DCP161 – The future of your supply.
DCP161 is a new measure created by Ofgem that came into force in April 2018. Resulting in the need for commercial and industrial businesses to pay attention to their Power Factor and Power Quality. Each HH (Half Hourly) meter across the UK has an agreed kVA level with the local distribution network and is charged at a rate which has been agreed within the supply contract. The penalty charge for exceeding your available capacity will increase on average, by an estimated 81%. This charge will vary significantly from region to region, but either way – it’s best avoided.
The purpose behind this new legislation is for the excess capacity penalties being enforced to assist the Distribution Network Operators (DNO) with balancing out network usage. The legislation will help encourage customers to manage their load more diligently or to request the correct level of capacity upfront. Until DCP161, you will not have been penalized for exceeding your agreed consumption level. But with DCP161 you could be paying double or even more, money that could certainly be better spent.
What can I do about it?
The first step is to check your current Power Factor. It should be no lower than 0.95. A low Power Factor is one of the main factors in a facility exceeding its agreed kVA consumption level.
The second step is to call us - Power Capacitors offer a no-obligation site survey that will determine exactly what your PF is, and the level of correction needed to bring it back to industry standard of between 0.95-0.98. Alternatively, if you have an up-to-date electricity bill we would be more than happy to go over it with you and identify the issues to address in order to improve your Power Factor and estimate the annual savings you could expect from correcting it.
You might find that there is existing Power Factor Correction equipment on site that is simply in need of some care and maintenance – and Power Capacitors will be happy to service and maintain any Power Factor Correction equipment regardless of manufacturer.
How can I get in touch?
Power Capacitors are more than happy to discuss these issues, and more, with you and are focused on arriving at a solution that’s right for you. Call us on 0121-7084511 or email us using [email protected]
