kilovolt-amperes
The unit of apparent electrical power; used to set Available Capacity on half-hourly electricity supplies.
Kilovolt-amperes (kVA) is the unit of apparent electrical power — the product of voltage and current without accounting for power factor. For half-hourly electricity supplies in the UK, a customer's Available Capacity is stated in kVA in the connection agreement and forms the basis of the standing capacity charge on the bill.
Apparent power (kVA) differs from active power (kW) by the power factor:
- kW = kVA × power factor.
- A perfectly resistive load (heater, incandescent lamp) has a power factor of 1.0; kW and kVA are identical.
- An inductive load (motor, transformer, fluorescent light without correction) has a power factor below 1.0; for the same kW of useful power, more kVA is required from the network.
For procurement, the practical implications are twofold. First, sites with a poor power factor draw more kVA than their kW would suggest, attracting a larger Available Capacity allocation and higher capacity charges; power-factor correction equipment can pay back over twelve to thirty-six months on sites with significant motor or transformer load. Second, Available Capacity should be sized to actual peak kVA, not to the installed connection capacity of the supply, because under DCP161 and the TCR fixed bands, over-allocated kVA carries a permanent cost penalty.
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kilovolt-ampere reactive hours
kVArhThe unit of reactive electrical energy; recorded on half-hourly meters and used to assess reactive-power and power-factor charges.
Read definitionkilowatt-hour
kWhThe standard unit of electrical and gas energy on UK bills; one kilowatt of power sustained for one hour.
Read definitionDCP161 — Excess Capacity
DCP161The Distribution Code change that introduced excess-capacity penalties for half-hourly sites that exceed their agreed Available Capacity.
Read definitionTargeted Charging Review
TCROfgem's reform of how residual transmission and distribution network costs are recovered; replaced volumetric Triad and DUoS residual charges with fixed bands.
Read definitionHalf-Hourly Metering
HHThe metering and settlement regime in which electricity consumption is measured and settled in 30-minute intervals; mandatory above 100 kW measured maximum demand.
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