kilovolt-ampere reactive hours
The unit of reactive electrical energy; recorded on half-hourly meters and used to assess reactive-power and power-factor charges.
kVArh is the unit of reactive electrical energy — the energy associated with the magnetising current required by inductive loads (motors, transformers, fluorescent lighting). It is measured by half-hourly electricity meters separately from active energy (kWh) and is used to calculate reactive-power and power-factor charges on HH bills.
A site with a high ratio of kVArh to kWh has a poor power factor, and most DNOs apply a reactive-power charge above a defined threshold — typically when reactive consumption exceeds about 33% of active consumption, equivalent to a power factor below approximately 0.95.
For sites with significant motor or transformer load and no power-factor correction in place, reactive charges can be a substantial recurring line item. Power-factor correction equipment (PFC capacitor banks, sized to the reactive load) typically pays back inside twelve to thirty-six months on sites that are routinely above the threshold, and is one of the few demand-side investments that produces savings on multiple lines of the bill at once: reactive charges directly, kVA capacity allocation indirectly, and a small reduction in line losses.
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kilovolt-amperes
kVAThe unit of apparent electrical power; used to set Available Capacity on half-hourly electricity supplies.
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 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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