More EVs, more heat pumps, more data to manage 

The UK’s transition to low-carbon energy is picking up pace. According to the latest update from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), more people are buying electric vehicles and installing heat pumps than ever before.

These technologies are essential to achieving Net Zero, but their rise brings more than environmental benefits. 

Electrification is fundamentally changing how, when and how much energy is used. That change is stretching the energy system in new ways, creating more demand for smarter, more accurate data. 

As more low-carbon technologies like electric vehicles and heat pumps are adopted, electricity demand becomes less predictable and more time-sensitive. This creates a growing need for accurate half-hourly data to ensure consumption is reflected fairly and efficiently in settlement. These shifts affect everything from how the grid operates to how bills are calculated. Unless energy data keeps pace, the market will struggle to keep settlement fair, reliable and cost reflective. 

Energy demand is no longer predictable 

Heat pumps and EVs are changing the shape of demand. Unlike conventional boilers or petrol cars, these technologies operate dynamically and often respond to price signals. Vehicles may charge at off-peak times or when renewable generation is high, while heat pumps may be set to run in shorter bursts or avoid peak pricing windows. 

This flexibility is a strength of the Net Zero transition, but it also creates complexity. At a system level, it increases the number and unpredictability of data points entering settlement. The previous non-half-hourly settlement process cannot capture these patterns accurately, and that gap will grow as adoption continues. 

To maintain trust, fairness and operational stability, energy data needs to evolve with consumer behaviour. 

Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement is a critical enabler 

Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) is one of the most significant system changes in decades. By moving all meters to half-hourly settlement, it enables more precise billing and opens the door to tailored tariffs and better demand management. 

MHHS supports smarter consumption by linking real usage to real pricing. For suppliers, it creates opportunities to innovate with new products and services. For system operators, it improves forecasting and balancing. At a national level, it lays the foundations for a flexible grid that can integrate more renewables and accelerate the path to Net Zero. 

MHHS isn’t a bolt-on change; it reshapes the entire data infrastructure of the market. Delivering it successfully depends on trusted, qualified agents with deep technical and regulatory knowledge.

Ensuring data readiness for a more complex system 

As heat pumps, EVs and smart tariffs become more widespread, the accuracy and reliability of energy data will be tested more than ever. Granular data must be processed efficiently and in full compliance with regulatory codes. Settlement processes must work seamlessly across millions of meter points. 

This is where expert infrastructure plays a vital role. TMA supports energy suppliers and third-party intermediaries (TPIs) through every stage of the MHHS transition. Our qualified Smart Data Services and Advanced Data Services operate to BSCP701 and BSCP702 requirements and are backed by decades of experience and audit excellence. 

From early portfolio reviews to ongoing exception reporting, we help clients stay ahead of settlement risk and regulatory obligation. As portfolios grow more complex, clarity and consistency in data becomes non-negotiable. 

The transition to clean energy must be underpinned by trusted data 

The CCC rightly identifies electrification as essential to reaching the UK’s climate goals. But the success of that transition depends not only on installing more low-carbon technology, but on managing the operational and data implications that follow. 

This shift isn’t going to wait. Demand patterns are already changing, and the market needs systems and services that can adapt quickly and reliably. 

TMA is proud to play a supporting role in this transformation. We work behind the scenes to help energy companies respond with confidence, accuracy and insight. 

Because the energy system may be changing, but the need for trusted data never does.