MPRN number: what it is and how to find yours

What is an MPRN number?

MPRN stands for Meter Point Reference Number. Ofgem describes it as the gas equivalent of the MPAN, the number that identifies your electricity supply. Xoserve, which runs the central systems for the gas industry, says it's also known as an M Number or Meter Number, and some suppliers call it your gas supply number.

Each gas supply point has its own MPRN. Cadent, one of the gas networks, says there's a unique MPRN for every gas service in every building. It identifies the point where gas is taken from the network to supply your premises, so it belongs to the supply point, not to your business or your supplier.

That means your MPRN stays the same when you switch supplier, and the industry processes each switch against it. It will be different if you move to other premises, which have their own MPRN.

How many digits is an MPRN?

Xoserve says the MPRN is between 6 and 10 digits long. Xoserve's system for creating new MPRNs uses a 10-digit field, and National Grid's process document from 2005 says that in a 10-digit MPRN, the last two digits are check digits.

It's numbers only, which makes it easy to tell apart from the meter serial number, a mix of letters and numbers.

Where to find your MPRN on a gas bill

Xoserve says the MPRN appears on every gas bill in Britain. Where it sits depends on your supplier. British Gas Business, for example, shows it under the "Details of charges" heading. If you can't spot it, look for the words MPRN, meter point reference or gas supply number, or ask your supplier. If the MPRN on your bill doesn't match the one Find My Supplier gives for your address, tell your supplier, because you may be billed for the wrong supply.

Is the MPRN on the gas meter?

Usually not on the meter itself. British Gas Business says plainly that it's not shown on the meter. The number you'll see on the meter, usually near a barcode, is the meter serial number, which identifies the meter rather than the supply.

There may be a label with the MPRN on the pipe near the meter, though. The Energy Networks Association says to look for a tag next to the gas supply pipe near your meter. Since 12 August 2002, new gas services laid by contractors for the network to adopt have had to carry a label with the MPRN, fixed at or close to the emergency control valve, the handle that turns the gas off at the meter. Older services may not have one.

If you look for the label, leave it and the valve as they are. If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. It's free and open 24 hours. Open doors and windows, and turn the gas off at the control handle unless the meter is in a cellar.

How to find your MPRN without a bill

If you don't have a gas bill to hand, or you've just moved into premises, there are three places to ask.

1. Find My Supplier. Enter the postcode and choose the address from the list, and the service shows the MPRN, the gas supplier and the gas transporter.
2. The Meter Number Helpline. Call 0870 608 1524, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. Calls cost 7p a minute, plus your phone company's access charge.
3. Your supplier. If you know who supplies the premises, it can give you the MPRN.

Which gas network supplies your premises?

Your supplier sells you gas, but the pipes belong to a gas transporter. Ofgem says there are eight gas distribution networks in Great Britain, owned by four groups: Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, SGN and Wales & West Utilities. Some premises, often on newer developments, are connected to smaller local networks run by independent gas transporters, which link into one of the large networks.

Xoserve keeps the register of supply points for the networks, and the MPRN is how each one is identified. If you want to know which transporter your premises are on, Find My Supplier shows it alongside the MPRN.

Can a business have more than one MPRN?

Yes. Each gas supply meter point has its own MPRN, so a business with several sites has at least one for each, and a site with more than one gas supply has one for each supply. Ofgem has noted that it can be hard to tell which number relates to which part of a site's supply, so when you get quotes, list every MPRN with the address and meter it belongs to.

Your MPRN and your annual quantity (AQ)

Business gas quotes and bills may show an annual quantity, or AQ, next to the MPRN. Xoserve defines it as an estimate of the gas a supply point will use in a year under seasonal normal weather, in kWh.

For sites that aren't read daily, which includes most smaller sites, the AQ is worked out from the gas used between two meter readings taken 9 to 36 months apart, adjusted for the weather. It's recalculated each month when a new reading comes in, and on 1 April each year a figure based on the AQ from the previous 1 December is used to set your site's transportation charges for the year.

The AQ also puts your site in a category:

• Over 73,200 kWh a year, the site is a large supply point.
• Over 58.6 million kWh a year, the site must be read daily.

If the AQ on your bill looks wrong, for example because your use has dropped, give your supplier regular meter readings so it can be updated.

Other numbers on a business gas bill

Your MPRN usually sits near a few other numbers that are worth knowing:

• The meter serial number, which identifies the meter itself.
• Your meter readings, in cubic metres on a metric meter, or hundreds of cubic feet on an older imperial one.
• The conversion to kWh. Gas is measured by volume but charged by energy. For sites using up to 732,000 kWh a year, your supplier converts the volume using a volume correction factor of 1.02264 and the calorific value of the gas, then divides by 3.6. Larger sites use a correction factor worked out for the site. An imperial reading, in hundreds of cubic feet, is first converted to cubic metres by multiplying by 2.83.
• Your annual quantity (AQ), described above.

Your bill should say if a reading is estimated, often with the word estimated or an E next to it. Sending your own readings helps keep both your bills and your AQ accurate.

Why your business needs its MPRN

• Getting quotes. Suppliers use your MPRN to identify the supply, and may need your yearly gas use to give you a quote.
• Switching supplier. Your new supplier uses the MPRN to take over the right supply.
• Opening an account. Cadent says your gas supplier will always ask for your MPRN when setting up a new account.
• Checking bills. The MPRN on each gas bill should match the supply you're paying for, especially if you have several sites or more than one gas supply.

Does a new or smart meter change your MPRN?

No. Under the Smart Energy Code, the MPRN is allocated by the gas network to the supply meter point, not to the meter. When a meter is replaced, including when a smart meter is fitted, it's the meter serial number that changes, and the MPRN stays with the supply.

To check whether a smart gas meter should work in smart mode, the Citizens Advice smart meter checker asks for your MPRN and postcode, and checks with the Data Communications Company, which runs the smart meter network. It's designed for homes, and can't tell you whether the meter is sending readings.

Is an MPRN the same as an MPAN?

No. The MPRN is for gas, and the MPAN is for electricity. They also look different: the full MPAN on an electricity bill is usually shown in a grid starting with an S, and its last 13 digits are the core, while the MPRN is a single number of up to 10 digits.

MPRN numbers in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, MPRN means something different. It's the 11-digit number NIE Networks uses to identify premises for electricity. Gas in Northern Ireland runs on separate networks, operated by Phoenix Natural Gas, Evolve (previously SGN Natural Gas) and firmus energy, and the Utility Regulator's consumer checklist calls the gas number an SMPN. Check your gas bill for the number your supplier uses.