Your MPAN is the supply number on every electricity bill. The bottom line is the 13-digit MPAN itself, and its first two digits identify your network region. The top line starts with the profile class: 00 has meant a half-hourly metered supply, and 01 to 08 mean your use is estimated from standard profiles. As meters move to market-wide half-hourly settlement, smart meters are being given 00 too, so 00 no longer tells you which kind of meter you have.1,2,3
Where to find it
Suppliers must show the supply number on every bill, or at least once a year if no bill is sent.1 It is often called the supply number or "S number", and is printed in two rows: a top line and a bottom line.1,4 E.ON Next notes that the MPAN is also on the meter itself.3
The bottom line: your MPAN
The bottom line is the Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN): a distributor ID, a unique reference number and a check digit.1 It is 13 digits long.4 This is the number to quote when you ask for half-hourly data, and it stays the same when you change supplier.
The first two digits, the distributor ID, tell you which network region you are in and so which distribution network operator (DNO) runs your local network:4,5
| Distributor ID | Region | Network operator |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | East England | UK Power Networks (Eastern Power Networks) |
| 11 | East Midlands | National Grid Electricity Distribution (East Midlands) |
| 12 | London | UK Power Networks (London Power Networks) |
| 13 | North Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire | SP Energy Networks (SP Manweb) |
| 14 | West Midlands | National Grid Electricity Distribution (West Midlands) |
| 15 | North East England | Northern Powergrid (Northeast) |
| 16 | North West England | Electricity North West |
| 17 | North Scotland | Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution) |
| 18 | Central and Southern Scotland | SP Energy Networks (SP Distribution) |
| 19 | South East England | UK Power Networks (South Eastern Power Networks) |
| 20 | Southern England | Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (Southern Electric Power Distribution) |
| 21 | South Wales | National Grid Electricity Distribution (South Wales) |
| 22 | South West England | National Grid Electricity Distribution (South West) |
| 23 | Yorkshire | Northern Powergrid (Yorkshire) |
Numbers above 23 belong to independent network operators (IDNOs).4 The region matters because network charges are set by each network operator, so they differ from one region to another.
The top line: profile class and charging codes
Traditionally the top line holds three codes: the profile class, the meter timeswitch code (MTC) and the line loss factor class (LLFC).1 The line loss factor class links to the network charges and losses that apply to your supply.
The profile class tells the industry how your electricity use is estimated for settlement:2,3
| Profile class | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 00 | Half-hourly metered and settled |
| 01 | Domestic unrestricted |
| 02 | Domestic Economy 7 |
| 03 | Non-domestic unrestricted |
| 04 | Non-domestic Economy 7 |
| 05 | Non-domestic maximum demand, peak load factor less than 20% |
| 06 | Non-domestic maximum demand, peak load factor 20% to 30% |
| 07 | Non-domestic maximum demand, peak load factor 30% to 40% |
| 08 | Non-domestic maximum demand, peak load factor over 40% |
Classes 05 to 08 are for maximum demand meters, which record the highest demand in a period. The peak load factor is the electricity actually used in a period as a percentage of what would have been supplied if the maximum demand had been kept up for the whole period.2 The government's smart meter rollout for businesses covers profile classes 1 to 4. Larger sites outside it already have advanced (AMR) meters.6
What half-hourly settlement changes
Under market-wide half-hourly settlement, profile classes are being removed, except for older meters that aren't smart.1 Ofgem approved a new top-line format in 2023:1
- The profile class stays, but a meter that has moved to the new arrangements and no longer has a profile class shows 00.
- The meter timeswitch code is replaced by a Standard Settlement Configuration (SSC) ID, shown as 0000 where it doesn't apply.
- The line loss factor class is replaced by a DUoS tariff ID, which identifies the network charges that apply.
The bottom line, your MPAN, doesn't change.1
In practice, 00 on a recent bill now means your supply is settled half-hourly. It no longer tells you whether you have a traditional half-hourly (AMR) meter or a smart meter. Either way, your meter records half-hourly readings, so ask your supplier for them.
Sources
- Ofgem: Decision to approve REC Change Proposal R0083, changes to supply number format for MHHS (November 2023)
- Elexon: Profiling (profile classes)
- E.ON Next: Half hourly meters
- EDF: Distribution network operators (MPAN prefix look-up)
- Ofgem: List of all electricity licensees (August 2026)
- Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Maximising non-domestic smart meter consumer benefits, supporting industry guidance (June 2022)
Questions people ask
Does profile class 00 mean I have a half-hourly meter?
It used to. Under market-wide half-hourly settlement, meters that have moved across and have no profile class are shown as 00, smart meters included. So 00 now means the supply is settled half-hourly, from either kind of meter.
How do I find my network operator from my MPAN?
The first two digits of the 13-digit MPAN are the distributor ID. Numbers 10 to 23 are the 14 regional network operators; higher numbers are independent network operators.
Does my MPAN change when I switch supplier?
No. The MPAN identifies the supply point, so it stays the same.
