Benefits realisation - does your organisation understand ‘how and where’ MHHS fits into the end-to-end value chain, and where it can unlock competitive advantage?

This is the third instalment in our ongoing series of Market-wide Half-Hourly settlement (MHHS) insights. Our first insight was Delivering MHHS regulatory reform for multiple UK energy suppliers and our second was Regulatory delivery health check - is your MHHS programme on track to safely deliver timely qualification?  

MHHS presents a rare opportunity for UK energy suppliers to redefine how they interact with customers, compete for market share, finance ongoing operations, and even how they approach sustainability goals. How is MHHS reshaping key elements of the B2B and B2C energy supplier business model, and crucially, how can organisations position themselves to realise these benefits? 

Leverage MHHS to increase market share 

1. Deliver competitive rates and secure customer loyalty 

The UK energy supply market is about to become even more competitive, and MHHS equips suppliers to remain competitive. With detailed, real-time customer consumption insights, suppliers can develop tailored tariffs that meet specific customer needs, key to attracting new accounts and solidifying existing relationships. The increasingly agile, ‘eat or be eaten’ market will require suppliers to continually monitor and adapt to their customers’ needs to maintain lasting advantage. 

2. Acquire new customers from competitors

Financial returns require continued growth, and MHHS presents new customer acquisition opportunities. For the first time, suppliers will engage new data service providers to actively seek supply points matching consumption profiles for existing products and tailor new products to high-value segments. Aggressive acquisition strategies, enabled by new data services, will set the most successful suppliers apart in an increasingly competitive market. 

Empower customers through visibility, engagement and personalisation 

1. Enable near real-time visibility and precise billing 

Accurate billing based on near real-time usage data is a significant step forward for B2B and B2C suppliers. The combination of smart meters and MHHS promises to deliver transparent bills that reflect true consumption patterns, reducing billing disputes and improving customer confidence.  

2. Take control of energy usage For B2C and lower-consumption

B2B customers, MHHS will offer a new level of control over energy use. Near real-time visibility will enable customers to match consumption to the lowest-cost 30-minute periods, save on bills, align with sustainability goals, and take an active role in the energy transition. 

3. Build a two-way dialogue with personalised offers 

MHHS will enable suppliers to engage with customers in meaningful, individualised ways. New precision in calculating customer margin and profiling demand will create opportunities for suppliers to partner with complementary product and service providers to present compelling customer offers with personalised pricing and savings projections. 

Maximise trading strategies through enhanced data insights 

1. Make informed decisions in energy trading 

MHHS will enable suppliers to align their energy trading strategies more precisely with customer consumption patterns. By understanding customer usage habits down to each half-hour interval, traders can make more informed, data-backed decisions that optimise spread and reduce costs. With MHHS insights, suppliers can better anticipate demand peaks and minimise exposure to wholesale market volatility, improving margin even in less-profitable segments.  

Improve financial certainty 

1. Accelerate clearing and improve cash flow 

MHHS will shorten the settlement period from up to 14 to 4 months, providing more predictable cash flow for suppliers. Accelerated clearance of outstanding liabilities will reduce reliance on credit cover and increase financial resources available to reinvest in customer-centric innovations and competitive service offerings. 

Drive market evolution and support the renewable energy transition 

1. Shift demand for cost-efficient electrification 

Empowering customers to shift their usage to times of peak renewable generation and off-peak periods is one of the largest hurdles to the energy transition. Suppliers can employ data-backed demand shifting strategies to guide customers to optimise energy use, reduce strain on the grid, and avoid costly infrastructure reinforcements. Data-driven demand optimisation will also help B2B customers meet their sustainability targets while offering lower energy costs to those on time-of-use tariffs. 

2. Enable the peer-to-peer (P2P) energy market 

With MHHS, suppliers can support a future where customers trade energy within their communities, a concept known as P2P energy trading. For B2B customers, P2P trading could enable businesses to trade energy with local partners, while B2C customers could share or sell surplus energy with neighbours. This has the potential to democratise energy management, build resilience, and support decentralised energy models of tomorrow. 

Are you ready to maximise the benefits of MHHS? 

MHHS isn’t just a new regulatory requirement – it is setting the stage for ambitious organisations to reimagine their customer relationships and create operational efficiencies. Those that see the opportunity and focus resources on both regulatory compliance and ‘day 2’ will soon find themselves gaining new ground in a more data-driven, customer-centric energy supply market.