Behind The Meter

What does behind the meter mean

Behind the Meter refers to energy equipment and systems that are located on-site, in that they are behind the meter that is used by your utility provider to calculate the amount of energy you have drawn from the grid. The opposite, for systems and technology located on the grid side, is referred to as In Front of the Meter.

Behind the Meter comprises a wide range of technologies that offer organisations greater control over how they source and use energy. With energy bills rising, anything an organisation can do to reduce the amount of power they purchase directly from the grid is valuable.

This can include on-site generation such as solar PV (Photovoltaics) or wind, generating electricity directly rather than purchasing it through your meter. Systems such as battery energy storage or Voltage Regulation can also help to reduce the amount of energy required from grid. While both can deliver efficiency improvements, battery storage also allows energy generated on-site to be used more efficiently. For example, power generated by a wind turbine overnight when a site is not operational would have to be sold back to the grid at a low price, but with a battery it can be stored for later use when demand is higher.

With the UK’s energy landscape facing major changes in the race to net-zero, more and more organisations are turning to Behind the Meter solutions to deliver greater resilience and energy independence.