mathematics

Meter Point Administration Number

Meter Point Administration Number is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Meter Point Administration Number rather than just read about it. In short: A Meter Point Administration Number, also known as MPAN, Supply Number or S-Number, is a 21-digit reference used in Great Britain to uniquely identify electricity supply points such as individual domestic properties. The system was introduced in 1998 to aid creation of a competitive environment for electricity supply companies, and assists consumers to switch their supplier as well as simplifying administration.

Key takeaways

Meter Point Administration Number belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Meter Point Administration Number to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Meter Point Administration Number from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A Meter Point Administration Number, also known as MPAN, Supply Number or S-Number, is a 21-digit reference used in Great Britain to uniquely identify electricity supply points such as individual domestic properties. The system was introduced in 1998 to aid creation of a competitive environment for electricity supply companies, and assists consumers to switch their supplier as well as simplifying administration. Although the name suggests that an MPAN refers to a particular meter, an MPAN can have several meters associated with it, or none where it is an unmetered supply. A supply receiving power from the distribution network operator (DNO) has an import MPAN, while generation and microgeneration projects feeding back into the DNO network are given export MPANs. The equivalent for gas supplies is the Meter Point Reference Number and the water/wastewater equivalent for non-household customers is the Supply Point ID.

Structure An MPAN is commonly separated into two sections: the core and the top line data. The core is the final 13 digits and is the unique identifier. The top line data gives information about the characteristics of the supply and is the responsibility of the supplier. The full MPAN is required to be depicted on electricity bills (the boxes on the top and bottom line are generally unaligned).

The core data is on the second line, with supplementary data on the first line. Only the last digit on the bottom row is the check digit.

Profile Class (PC) The first two digits of a full MPAN reflect its profile class.

Profile class 00 supplies are half-hourly (HH) metered, i.e. they record electricity consumption for every half hour of every day, and supplies of the other profile classes are non-half-hourly (NHH) metered. A NHH supply must be upgraded to HH where:

Any Metering System where the average of the maximum monthly electrical demands in the three months of highest demand, either in: a. the previous twelve months; or b. the period since the most recent Significant Change of Demand (whichever is the shorter) exceeds 100kW. Half-hourly data is recorded by the meter and collected by an onsite download, or by remote communication methods such as GSM, SMS, GPRS or telephone line. Domestic NHH import MPANs always have a profile class of 01 or 02. Domestic NHH export MPANs are allocated a profile class of 08. When the Metering System is migrated into the Marketwide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) arrangements, the following applies: Continue as currently for MPANs with a Profile Class of ‘02’ or ‘04’ or populate with ‘00’ for any MPANs that do not have a Profile Class

Meter Time Switch Code (MTC) The MTC is a three-digit code that reflects the various registers a meter may have, such as a single rate, day/night split, or a seasonal time of day.

When the Metering System is migrated into the Marketwide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) arrangements, the following applies: Populate from the SSC Id valid set for Traditional Meters or Populate with ‘0000’ for any MPANs for which the SSC Id is not applicable

Line Loss Factor Class (LLFC) The Line Loss Factor Class or LLFC is an alphanumeric code used to identify the related Distribution Use of System (DUoS) charges for the MPAN. The figure reflects both the amount of distribution infrastructure used to supply the exit point and the amount of energy lost through heating of cables, transformers, etc.

Core The MPAN core is the final 13 digits of the MPAN, and uniquely identifies an exit point. It consists of a two-digit Distributor ID, followed by an eight-digit unique identifier, then two digits and a single check digit.

Distributor ID

Great Britain is divided into fourteen distribution areas. For each area a single company, the distribution network operator, has a licence to distribute electricity. They effectively carry electricity from the National Grid to the exit points (each having a unique MPAN and a possibility of several meters) where the customers are. The owner of the distribution network charges electricity suppliers for carrying the electricity in their network. Their DNO licensed regions are the same geographic areas as the former nationalised electricity boards.

In addition to the distribution network operators noted above who are licensed for a specific geographic area, there are also independent distribution network operators (IDNOs). These own and operate electricity distribution networks which are mostly extensions of the main network, e.g. to serve new housing developments. Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution also provide distribution services in South Scotland as an IDNO, and Southern Electric Power Distribution provide IDNO services in all other areas of England and Wales (both of these are trading names of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks). Other IDNOs have no "base" area.

MPAN state The supply identified by the MPAN can be in one of four states: disconnected, de-energised, live, and new.

Disconnected: The service cable has been removed and the MPAN will not be reused. De-energised: The service cable is in place, but the fuse has been removed. The meter remains connected to the distribution network, but no electricity can be used. Live: Both the service cable and the fuse are in place. The supply is fully operational. New: A new MPAN has been generated, however, the top line (supplementary data consisting of the Profile Class and Meter Time-Switch Code) is not yet complete. The service cable may or may not be installed. These terms are by no means standardised. For example, a disconnected supply might be referred to as a 'dead' supply.

Export MPANs The vast majority of MPANs are import MPANs, where energy is being consumed. However, if a supply exports to the distribution network, then an export MPAN can be issued. If a supply both imports and exports, then both an import MPAN and export MPAN are issued.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Meter Point Administration Number

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Meter Point Administration Number claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Meter Point Administration Number before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Meter Point Administration Number ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Meter Point Administration Number

In research: Meter Point Administration Number appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Meter Point Administration Number in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Meter Point Administration Number is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Electric power in the United Kingdom, Electricity meters, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Meter Point Administration Number outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Meter Point Administration Number in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Meter Point Administration Number means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Meter Point Administration Number out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Meter Point Administration Number in simple terms?

Why does Meter Point Administration Number matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Meter Point Administration Number?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Meter Point Administration Number.