Business meter installation and replacement: who owns the meter and who pays

Who owns and looks after your business meter depends on the meter type. In most cases your supplier arranges the meter, a certified meter operator installs and maintains it, and the cost sits in your bill. This guide explains the roles, what you can ask for, what you may pay for, and what to do when a meter needs replacing.

Who is who in metering

Role	What they do
Supplier	Sells you energy, bills you, and appoints the metering parties unless you appoint them yourself
Meter operator (MOP; for electricity)	A certified company that installs, maintains and removes the metering equipment
Meter asset provider (MAP)	Industry term for the company that owns the meter equipment; how any cost reaches you depends on your supplier and contract
Data collector / aggregator	Gathers and passes on the readings used for billing and settlement
Network operator (DNO or gas transporter)	Owns the wires or pipes up to your supply point, and handles faults and new connections

Glossary entries: MOP, MAM, data collector and DNO.

The meter operators' trade site describes a meter operator as a certified company appointed by the supplier. Your supplier should be able to tell you who yours is. Suppliers label these roles and charges differently, and some bundle them into the standing charge, so ask yours how metering is charged on your account.

Who owns your meter?

• Usually someone else. On most small sites the meter belongs to the supplier's appointed parties rather than to you, and any cost is recovered through your charges.
• You can own your own. The meter operators' site says customers can own their electricity meter, and suppliers may refuse only on reasonable grounds. This is common for larger sites with half-hourly meters.
• The meter box is different. The same source treats the box as the customer's property, so repairs are your responsibility.

If you rent premises, ask your landlord who owns the metering equipment and whether your lease lets you alter it.

How meters are installed or replaced

Under the government's description of supplier obligations, suppliers must take all reasonable steps to install a smart meter whenever they fit a meter for the first time or replace one. So a replacement is likely to be a smart or advanced meter. For smaller sites in profile classes 1 to 4 this means a smart meter; for larger ones it means an advanced meter. See business smart meters.

When a visit needs you present, the meter operators' site says operators must offer a morning, afternoon or timed two-hour appointment. Keep the booking confirmation in case the visit is missed or cancelled.

Before any visit, ask in writing whether there will be a charge and how much.

What does it cost?

There is no standard published price list; costs vary by supplier, meter and site. The things to look for are:

• Standard smart meter install: Smart Energy GB says small businesses in England, Scotland and Wales can get one at no extra charge.
• Half-hourly metering: a broker guide says an operator is mandatory, usually on a five-year agreement. Fees may be bundled into a higher standing charge or billed separately.
• Moving or upgrading a meter, new connections and capacity changes are quoted by the network operator or the operator, and may need payment up front. See new business energy connection.

Ask for a quote that splits energy, metering, data and network charges. Otherwise it is hard to compare bundled and standalone prices.

Worked example: bundled or standalone?

Illustrative figures only. A site is offered a standing charge of 120p a day with metering bundled, or 90p a day with a separate operator agreement at £260 a year.

1. Bundled: 1.20 × 365 = £438 a year.
2. Standalone: 0.90 × 365 = £328.50, plus £260 = £588.50 a year.

Here bundled is cheaper by £150.50. Change the operator fee to £100 and standalone becomes £428.50, cheaper by £9.50. The answer turns on the actual fee and contract term, so ask for both prices.

Changing operator when you switch supplier

A broker guide says that a bundled operator changes when you switch supplier (the new supplier appoints one), while a standalone agreement continues, with the option to end it at term, typically on three months' notice. Check your terms before you switch.

When a meter looks wrong

• Take dated photos of the display and the serial number.
• Tell your supplier in writing and ask for a test if you think it is inaccurate.
• Read what if my business meter is faulty and disputing a high bill.
• If the supplier will not resolve it, the Energy Ombudsman can look at the complaint: see energy disputes and ombudsman.

Gas meters

Gas works a little differently from electricity. Customer-owned gas meters are mostly found at larger industrial sites; on a typical small site the supplier's appointed meter operator looks after the meter. If you smell gas, do not touch the meter: Ofgem lists 0800 111 999 as the gas emergency number. For everyday gas questions, your supplier is the first contact and your gas transporter handles the pipes. Check your gas number with the MPRN guide, and convert readings with the gas units to kWh converter if your meter shows cubic metres.

Shared and sub-meters

Many small units sit behind one landlord supply, with sub-meters that measure each tenant's share. A sub-meter is not a supplier's meter, and your rights as a customer of the supplier may not reach you if you only pay the landlord. Ask whether you are billed at cost, and see can landlords resell energy to tenants. If you want your own supply and meter, discuss it with your landlord and the network operator early, since that can mean a new connection.

Next steps

1. Find out who your supplier has appointed as operator and asset provider.
2. Ask what you pay for metering and where it appears on the bill.
3. Check your meter type and age; ask whether an upgrade is planned.
4. Record your meter serial numbers and keep dated photos of each reading you send.