Market-Wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS)

What does it mean for your business?

Market-Wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS)

The energy market in the UK is changing, and one of the biggest updates coming is the Market-Wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS). This is an Ofgem-led programme designed to make the way we pay for electricity more accurate, fair, and reflective of when we actually use energy.

What is MHHS?

Currently, many business customers (especially those with non-half-hourly meters) are billed using estimated consumption patterns. This means your bills are based on average profiles rather than your exact usage times.

MHHS changes that.
Under the new system, all electricity meters will record and settle usage in half-hourly periods. This means your bills will reflect exactly how much electricity you use and when you use it.

When is MHHS happening?

Ofgem has confirmed that MHHS will be implemented in stages, with full go-live currently planned for October 2026. In the run-up to this, suppliers and metering companies will be upgrading systems so all meters can send half-hourly data automatically.

What does this mean for your business?

More accurate bills – No more reliance on estimated profiles; you’ll pay for the energy you actually use, at the time you use it.
Time-of-use costs – Electricity prices may vary depending on demand. Using energy outside peak times could lower your costs.
Potential savings through smarter usage – By shifting high-consumption activities to cheaper, off-peak hours, businesses can take control of their energy spend.
Greater transparency – You’ll be able to see exactly how your consumption changes throughout the day, making it easier to find savings.
More tailored tariffs – Suppliers will have more detailed data, allowing them to offer products that better fit your usage patterns.

How could it affect your bills?

Your costs could go up or down depending on your usage habits:

If most of your usage is during peak demand hours (e.g. weekday afternoons), you might see higher rates for those periods.
If you can shift usage to evenings, nights, or weekends, you may benefit from lower rates and overall savings.

Businesses with energy flexibility could gain a real competitive advantage by optimising operations for cheaper times.

How we can help

At Energy Team Online, we’ll work with you to:

Analyse your half-hourly consumption data.
Identify opportunities to move usage to lower-cost periods.
Negotiate tariffs that reward off-peak efficiency.
Keep you informed about all regulatory changes so there are no surprises.

Tip: Start reviewing your energy usage patterns now. Early action could mean you’re ahead of the game when MHHS goes live.