specification) meters. EDMI is a meter manufacturer.

Elexon has agreed contractual arrangements with Energy Networks Association (ENA) to allow operational cost recovery for the radio teleswitch service (RTS) within the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) charging arrangements from 1 April 2020.

Performance Standards for Half Hourly (HH) Metering Systems in Measurement Classes (MC) F and G will increase from 90% of energy settling on actual data at the First Reconciliation Run (R1) to 99% on 1 January 2020.