kVA reduction — stop paying for capacity you don't use.

What available capacity actually is

Your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) reserves a slice of the local network for your site — measured in kilovolt-amperes (kVA). That reservation is your Available Capacity. It guarantees the network can deliver that much power the moment you need it, and you pay a fixed monthly Availability Charge for the whole reservation whether you draw one kVA or all of it.

The charge sits on your bill as either "Availability" or "Capacity" and is billed in p/kVA/day. It flows through your supplier from the DNO under the Distribution Use of System (DUoS) charging schedule. Suppliers don't set it and don't reduce it — only the DNO can, and only on written request.

Why most sites carry too much

Available Capacity is usually set once, at the point the meter is installed, based on the equipment schedule at the time. It very rarely gets revisited. Common reasons a site is over-capacity today:

• Machinery has been decommissioned, downsized or replaced with more efficient equivalents.
• LED retrofits, VSDs on motors and modern HVAC have cut peak demand by 20–40%.
• On-site solar reduces the peak seen by the meter.
• A previous tenant's process load was much heavier than yours.

How the assessment works

1. Data pull. With a Letter of Authority we collect at least 12 months of half-hourly consumption data from your data collector (DC).
2. Peak analysis. We identify your true maximum demand in kVA (not kW — the two differ by your power factor) and stress-test against seasonal peaks and known future load.
3. Headroom model. We recommend a new Available Capacity with a sensible safety margin — usually 10–15% above the observed peak.
4. DNO submission. We file the change request with your DNO, track it to acceptance and confirm the effective billing date with your supplier.

The two charges you're changing

A reduction cuts two line items: the Availability Charge (a monthly £/kVA) and the DUoS Capacity Charge on your unit rates. Both drop from the effective date and keep saving for the life of the contract — there is no ongoing fee.

When kVA reduction isn't the right call

If you're planning EV charging, a new production line or heat-pump heating, we'll flag it in the model rather than reduce today and pay to raise capacity again in six months. Excess Capacity Charges (billed at up to three times the normal availability rate when you overshoot) usually erase any short-term win from an aggressive cut.

Half-hourly and large max-demand meters only

Available Capacity charges apply to HH (profile class 00) and larger non-half-hourly max-demand meters (profile classes 05–08). Small profile-class 03 and 04 supplies don't carry a separate availability line, so a kVA review won't help — but a proper contract review usually will.