An MPAN is the unique number that identifies your electricity supply, and an MPRN is the unique number that identifies your gas supply.
In a hurry? Jump to where to find your MPAN or where to find your MPRN. Otherwise, read on for what each number means.
| MPAN | MPRN | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Electricity | Gas |
| Also called | Supply number, S-number | M number, gas supply number |
| Length | 21 digits, of which the bottom 13 are the core | 6 to 10 digits, most commonly 10 |
| Format on a bill | A boxed grid with an “S” at the left | A single row of digits, often prefaced with M |
| Free online lookup? | No — call 105 instead | Yes — Find My Supplier |
| Changes when you switch? | No | No |
An MPAN, or Meter Point Administration Number, is the unique reference that identifies your electricity supply point. It is the number the industry uses to make sure the right meter at the right address is billed, switched and read.
You may also see it called:
Three things are worth understanding about it:
This is where most of the confusion comes from, so it is worth being precise.
The MPAN core is a unique 13-digit number. On many bills, it appears as the bottom row of a larger 21-digit “S number” grid. If a form asks for your MPAN or supply number, it will usually want the 13 digits on the bottom row.
Quick rule: if a form asks for a 13-digit number and your bill shows 21, use the bottom row.
The MPAN is printed inside a distinctive boxed grid, usually with an “S” in a box at the far left. It looks something like this:
The top row describes the type of supply. The bottom row, highlighted below, identifies the specific meter point — and it is the row you will be asked for.
| S | Profile class | Meter timeswitch code | Line loss factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 801 | 130 | |
| Distributor ID | Unique identifier | Check digit | |
| 10 | 1234567890 | 1 |
An MPRN, or Meter Point Reference Number, is the unique reference that identifies your gas supply point. It does the same job for gas that the MPAN does for electricity.
You may also see it called:
The same principles apply as with the MPAN:
An MPRN is between six and ten digits long, and is most commonly ten. Unlike the MPAN, it is a single row of numbers with no grid and no sub-sections, so there is no “top half” or “bottom half” to worry about. It is often prefaced with the letter M on a bill.
Not an error: around one in six UK homes is not connected to the gas network. If a form asks for an MPRN and your property has no gas supply, leave the field blank and choose an electricity-only option.
This catches a lot of people out, and it is not an error. Around one in six UK homes is not connected to the gas network. If your home is heated by electricity, oil, LPG or a heat pump and has no gas meter, there is simply no MPRN to find. You are not missing something.
There are four places to look, in the order most likely to work.
Your MPAN should appear on your electricity bill. It is there — but suppliers format bills very differently, so it may not be where you expect.
Look for the boxed grid described above, usually with an “S” at the left-hand edge. Common places it hides:
Search for the boxed grid shape rather than reading the words. It is visually distinctive and easier to spot than a label.
Most suppliers show the MPAN in the account section of their website or app, usually under a heading such as “supply details”, “your meters” or “meter information”. This is often faster than hunting through paperwork, and it works even if you have gone fully paperless.
Common mistake: the number printed on your electricity meter is the meter serial number, not the MPAN. It identifies the physical device, usually contains letters, and is not interchangeable with your MPAN.
Your MPAN is usually not printed on your electricity meter. This is worth stating plainly, because it is one of the most common searches on this topic and the honest answer is disappointing.
What is on the meter is the meter serial number, which is a different thing entirely. It identifies the physical device and typically contains letters as well as numbers. Suppliers sometimes ask for it, but it is not a substitute for the MPAN, and the two are not interchangeable.
There are exceptions. Some suppliers may show the MPAN through their app or connected in-home services, and an installer may occasionally leave it on a label near the meter. It is worth a look, but do not spend long there.
If you have no bill and no online account — which is usually the case if you have just moved in — your regional Distribution Network Operator can give you the MPAN for your address.
Your DNO owns the cables and substations serving your street, and holds the record of every meter point in its region. To find yours:
They can usually confirm both your MPAN and the supplier currently registered to the property in the same call, which saves you making a second one.
Your MPRN appears on any gas bill, typically as a single row of digits prefaced with an M. It sits in the supply details section rather than the billing summary. As with the MPAN, it may be on the reverse or on a later page.
Most suppliers list the MPRN alongside your meter details in the account area of their website or app.
This is the most useful route if you have no paperwork at all, and it is the reason finding an MPRN is generally easier than finding an MPAN.
Find My Supplier at findmysupplier.energy is the official national gas lookup, run by Xoserve, which maintains the central gas registration database for the industry. Enter your postcode, select your address, and it returns:
It is free, it takes about a minute, and it works regardless of who lived at the property before you.
If the online service cannot find your address, call the national gas Meter Number Helpline on 0870 608 1524. This is an automated service with the option to speak to an operator. Have your full address and postcode ready.
A property that has been vacant for a long period still has an MPRN — the record does not disappear. But two situations can complicate things.
If the gas supply has been capped or disconnected, the meter point may show as inactive. You will need to contact your regional gas transporter to have the supply reinstated before a supplier can set up an account.
If the property is a new build and has never had a gas supply registered, there may be no MPRN yet. In that case, the developer or your gas transporter arranges the connection, and the MPRN is created as part of that process.
Every digit of an MPAN carries information. You do not need to understand this to switch supplier, but it explains why the number is laid out the way it is — and the distributor ID in particular is genuinely useful.
| Digits | What it is | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Profile class | The type of customer and metering arrangement |
| 3–5 | Meter timeswitch code | Whether the meter has multiple rates or a timer |
| 6–8 | Line loss factor class | The distribution charging category, and the electrical losses accounted for in delivering electricity through the local network |
| Digits | What it is | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Distributor ID | Which network operator covers your region |
| 3–12 | Unique identifier | The individual meter point reference |
| 13 | Check digit | A validation digit that confirms the number is genuine |
Under the traditional settlement system, the first two digits of the full MPAN indicate the supply’s profile class. The most common legacy classes are:
However, Britain is moving electricity supplies to Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement. As domestic and small-business meters migrate, a half-hourly classification no longer necessarily means that the property is a large commercial site.
You do not normally need to interpret the profile class yourself. Contact your supplier if the classification on your account appears inconsistent with how the property is used.
The first two digits of the bottom row identify the Distribution Network Operator for your region.
| ID | Network operator | Region |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | UK Power Networks | Eastern England |
| 11 | National Grid Electricity Distribution | East Midlands |
| 12 | UK Power Networks | London |
| 13 | SP Energy Networks | North Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire |
| 14 | National Grid Electricity Distribution | West Midlands |
| 15 | Northern Powergrid | North East England |
| 16 | Electricity North West | North West England |
| 17 | SSEN | North Scotland |
| 18 | SP Energy Networks | Central and Southern Scotland |
| 19 | UK Power Networks | South East England |
| 20 | SSEN | Southern England |
| 21 | National Grid Electricity Distribution | South Wales |
| 22 | National Grid Electricity Distribution | South West England |
| 23 | Northern Powergrid | Yorkshire |
Most people never think about these numbers until something asks for one. Here is when that tends to happen.
Switching suppliers. Most switches complete on address alone, and you will usually never be asked. The number becomes necessary when an address lookup fails — commonly in new-build developments, flats with unusual addressing, converted properties, or homes where the postal address does not match the industry record.
Setting up a supply in a new-build or previously vacant property. With no billing history to work from, the meter point reference is often the only reliable way to identify the supply.
Resolving a billing dispute or an erroneous transfer. If you have been billed for someone else’s usage, or your supply has been switched to a supplier you never signed up with, the MPAN or MPRN is what proves which meter point should be attached to which account. Quoting it usually shortens the process considerably.
Business energy contracts. Business suppliers and brokers ask for these numbers as standard rather than as an exception, because business address records are messier and multi-meter sites are common. If you are getting business quotes, expect to be asked every time.
Registering for the Priority Services Register, arranging a meter exchange, or applying for a connection upgrade. Anything involving the physical supply rather than the account tends to need the meter point reference.
Work through these in order. Most people find the number at step one or two.
Do not let this hold you up. For the great majority of domestic switches, your postcode and address are enough. The MPAN or MPRN only comes into play if the address lookup cannot find your property — and in that case, the supplier you are switching to will normally help you track it down as part of the application.
If you do not know who currently supplies you either, our guide on how to find out who supplies your gas and electricity covers both lookups.
All you need is your postcode to get started.
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Usually not. What is printed on the meter is the meter serial number, which identifies the physical device rather than the supply point. Your MPAN appears on your electricity bill in a boxed grid, and in your online account. Some smart meters show it on the in-home display or in the supplier’s app.
An MPAN identifies an electricity supply point and is 21 digits, of which the bottom 13 are usually what you are asked for. An MPRN identifies a gas supply point and is six to ten digits. Both are fixed to the property and neither changes when you switch supplier.
No. Your MPAN belongs to the property and normally remains the same when you move in or switch supplier. Switching suppliers changes who bills you, not your meter point. The same is true of your MPRN. Only a physical change to the supply, such as a new connection, creates a new number.
Between six and ten digits, most commonly ten. It is a single row of numbers with no letters, often prefaced with an M on your bill. If what you are looking at contains letters, you probably have the meter serial number rather than the MPRN.
For gas, yes — Find My Supplier at findmysupplier.energy returns your MPRN free using just your postcode. For electricity, there is no equivalent public database, so the free route is calling 105 to reach your regional network operator, or checking your supplier’s online account.
It is whatever the property’s MPAN already was — these numbers belong to the address, not the occupant, so moving in does not create a new one. With no bill to hand, call 105 to reach your network operator, who can confirm the MPAN and tell you which supplier is registered to the property.
MPAN is electricity; MPRN is gas. Both belong to the property rather than to you, both stay the same when you switch supplier, and both can be recovered even with no bill to hand — through Find My Supplier for gas, or your regional network operator on 105 for electricity.
If you are looking for these numbers, you are almost certainly either switching supplier or setting up a supply at a new address. Once you have what you need, compare energy prices to see what you could be paying, or find out who currently supplies your property if you are not yet sure.
Last updated: August 2026. Next review: February 2027.
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