Everything You Need to Know About Your Export MPAN
Rooftop solar and home batteries are now a normal sight on British streets, and your household may well have one. But here's the catch: plenty of systems push surplus power to the grid every sunny afternoon and never earn a penny for it. The missing piece is usually an export MPAN (meter point administration number).
Your home treats electricity in two directions as two separate transactions. Pulling power in runs through one meter point. Pushing power out needs another, with its own number and its own registration. Without it, your supplier has nothing to attach payments to under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).
This guide looks at:
What an export MPAN is and why you need it
Key differences between import vs export MPAN
Locating and metering your export supply number
How to get an export MPAN in the UK
How to maximise home energy independence using home energy storage solutions
What Is an Export MPAN and Why Do You Need It?
An export MPAN is a 13-digit number that identifies where your property sends electricity back into the grid. It’s basically a reference your supplier needs before they can pay you for each kilowatt-hour you exported.
Note: A full MPAN is 21 digits long in the UK and includes the profile class, meter timeswitch code, line lose factor, etc. However, the export MPAN core is 13 digits long. |
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Defining the Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN)
The export MPAN meaning follows the standard meter point administration number (MPAN) format used across the UK electricity network. Your import MPAN covers the power you consume. Your export meter MPAN covers the power you send out.
For an export meter MPAN example, picture 12 3456 7890 123 (made up for illustration, yours will differ). The first two digits show your distributor region, so 12 points to London.
The Role of an Export Supply Number in Solar Generation
Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) own the local wires, and energy suppliers handle the billing. Both need a distinct identifier to route, record and credit exported energy. Your export supply number MPAN does exactly that.
No number, no payment. Without it, your supplier can't track what you export, so it can't pay you under the SEG—the scheme Ofgem oversees that obliges larger suppliers to offer export tariffs.
Who Needs an Export Registration?
Do I need an export MPAN? Yes you definitely do, especially if your property generates and stores power that can flow back to the grid. If you have:
Rooftop solar PV
Wind turbines
Small hydro systems
Batteries set up to discharge into the grid
Import vs. Export MPAN: Key Differences
An import MPAN and an export MPAN are two separate identifiers that describe opposite directions of electricity flow. Same cables, different counters.
Direction of Energy Flow
An import MPAN tracks electricity pulled from the national grid into your home. An export MPAN registers surplus renewable power pushed from your home back into the local distribution network.
Billing vs. Revenue Generation
Your import MPAN is the basis of your standard bill. It decides what you owe your supplier. Your export number flips that. Here's the practical export MPAN meaning: SEG licensees use it to calculate what they owe you.
Rates vary widely between suppliers. Some pay a flat rate per kWh, others follow wholesale prices. The export MPAN Octopus route, for instance, sits on Octopus Energy's own export tariffs, while other suppliers run theirs on different terms.
Note: SEG rates and tariff terms change often. Check Ofgem's website for the current list of SEG licensees before you commit. |
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Distribution Network Assignment & Registration
Import MPANs are assigned automatically when a property is connected to the grid. An export number isn't. It needs a dedicated post-installation application through your regional DNO, which makes export MPAN registration a step you take after your system is installed, never before.
Locating and Metering Your Export Supply Number
Where to Find Your Import MPAN vs. Export MPAN
Your 13-digit import number sits on your monthly bill and in your online account.
To find export MPAN details, check your DNO confirmation letter or your SEG contract statement. You can also use an export MPAN checker from your energy provider, or ask them to look it up for you directly. If you're with British Gas, your export supply number MPAN British Gas record should appear in the same paperwork.
How Metering Infrastructure Differs
Recordkeeping for energy exports requires a meter that measures in both directions. As such, having a SMETS2 smart meter or bi-directionally compatible SMETS1 meters would help accomplish this. Half-hourly settlement data required.
The importance of half-hourly settlement data in export record-keeping is that it captures the exact times you exported energy, in 30-minute intervals. Your export meter MPAN matches this to your account.
How Do I Get an Export MPAN in the UK?
Getting an export MPAN is a supplier-led process with four key steps:
Step 1: Complete the Installation & Gather Paperwork
Once your solar PV or battery is installed, your certified installer should hand you two documents:
MCS (or Flexi-Orb) certificate—proves an accredited installer fitted your system to national standards under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).
DNO notification or acceptance letter—proof your local DNO has been told about, or has approved, your system under G98 (standard domestic systems, up to 16A per phase) or G99 (larger systems). The G98 is a post-installation notification that is submitted within 28 days of commissioning while the G99 requires prior DNO permission before installation can legally take place.
Step 2: Ensure You Have a Smart Meter
You must have a meter that can record exports. Therefore, check if your home has a SMETS2 or compatible SMETS1 smart hour that’s set to take half-hourly export readings. If you don’t have a smart meter, ask your electricity supplier to install one for you.
Step 3: Apply for an Export Tariff
Pick a supplier that offers a SEG tariff, such as Octopus Energy, British Gas, EDF or E.ON. You don't have to export to the same company you import from.
Apply through your chosen supplier's website.
Upload your MCS certificate, DNO proof and proof of address or ownership.
With British Gas, your export supply number MPAN British Gas details should be confirmed once the DNO registers it.
Expect the export MPAN Octopus application, or any other supplier's, to ask for the same core documents.
Step 4: DNO Issues the Export MPAN & Registration Completes
Once your paperwork is in, your supplier contacts your regional DNO to request the creation of your export number.
Creation: the DNO generates your unique 13-digit export MPAN number and registers it on the central database, the Meter Point Administration Service (MPAS). This typically takes one to four weeks.
Activation: your supplier receives the number, links it to your account and switches on your export tariff. An export MPAN checker can confirm it's live.
So, how long does it take to get an export MPAN? Plan for four to eight weeks during peak installation periods or if smart meter reconfigurations are needed.
Note: Timescales differ between DNOs and suppliers. Check Ofgem's website and your supplier's SEG page for current guidance. |
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Maximising Home Energy Independence and Bypassing Export Hassles
Self-consumption means using your own solar power inside your home instead of exporting it. How long does it take to get an export MPAN? The timeframe ranges between four to eight weeks, and that wait can delay your savings, and export rates are often lower than what you pay per kWh for imports. Store the surplus, and you use it when you'd otherwise buy from the grid.
Another question arises, do I need an export MPAN if I store each unit of electricity I generate? Not always. However, if your battery can discharge to the grid you still need DNO notification. So, don’t skip the paperwork
Note: Import and export rates change. Always check Ofgem and the Energy Saving Trust for up-to-date figures. |
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Capturing Surplus Solar Generation from Day One Without Grid Delays
If you're setting up solar for the first time, your afternoon surplus doesn't have to go unused while registration is processed. The EcoFlow STREAM 5000 is a 5kWh (5,024Wh) battery with a built-in grid-tied inverter and four MPPT solar inputs, handling up to 5,000W of panels. Daytime solar covers your loads first, and the leftover goes into the battery instead of out to the grid. A registered electrician has to install it in the UK. What's stored still cuts your bills whether or not your export MPAN registration has gone through.
Upgrading Existing Rooftop Systems to Stop Exporting Low-Value Energy
Already have solar panels on the roof and tired of exporting at low rates? Adding storage to an existing array is the usual fix. The EcoFlow STREAM AC 5000 is an AC-coupled 5kWh battery, so it works alongside your current panels and inverter rather than replacing them. It can stack with up to two expansion batteries for 15kWh if your evening demand grows. Its app can schedule charging and discharging around your tariff and the weather forecast. Store that surplus for the evening instead of worrying about your export supply number MPAN.
Conclusion
An export MPAN is the unique number that lets your supplier measure, credit and pay you for electricity you send to the grid. Your import MPAN can't do that job. You need an installation certificate, DNO notification, a compatible smart meter and an SEG tariff, and then the DNO creates the number, usually within one to four weeks. Know how to find export MPAN details, and switching suppliers later becomes painless.
The question of "how do I get an export MPAN" has a short answer: apply through a SEG supplier. Pair that tariff with battery storage and you get the best of both—payment for what you export, and savings on what you keep.
Export MPAN Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my existing import MPAN number for selling surplus solar electricity back to the grid?
No. Your import MPAN number strictly measures the electricity you use from the national grid. To measure the power you export you need a dedicated number that your DNO generates and is registered by your energy supplier.
What documents or details are required when applying for a new export supply number?
Through a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) supplier, you'll need your MCS or Flexi-Orb certificate, your installer's G98 or G99 DNO notification letter, your existing import supply number, and recent proof of ownership or a bill.
Is an export meter MPAN mandatory if I store all my solar generation in a home battery?
If your battery is configured to store everything for self-consumption, with zero discharge into the grid, registration isn't strictly required. Having one still lets you legally monetise any accidental spillover.
How does switching energy suppliers affect my established export registration?
When you switch energy suppliers, your number stays assigned to your property's grid connection point. When you change SEG licensees, your new supplier uses your existing number to take over payments, so you won't need to re-register.