Meter Operator Contracts Explained

What a Meter Operator Is

A Meter Operator (MOP) is the company responsible for your electricity meter. That’s their entire job. They install it when you first get connected, maintain it throughout its life, and make sure it’s reading correctly. They’re also responsible for collecting the meter readings and passing them to your energy supplier.

For half-hourly (HH) metered sites—which are becoming the standard for most businesses—having a MOP isn’t optional. It’s a legal requirement under the electricity industry rules in Great Britain.

Here’s the crucial bit: your MOP is separate from your energy supplier. Your supplier provides the electricity. The MOP provides the meter. These are two distinct services with two distinct contracts. Your supplier might appoint a MOP for you automatically, which is why many businesses never realise they’ve signed a separate contract at all.

Under the Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement (MHHS) changes rolling out across GB, the MOP role is being renamed to “Metering Service Provider” but the function remains exactly the same. They still install, maintain, and read your meter.

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Why You Have a Separate MOP Contract

The separation between supply and metering exists because different companies specialise in different things. Your energy supplier buys electricity from generators and sells it to you. The MOP owns and manages the infrastructure that measures how much you’re using. These are fundamentally different operations requiring different expertise.

Here’s where it gets confusing: most businesses don’t realise they’ve got a MOP contract at all because it’s bundled into the supply agreement. You sign a contract with an energy supplier, and as part of that deal, they appoint a MOP (usually a subsidiary or partner company). That MOP contract sits quietly in the background, and you only see the charges appearing on your bill.

The problem emerges when you switch energy supplier. Your new supplier might work with a different MOP. Or you might request an independent MOP that’s cheaper. But because your old MOP contract is still active, you could end up paying both—paying double metering charges until someone sorts it out. It happens more often than you’d think.

This separation also means you can change your MOP without changing your energy supplier. You’re not locked into your supplier’s default choice. But most businesses don’t know that option exists.

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How Much MOP Contracts Cost

The cost of your MOP contract depends on who you’ve appointed and what level of service you’re paying for.

If you’re using your supplier’s default MOP (the one they appointed for you), you’re typically paying somewhere between £50 and £150 per month per meter. That’s £600 to £1,800 a year for a single meter. Scale that across a business with five meters and you’re looking at £3,000 to £9,000 annually just for metering services.

Switch to an independent MOP, and you might pay £25 to £40 per month per meter instead. That’s £300 to £480 a year per meter. The difference is substantial. For a five-meter site, choosing an independent MOP could save you £1,500 to £4,500 every year.

The variation in cost depends on several factors: the type of meter (half-hourly vs. non-half-hourly), the frequency of readings (daily, weekly, monthly), whether you need real-time data access, and how remote your location is. A site with smart half-hourly metering in a city centre will cost less than a remote industrial site needing manual visits.

Be aware that some suppliers bury MOP charges into the unit rate for electricity. Instead of showing metering as a separate line item, they incorporate it into the pence-per-kWh price. This makes it invisible. You’ll only spot it if you ask your supplier to break down the bill or if you compare a detailed quote from another supplier.

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How to Check Who Your MOP Is

Finding out who your current MOP is shouldn’t be difficult, but you might get a runaround.

Start with your electricity bill. Look for any line mentioning “metering”, “MOP charges”, “metering services”, or “meter provision”. That’s usually your MOP cost. If it’s listed as a separate item, the bill might tell you who the provider is.

If the bill doesn’t clarify, phone your electricity supplier directly and ask. Tell them you want to know the name of your registered MOP. They should be able to look it up against your MPAN (Meter Point Administration Number). Every half-hourly metered site has an MPAN, and that number has an associated MOP on record.

You can also ask your supplier for a copy of your MHHS contract or existing metering agreement. This document will state who the MOP is and what you’re paying them.

If you’ve never actively chosen a MOP—and most businesses haven’t—then your supplier appointed one for you when you first took on the contract. That default MOP is probably costing you more than you need to pay.

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Can You Switch Your Meter Operator

Yes, you can switch to a different MOP independently. You don’t need to change energy supplier to change MOP. It’s a separate decision.

The process starts with finding an independent MOP willing to take you on. Some well-known independent MOPs in Great Britain include Siemens Metering, Sensormatic Electronics, and others. A business energy broker can help you compare independent MOP costs and switch quickly.

Once you’ve found an alternative MOP and agreed terms, you’ll need to notify your current energy supplier of the change. This is important. Tell them the name and details of your new MOP. This prevents the confusion that leads to double-charging—where both the old MOP and the new MOP send invoices.

Before you switch, check the term of your current MOP contract. Some suppliers lock you in for one, two, or three years. If there’s an exit fee and you’re in the middle of a contract term, factor that into your calculation. Sometimes the savings you’ll make over the remaining term justify paying an exit fee to escape the current MOP. Sometimes they don’t.

Under the MHHS rollout, all meters are moving towards half-hourly settlement. This means MOP contracts are becoming relevant to far more businesses than previously. Sites that used to be on traditional non-half-hourly metering are being migrated to HH meters and will need a MOP. This creates an opportunity: if you’re being moved to a new meter, you can choose your MOP rather than accepting a default assignment.

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Key Takeaways

✓ A Meter Operator is a separate service from your energy supplier. They install, maintain, and read your meter.

✓ Half-hourly metered sites need a MOP contract—it’s a legal requirement.

✓ Your supplier probably appointed a default MOP for you, likely costing £600–£1,800 per year per meter.

✓ Independent MOPs typically charge £300–£480 per year per meter—a significant saving for multi-site businesses.

✓ You can switch MOP without switching supplier, and you’re not locked in to your supplier’s default choice.

✓ Always tell your supplier when you change MOP to avoid being charged by both the old and new provider.

✓ Check your bill for metering charges and ask your supplier to confirm who your current MOP is.

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MOP contracts sit inside the wider install-and-connect picture, which our business meter installation hub maps end to end. Half-hourly sites choosing a MOP should also read when your business needs a half-hourly meter.