Data Aggregator (DA)

What it is

A Data Aggregator (DA) is appointed by an electricity supplier. It receives validated data from the Data Collector, checks it again, and combines (aggregates) readings into megawatt-hour totals. Those totals go on to the central settlement system, which balances what suppliers bought against what their customers used.

It is a back-office role and does not deal with business customers.

Where you will see it

Normally nowhere. The DA does not appear on bills. You might come across the name in a supplier's technical explanation of how your meter data is processed, or in industry material about settlement.

Why it matters

Most businesses never need to contact a DA. It matters because errors upstream, such as a wrong profile class or a wrong estimate, flow through the chain and can change how your consumption is allocated and billed. If a reading looks wrong, the starting point is always your supplier, which can chase the relevant agent.

Example

Thousands of small shops are on standard meters. The DA groups their data by supplier and profile class, then passes the totals on, so the market can settle the cost of electricity used in each half hour.

Changes ahead

Market-wide half-hourly settlement (MHHS) is moving the industry to settling on half-hourly data, with migrations started in October 2025 and full implementation expected in May 2027. Under the new arrangements the old data roles are being redesigned, so the Data Aggregator as described here belongs to the settlement system that MHHS is replacing. You can read more in our guide to MHHS for businesses.

Related terms

See Meter Operator and half-hourly meter.