Interval data: the detail behind the number on your bill

What it is

Where a bill gives one consumption figure and one peak for the month, interval data gives a reading for every interval — commonly every fifteen minutes, which is roughly 2,880 readings a month per meter.

That resolution is what makes real analysis possible. It shows when your peak occurred, what else was running at the time, how your overnight baseline compares to occupied hours, and whether your load shape is what you assume it is.

Why it changes what you can do

• Demand management becomes specific. You can see which equipment coincided to set the peak instead of guessing.
• Rate schedule comparison becomes precise. Time-of-use schedules can be evaluated properly rather than approximated.
• Supplier pricing improves. Suppliers price load shape; giving them the actual shape rather than an annual total generally produces firmer and better-informed offers.
• Waste becomes visible. An overnight baseline that should be near zero and is not is one of the most common findings, and it is invisible in monthly data.

How to get it

The utility holds it. Most utilities provide it to the customer of record on request, and many now offer download through an online account portal without any request at all.

What to ask for: interval data for all meters, for the longest period available, in a machine-readable format such as CSV or XML. Twelve months is the useful minimum since it captures a full seasonal cycle; twenty-four is better if offered.

If you are authorising a third party to obtain it on your behalf, that authorisation should be specific about which meters, which period and for what purpose — not an open-ended grant.

If it is not available

Not every commercial meter records intervals. Smaller accounts on non-demand schedules may have simple registers that record only cumulative consumption.

In that case monthly data plus the billed peak is what you have, and it is still enough for a first-pass diagnosis: load factor, the supply and delivery split, and rate schedule fit can all be assessed from twelve months of bills.

It is also worth asking whether interval metering is available as an option, since on some tariffs it is a prerequisite for the schedules that would suit the account best.

Common questions

What is interval data for electricity?

Consumption recorded in short increments, commonly every fifteen minutes, rather than as a monthly total. It shows the account’s actual load shape over time.

How do I get my electricity interval data?

Request it from your utility as the customer of record. Many utilities provide download through an online account portal. Ask for all meters, the longest period available, in a machine-readable format.

Do I need interval data to compare electricity suppliers?

Not strictly, but it helps. Suppliers price load shape, so providing actual interval data rather than an annual consumption figure generally produces firmer and better-informed offers.

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