The MPAN top line has changed on my electricity bill – what do I need to know? 

From 22 September the top line of a Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) has been adjusted in preparation for the Market-Wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) going live.  

Also known as Supply Number or S-Number, MPAN is a reference used in Great Britain to identify electricity supply points. This is typically printed on electricity invoices and itemised on quotations. 

The top line is the first and shorter line of the MPAN (previously 21-digit, now 22-digit), which identifies the characteristics of your electricity supply, such as the profile class and line loss factor. 

What is the MHHS about?

The MHHS programme will allow energy suppliers to settle electricity consumption for all meters on a half-hourly basis. Settlement process reconciles the difference between how much suppliers purchase electricity, and how much their customers actually use. 

What does this change mean in practice?

In the past the top line has been made up of:  

• Profile Type
• Meter Time-Switch Code (MTC) 
• Line Loss Factor (LLF) 

From now on: 

• The MTC will be replaced by the Standard Settlement Configuration (SSC).
• The LLF will be renamed as the DUoS Tariff ID.  

What is an SSC?

This is a four-digit code used to identify how a non-half-hourly meter is configured for settlement purposes. It specifies the number of registers on the meter and the times when electricity usage is recorded by each register.  

Any meter which is Half-Hourly (Profile 0) will have no SSC and will be represented as ‘0000’.  When a Smart Meter Type is migrated into the new MHHS arrangements, the SSC will be represented as ‘0000’ and the corresponding Profile Class will be shown as ‘00’. 

What does it look like?

After the MHHS migration is complete, Profile Classes will be removed except for Classes 02 and 04 – these will be used to identify Economy 7 and 10 meters.

How can Inspired help you?

Inspired’s metering experts can help ensure your electricity portfolio is MHHS-ready — with the right data, processes and visibility to unlock smarter decisions and lower costs.   

We can focus on a few key areas initially to maximise readiness, reduce risk, and enable early value realisation:   

• Audit and cleanse MPAN data: Ensure accurate linkage of MPANs to metering assets, including meter types, the ability of a smart meter and its associated communication hub to transmit and receive data, and configurations.  
• Identify non-compliant meters: Flag and prioritise sites where smart or advanced meters are non-functional, have issues in communicating and transmitting readings, or are incapable of delivering half-hourly data.  
• Boost install/commissioning Quality Assurance: Ensure new installs meet the half-hourly-readiness standard (e.g., SMETS2, AMR with comms, etc.).  

We can help ensure your electricity portfolio is fully prepared for the transition to MHHS – from metering readiness and data quality through to strategic insight and future-proofed operations. Together, we’ll turn regulatory change into commercial advantage.