Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) is changing how electricity consumption is measured and settled across the UK energy market.
The programme is designed to create a more accurate picture of when electricity is being used, supporting a more flexible and efficient energy system.
For energy brokers and SMEs, understanding what this means will become increasingly important.
What is Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement?
Traditionally, some electricity consumption has been estimated or profiled rather than settled using actual half-hourly usage.
MHHS moves the market towards using actual half-hourly consumption data, providing greater visibility of when electricity is being used.
Central systems went live in September 2025, with meter migration beginning in October 2025 and suppliers working towards completing migration by May 2027.
Why is MHHS important?
The energy market is becoming increasingly complex, with renewable generation, EVs, battery storage and changing consumption patterns all playing a bigger role.
Better consumption data could support the development of time-of-use tariffs and other flexible energy solutions.
In simple terms, when a business uses electricity could become increasingly important alongside how much it uses.
What does MHHS mean for SMEs?
The impact will vary between businesses. A small office may have little flexibility over when it consumes electricity. However, businesses with refrigeration, manufacturing equipment, EV charging or other significant energy loads may have more opportunities to understand and adapt their consumption.
Businesses should consider:
- When they use the most electricity
- Whether consumption could be shifted
- Whether time-of-use tariffs could be suitable
- How consumption patterns should influence procurement
Better data doesn’t automatically mean lower costs, but it can support better-informed energy decisions.
What does MHHS mean for energy brokers?
For brokers, MHHS creates an opportunity to move further beyond transactional switching and towards consultancy. Instead of simply asking “which tariff is cheapest?”, the conversation can become, “what energy contract makes sense for how this business operates?”.
Understanding consumption patterns could help brokers provide more tailored advice around tariffs, procurement and flexibility.
How can technology help?
More granular data also means more information to manage. Digital platforms can help brokers streamline processes such as:
- Quote comparison
- Contract generation
- Supplier integrations
- Switching
- Reporting and analytics
White-label platforms such as Tickd can provide brokers with the digital infrastructure to deliver efficient switching journeys while maintaining their own brand and customer relationships.
What should businesses ask their energy broker?
Businesses don’t need to become experts in MHHS, but they should understand whether it could affect their energy strategy. Useful questions include:
- How does my business currently use electricity?
- Could we benefit from greater consumption flexibility?
- Would a time-of-use tariff work for us?
- What data should we be monitoring?
- Could MHHS change our approach to energy procuremeFsupnt?
The future of energy procurement
MHHS is part of a wider move towards a more data-driven and flexible energy market.
For some SMEs, its impact may be relatively limited. For others, understanding when and how they use electricity could become increasingly important.
For energy brokers, this creates an opportunity to combine technology, data and expertise to help businesses make better energy decisions.
As MHHS data becomes available, brokers need platforms that can handle more complex switching journeys and provide better reporting. Discover how Tickd helps, arrange a demo today.
