What Are MPAN and MPRN Numbers, and Where Can You Find Them?

If you’ve ever had significant dealings with your gas or electricity, you’ll almost certainly have come across the need to have your MPAN or MPRN ready. These reference numbers are critical for all businesses since they confirm your meters' location and energy usage, but what’s the difference? Where do you find them, and when might you need them?

What are MPAN and MPRN Numbers?

What is an MPAN Number?

Your MPAN is your Meter Point Administration Number, a unique 21-digit reference number that identifies each electricity supply point or meter. It’s often referred to as a "Supply Number" or "S-Number".

The MPAN is used primarily to identify your property’s electricity supply uniquely, but it also contains information about your tariff type (single or multi-rate), location and network operator.

What is an MPRN Number?

MPRN stands for ‘Meter Point Reference Number’ and is used by energy suppliers to identify the gas supply at your property. You’ll usually find it on your bill next to ‘Meter Point Reference’, usually between six and 10 digits in length. 

As with your business’s MPAN, the MPRN allows your supplier to correctly identify your home’s gas supply point to ensure you’re being charged for the correct supply.

How to Find Your MPAN and MPRN Numbers

How to Find Your MPAN Number

There are two places where you will usually be able to find your MPAN:

• On your electricity meter: Your MPAN will be 21 digits long and will start with an S. It will usually be laid out in a grid format on your meter. 

• On your bill: Your MPAN should also be on your bill. It’s often printed in two rows with something like S–00–000–0 across the top and a twelve—or thirteen-digit number in the format 00-0000 0000-000 across the bottom. You may also find this being referred to as the ‘Supply number’. The bottom number is what you need to identify the specific access point. 

How to Find Your MPRN Number

On your gas meter: MPRNs aren't reliably found on gas meters in the same way that MPANs are with electricity meters, although they can usually be found by scrolling through the menus if you have a modern smart meter. 

On your bill: As with the MPAN, your MPRN should be clearly indicated on any gas bill for your property. It’s often referred to as ‘Meter Point Reference’ and is 6-10 digits long.

Of course, it may well be that you don’t have a bill to hand and that you don’t even know where to find your access points. But in this eventuality, help is at hand! There are online tools which can help, and you can also contact your supplier or your local network operator for further guidance. 

The Importance of MPAN and MPRN for Businesses

Knowing—or rather not knowing—your MPANs and MPRNs can impact the administration of your energy contracts. They are both critical for switching suppliers, ensuring the correct meters are linked to new contracts. They enable precise tariff comparisons, helping businesses secure competitive rates. Suppliers also use them to assess energy usage, influencing your possible future contract terms and pricing.

MPAN and MPRN ensure accurate billing by reflecting actual consumption and preventing overcharges or discrepancies. In case of billing errors or supply issues, these numbers help suppliers and network operators quickly identify and resolve problems, thereby streamlining the dispute-resolution process. 

It's also worth remembering that when multiple properties become involved, things can get very complicated very quickly. Maintaining accurate MPAN and MPRN records for businesses managing multiple properties is vital to avoid costly mistakes and ensure the smooth operation of your energy accounts.

Managing MPAN and MPRN Numbers During Business Changes

Your suppliers must have the right MPAN and MPRNs for you if you should relocate your business. Ensuring they have this will ensure a smoother billing transition when you move. You should be able to update these details with your suppliers by contacting them and notifying them. This is also the case should the MPAN or MPRN be incorrect because this can happen. If this happens, contact your energy supplier and inform them. Always obtain written confirmation of the corrected details afterwards to prevent future disputes.

Tools and Resources

There are plenty of tools that simplify the process of identifying supply points and resolving billing issues.

If you don’t know your electricity supplier, the UK Power Networks Tool can help to locate MPAN details and electricity suppliers by either address or meter number. The Energy Networks Association have a similar tool for identifying your Distribution Network Operator. For gas, Find My Supplier allows you to establish who your supplier is from an address search. Should you know the identity of your supplier, you can contact their customer service department for clarification about anything that you may need to know about your MPAN or MPRN. 

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

There are three most common errors when it comes to reading MPANs and MPRNs: 

1. Misreading Digits: Confusing similar-looking numbers (such as 0 and O or 1 and I).

2. Omitting Leading Zeros: Some MPANs/MPRNs start with zeros, which can be crucial in identifying access points.

3. Mixing Up Numbers: Confusing MPAN (electricity) with MPRN (gas) or meter serial numbers.

To verify the accuracy of your MPAN or MPRN, you can cross-reference them on your bill with the meter details, use the online tools outlined above, or contact your local electricity Distribution Network Operator or gas transporter for confirmation and clarification. 

MPANs and MPRNs have a crucial role in our energy usage. By being tied to a property rather than an account holder, they remain static. This means that while there can be confusion over which number is which or the number of zeros at the start of one, issues relating to their identity can usually be quickly resolved. 

By getting to know yours, you’ll be safeguarding your energy bills and perhaps even giving yourself the scope to save money by switching your tariff or supplier at a later date. Forewarned is forearmed, and in a marketplace as volatile as the energy marketplace has been in recent years, that can only be to your benefit!