kVA and capacity charges explained
If your business is on a larger or half hourly electricity meter, you pay for the capacity you reserve as well as the energy you use. Reserve too much and you pay for power you never draw.
What kVA means on your bill
kVA, or kilovolt amperes, is a measure of the total electrical load your site can place on the network. It is not the same as the energy you use, it is the capacity you reserve to be available. Larger sites agree a supply capacity with the network operator, and you pay a fixed charge for that reserved capacity every month, whether you use it or not.
Two things catch businesses out. If your agreed capacity is set higher than you actually need, you pay for headroom that sits idle. And if your demand ever exceeds the agreed level, you are hit with excess capacity charges that typically cost two to three times the standard rate.
As an illustration, a site with an agreed capacity of 250 kVA at around £1.20 for each kVA a month pays roughly £300 a month for capacity alone. Exceed the limit and the excess is charged at a multiple of that. Figures are illustrative only and vary by operator and region.
Where the waste hides
Over reserved capacity
Agreed capacity set years ago, often far above what the site now draws, quietly costing you every month.
Excess charges
Brief spikes above your limit trigger penalty rates several times the standard charge.
Poor power factor
A low power factor inflates your kVA, so you reserve and pay for more than the useful power you get.
How OptiFlow Watch helps
We read your half hourly data
Watch looks at your real demand over time, not just the headline rate, to see what capacity you actually need.
We right size the reservation
If your agreed capacity is too high, we flag it so it can be reduced to a sensible level with headroom.
We catch excess charges
We spot where spikes are triggering penalty rates and help you plan around them.
Guaranteed saving
For a flat £49.99 a month, we guarantee a saving against your real bills or it is not worth your while.
Stop paying for capacity you do not use
OptiFlow Watch reads your demand, checks your capacity and guarantees a saving, for £49.99 a month.