Rise of Hourly Matching Energy Tariffs for Businesses

What’s happening

A new report from Granular Energy and Baringa shows that the availability of hourly matching energy tariffs has quadrupled globally in just one year.

Hourly matching enables companies to align their electricity use with renewable energy generated in the same hour, rather than relying on annual matching certificates. This shift is being driven in part by new EU regulations, which already require hourly matching for certain clean energy uses, including green hydrogen production and carbon border adjustment measures.

Why this matters for UK businesses

For UK organisations, hourly matching tariffs provide a clearer and more credible picture of electricity-related carbon emissions.

This approach can support more robust Scope 2 reporting, improve transparency for clients and investors, and help businesses prepare for likely future changes to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Over time, it may also unlock cost efficiencies as energy use is better aligned with renewable availability and pricing signals.

Key facts at a glance

• The number of hourly matching tariffs has increased more than fourfold globally in the past year

• Hourly matching improves traceability compared to traditional annual matching methods

• The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is expected to move towards hourly matching requirements

• New EU rules for green hydrogen and carbon border adjustments already mandate hourly matching

• Availability and pricing vary by country, supplier, and grid conditions

SBS insight

As more energy suppliers introduce hourly matching tariffs, businesses have an opportunity to strengthen the credibility of their carbon reporting and better align energy use with real-world renewable generation.

At SBS, we support businesses to understand what these changes mean in practice from energy procurement decisions through to Scope 2 accounting and wider net-zero strategy helping you stay compliant, informed, and ahead of emerging requirements.

Further reading

• State of Hourly Matching report – including discussion of RFNBO and CBAM hourly matching requirements
  https://www.granular-energy.com/insights/state-of-hourly-matching-report-launch