Available Supply Capacity

Available Supply Capacity is the amount of electrical power that has been allocated for your site to use at any point in time. It is the total amount of electrical load available to your site, or the peak electrical demand you could use if you switched on lots of electrical equipment at the same time. 

It can also be referred to as Agreed Supply Capacity, Authorised Supply Capacity, Supply Capacity, Supply Availability or simply ASC. Another common name is Available kVA, due to its unit of measurement. 

Distribution Network Operators (DNO) manage the electricity network across the UK, allocating and managing the Available Supply Capacity by region and site. Most organisations with Half-Hourly metered electricity pay a monthly charge for their Available Supply Capacity which can be a significant cost and can lead to penalty charges if exceeded. It is therefore essential to ensure you are operating with the correct capacity to mitigate this. 

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Organisations have a varying need for electricity supply capacity depending on their size and use. Those with both high and low electricity consumption can benefit from an assessment of their Available Supply Capacity. Evaluation of your consumption data will help to set the ASC in line with your Maximum Demand, optimising your energy expenditure. Savings can be made by decreasing your ASC, however, in some cases, it can be beneficial to increase your ASC to protect against excess capacity charges. 

If you haven’t looked at your ASC in a few years, it may not take into consideration any changes you have recently made to your operations, such as adding renewable on-site generation, that may be offsetting your grid electricity consumption. Reviewing your ASC could help you save on significant operational overheads, align it to your long-term business objectives, and even help free up some electrical capacity back in your region. 

Getting the right balance is key. Before any change to your available capacity is made a number of factors need to be considered, including the location of your sites, future demand projections, such as purchasing more equipment or properties, and the potential for new energy projects. ASC cannot be changed multiple times and there is no guarantee that any ASC you give up will be available at a later time. 

Organisations impacted by the reforms in the Targeted Charging Review could benefit from capacity optimisation to reduce their expected increase in costs. Find out how the Targeted Charging Review will effect your organisation. 

Organisations with high energy consumption and Half-Hourly metering such as manufacturing plants, hotels, gyms, and large commercial buildings, will be paying for the Available Supply Capacity that has been allocated to them. 

Our capacity optimisation service can benefit organisations looking to have a better understanding of their demand and wanting to reduce utility overheads, especially where there may be a lot of meters installed and a lot of sites with different DNOs. 

It can also support where there have been changes in your portfolio, building use, production output, or where renewable energy solutions have been adopted, reducing the amount you are drawing from the grid. Optimising your capacity needs can also help you make future expansion or diversification plans. 

As a result of the Ofgem Targeted Charging Review, many organisations will see an increase in their related electricity costs. This can be alleviated through reviewing your Available Capacity and adjusting which Distribution and Transmission bands your charges are based on. 

  • Better understand your energy overheads across your entire portfolio 
  • With assessment of your contracts, reduce your utility overheads 
  • Make substantial cost savings from outdated or inappropriate kVA allocation charges 
  • Have assurance that your ASC contracts are up to date and suit your portfolio’s demand 
  • Outsourcing the assessment of your contracts across your entire energy estate will save you valuable resource time 
  • Where applicable safeguard your capacity for future strategic changes for your business and energy management strategy 
  • Protect your ASC asset for future property sale 
  • Satisfy your Corporate Social Responsibility by freeing up kVA for the community to be allocated to other businesses, regeneration projects or residential expansion 

How TEAM can help

With over 35 years’ experience in the utilities sector, we are extremely knowledgeable about electricity contracts and charges. 

As part of our open and transparent service we will: 

  • Review your contracts on your behalf and secure kVA costs that are appropriate for your business 
  • Recommend where your Available Supply Capacity can be adjusted and balanced to make savings 
  • Help future proof your capacity to benefit your long-term goals 
  • Identify where savings can be made when building use does not match electricity demand 
  • Balance your capacity with any renewables that support your operations 
  • Scope the capacity needs of your energy portfolio 
  • Initiate and manage the negotiation of new ASCs if needed 
  • Assess, in cases where your capacity should be increased, whether any meter changes are required 
  • Enable you to make the best decision for your organisation 
  • Suggest ways to reduce your energy consumption and avoid excess charges and fines 

Contact us

Learn how our Available Supply Capacity service can help your organisation by calling 01908 690018

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