New business meter installation & energy connections

A new business electricity connection isn’t a single transaction. It’s a project that pulls in three different organisations, and the timeline depends on the slowest one of them.

1. The Distribution Network Operator (DNO) looks after the cable that brings power from the national grid to your premises. There are 14 DNOs covering different UK regions. The DNO designs and installs the connection itself, the physical cable plus the cut-out at your meter position.
2. The Meter Operator (MOP) installs and maintains the meter itself.
3. The supplier contracts to bill you for the electricity once the meter is live. You pick a supplier after the MPAN is registered.

The DNO is the bottleneck. Typical lead times sit at 8 to 14 weeks for a standard urban site, longer for rural or higher-demand sites. Costs are quoted by the DNO and vary widely. A simple low-demand new electricity connection can come in around £2,000. A higher-demand site can push past £15,000.

We coordinate the three parties so you’re not chasing your own install.

Related guide. New business electricity connection: process, costs, timeline

A new business gas connection follows the same shape as electricity, with different organisations playing each role.

1. The Gas Transporter. Either the regional Gas Distribution Network (Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, SGN, Wales and West Utilities) or an Independent Gas Transporter (iGT) if your site sits on a newer development.
2. The Meter Asset Manager (MAM). Installs and owns the gas meter itself.
3. The supplier. Bills you for the gas once the meter is live. You pick a supplier after the MPRN is issued.

Lead times for new gas connections typically run 8 to 16 weeks. iGT-managed connections can be quicker than GDN ones on new-build estates.

Related guides. New business gas connection and independent gas transporters explained.

Different sites need different meters. The right choice depends on your demand profile, supply type, and whether you sit above a regulatory threshold.

• G4 gas meter. Domestic and very small commercial. Low-demand sites under about 6 m³/hour.
• U6 gas meter. Small to medium commercial. Typical of pubs, small restaurants, small workshops.
• U16, U25, U40 gas meters. Medium to large commercial. Bigger hospitality, manufacturing, multi-tenant buildings.
• Daily Metered (DM) gas meter. High-demand gas users above the DM threshold.
• Half-hourly (HH) electricity meter. Electricity users above 100 kW peak demand. Mandatory above the threshold.
• Smart commercial electricity or gas meter (SMETS2). Increasingly the default rollout for commercial sites.
• AMR meter. Mid-sized commercial where SMETS2 isn’t available but automatic reads are needed.

Each meter type carries different install costs and ongoing standing charges, and not every meter works with every supplier. We quote based on the right type for your demand profile.

If your maximum electricity demand exceeds 100 kW, you’re legally required to have a half-hourly (HH) meter installed. This isn’t optional. HH meters record consumption every 30 minutes and the data goes to your supplier and DNO automatically.

Half-hourly meters cost more, both in install fees and ongoing standing charges (typically £400 to £1,200 per year for the MOP contract on top of supplier charges). The trade-off is granular usage data and access to more competitive contract structures, particularly pass-through and flexible procurement.

If you’re approaching the 100 kW threshold, get ahead of it. A forced upgrade tends to cost more than a planned one.

Related guide. Half-hourly electricity meters: when your business needs one

These are typical ranges for standard urban commercial sites. Actual quotes vary based on location, distance to the main, ground conditions, and how much of the work is contestable.

Indicative ranges only. These are not live quotes. Figures reflect what Clearsight typically sees across the UK in early 2026.

Most businesses get confused by the number of parties involved. The short version:

• DNO (Distribution Network Operator). Owns and maintains the electricity cables from the substation to your premises. 14 DNOs cover the UK.
• iGT (Independent Gas Transporter). On certain newer-development sites, an iGT owns the local gas network instead of the regional GDN.
• GDN (Gas Distribution Network). The regional gas network owner (Cadent, NGN, SGN, Wales and West Utilities).
• MOP (Meter Operator). Installs and maintains the commercial electricity meter.
• MAM (Meter Asset Manager). The equivalent of MOP, but for gas.
• Supplier. The company that contracts with you to bill for the energy you use.

This is why a new connection usually involves separate quotes from separate organisations. Each one owns a different piece of the chain.

A smart business meter (SMETS2 in commercial form, or AMR for smaller commercial sites) replaces manual meter reads with near-real-time consumption data. The operational value is real:

• Spot overnight or weekend gas and electricity use that shouldn’t be there.
• Catch tariff billing errors before they snowball.
• Tighten cost forecasting because you have actual usage data rather than estimates.
• Qualify for half-hourly contracts and pass-through deals that require automated reads.

A smart meter for business can take 2 to 6 weeks to install on an existing supply. The install itself is usually included in your supplier contract (no upfront cost), though ongoing MOP standing charges can be slightly higher than for traditional meters.

We handle the whole process end-to-end:

1. Triage your project. Postcode, supply type, demand requirement, timing. We confirm what you actually need before quoting anything.
2. Source competitive quotes. From DNOs and iGTs for the connection, from MOPs and MAMs for the meter, from suppliers for the post-install contract.
3. Project-manage the install. We chase the parties and flag risks early.
4. Get you onto the right contract at switch-on. Once the meter is live and the MPAN or MPRN is issued, we put the supply onto a contract aligned with current market conditions.

No upfront fees. We’re paid by the suppliers we recommend.

Related guides. Business gas meter installation guide, new business gas connection, new business electricity connection, iGTs explained, half-hourly meters.