What are Meter Operator Agreements?

Any site with an electricity demand of over 70 kVA must have a half-hourly (HH) meter, and a Meter Operator (MOP) agreement is required by law for all HH electricity contracts. These agreed operators cover the supply and maintenance of the meter, as well as telecommunications for sending your consumption data to your energy supplier.

A MOP contract is completely separate from to the energy supply contract. They can range between 1-5 years in length, with the cost per year reducing for longer-term contracts. This does vary based upon the meter operator and the type of meter. Additionally, there will likely be a separate charge for the associated communications link. As this agreement is always stand-alone, you will always be invoiced directly from the meter operator. However, some suppliers now offer MOPs with supply contracts.

Half hourly meters are read remotely via a telecommunications link and don’t require any user interaction for these readings. By providing regular, up-to-date readings, you are billed accurately by your energy supplier. This removes the reliance on estimated readings to calculate your monthly bill.

Which MOP agreement?
We recommend choosing your own MOP, rather than the one appointed by your supplier because they will have preferred companies to work with and will choose based on the best option for them, not for you. By shopping around a little, you will find a MOP that will likely provide better service and for a fraction of the price.

In order for a meter to be installed, a MOP agreement must already be in place. Following the installation of the meter, a further contract can be agreed upon for the maintenance and continuation of service.

Who is my meter-operator?
Often, you should be able to tell from any billing sent to your address. If this is not available, you should complete a visual inspection of your installed meter, as there may be some branding or logo visible. Alternatively, you should contact your current energy supplier or energy broker.

What are MOP charges?
A MOP charge is a payment due to your Meter Operator as per your agreed contract with them. These charges are often split into different sections, but most often pertain to the supply of meter (often these are leased), maintenance, and the telecommunication data needed to transmit your consumption data.

What does MOP and DC/DA mean?
MOP stands for Meter Operator – and is something that you will need to have in place if you have a half-houly (HH) meter.

DC/DA stands for Data Collection and Data Aggregation. Often you will see companies offering DC/DA as a separate service to MOP. Data Collectors (DC) are responsible for collecting and validating data from your meter. This is then forwarded to Data Aggregators (DA), who validates it further and is then used for billing.

Can I choose my meter operator?
Yes, you can. Your energy supplier will appoint a MOP if you do not indicate a preference. It is important to understand that this will be to their preference and will likely not be the best MOP available for you.