Last updated: September 2026
Every electricity connection in Ireland has an MPRN and every gas connection has a GPRN. They are the two numbers a supplier will ask for the moment you try to switch, move house, set up a prepay meter or claim solar export payments - and they are the two numbers most people cannot find when asked. This guide explains what each one is, what it looks like, where it is printed, how to get it without a bill, and why it belongs to the house rather than to you.
⚡ Quick Summary
🌿 MPRN (electricity): an 11-digit number that always starts with 10, issued by ESB Networks. Printed on the front of every electricity bill, usually top right, labelled "MPRN".
🌿 GPRN (gas): a 7-digit number issued by Gas Networks Ireland, printed on your gas bill. Short ones are padded with zeros at the front.
🌿 They identify the connection, not you: the numbers stay the same when you switch supplier or get a new meter, and change only when you move to a different property.
🌿 No bill? ESB Networks: 1800 372 757 or the Find My MPRN service in an ESB Networks online account. Gas Networks Ireland: 1800 464 464.
🌿 Why it matters: switching, moving in, prepay set-up, smart meter queries and solar export (Clean Export Guarantee) applications all hang off the MPRN.
🌿 Guard it: an MPRN plus a name is enough to start a switch, so give it only to a supplier you have chosen yourself.
🔌 What Is an MPRN?
MPRN stands for Meter Point Reference Number. ESB Networks, which owns and runs the electricity network no matter who sends your bill, assigns one to every point where a property connects to the grid. All suppliers use it to look up the supply details for that address.
The format is fixed: 11 digits, and the first two are always 10. The next eight are sequential and the final digit is a check digit, so a typo usually produces an invalid number rather than someone else's house. An MPRN looks like 10012345678.
🔹 MPRN vs meter number vs account number
🌿 MPRN: identifies the connection point - the physical link between your home and the network. It never changes for that address, even if ESB Networks swaps the meter for a smart meter.
🌿 Meter serial number: printed on the meter itself and specific to that box of hardware. It changes when the meter is replaced. Suppliers rarely ask for it.
🌿 Account number: your supplier's own customer reference. It changes every time you switch. Useless to a new supplier.
If a form asks for the MPRN and you give the account number, the switch will bounce. It is the single most common reason a switch stalls.
🔥 What Is a GPRN?
GPRN stands for Gas Point Registration Number (some suppliers say "Reference Number" - same thing). Gas Networks Ireland assigns one to every connection to the gas network. It is a 7-digit number; if yours has fewer digits on paper, add zeros to the front to make seven, e.g. 0012345. Like the MPRN, it belongs to the property, not to a person or a supplier.
Gas Networks Ireland prints the GPRN on your gas bill, on the "no access" card a meter reader leaves if they cannot get in, and - for pay-as-you-go gas - on the Payzone top-up receipt. On a PAYG gas meter you can also read it on screen 32 (press the red A button).
📄 Where to Find Them on Your Bill
🌿 Electricity bill: front page, usually the top right-hand corner, labelled MPRN. Every supplier is required to print it.
🌿 Gas bill: front page too, though the exact spot varies by supplier - look for GPRN near your account details.
🌿 Online accounts and apps: the account overview or "my property" section of Electric Ireland, Bord Gáis Energy, SSE Airtricity, Energia, Flogas, Pinergy and PrepayPower all show it.
🌿 Prepay keypad meters: the top-up receipt from Payzone carries the MPRN or GPRN.
You can paste whatever number you have found into the checker below and it will tell you whether the shape is right.
🔹 Check the format of a number
Indicative format check only. It confirms the shape of the number (an MPRN is 11 digits starting with 10; a GPRN is 7 digits) - it cannot confirm the number belongs to your address. ESB Networks (1800 372 757) and Gas Networks Ireland (1800 464 464) can.
🔍 How to Find Your MPRN or GPRN Without a Bill
Just moved in, tenant with bills in the landlord's name, brand-new build - this is where most people get stuck.
🔹 Electricity (MPRN)
🌿 Phone ESB Networks: 1800 372 757, Monday to Friday 8:30am-6pm and Saturday 8:30am-1:30pm. Have the full address and Eircode ready; the meter serial number from the meter box speeds things up. (Older articles still quote an 1850 number - those numbers no longer work.)
🌿 Find My MPRN online: create an ESB Networks online account and use the lookup. It sends a code by text, and the name and mobile number must match what your electricity supplier holds - so it works for people already signed up with a supplier, not for someone who has just moved in and has no supplier yet. Phone in that case.
🌿 Ask the landlord, agent or previous owner: any old bill for the address has it.
🌿 New build: the MPRN is created when ESB Networks connects the house; your builder or electrical contractor will have it, or ESB Networks can find it from the address.
🔹 Gas (GPRN)
🌿 Phone Gas Networks Ireland: 1800 464 464. They will ask for the name on the account, the address or Eircode and, ideally, the meter serial number.
🌿 New gas connection: Gas Networks Ireland assigns the GPRN when the connection is created - it arrives with the connection paperwork.
There is no public online GPRN lookup, so the phone line is the official route.
🧾 When You Actually Need Them
🌿 Switching supplier: the CRU's switching checklist is MPRN, GPRN (if you have gas), an up-to-date meter reading and your current usage. With those, a switch takes minutes. Our energy providers guide covers the €550+ a year switching gap.
🌿 Moving house: take a meter reading on day one and give the new supplier the MPRN for the new address. If the property has been disconnected for more than six months, an electrical contractor's certificate is needed before reconnection - ESB Networks will explain.
🌿 Prepay or pay-as-you-go: setting up a keypad or smart pay-as-you-go plan needs the MPRN, and the number is printed on every top-up receipt afterwards.
🌿 Smart meter queries: if your smart meter data looks wrong, ESB Networks will ask for the MPRN first.
🌿 Solar export payments: the NC6 microgeneration form your installer submits to ESB Networks is tied to your MPRN, and your supplier pays the Clean Export Guarantee against that MPRN's export readings. No MPRN, no export money - see our solar panels guide.
🏷️ The Other Codes on Your Bill
Next to the MPRN most bills print a couple of codes that puzzle people.
🌿 DG1 / DG2 (Distribution Group): DG1 is an urban connection and DG2 is rural. It sets the network charge ESB Networks collects through your standing charge - rural standing charges are higher, typically by €30-100 a year, because the network cost per home is higher.
🌿 MCC (Meter Configuration Code): describes the meter type. MCC01 is a standard 24-hour meter, MCC02 a day/night meter, MCC12 a smart meter on a 24-hour plan and MCC16 a smart meter on a day/night/peak plan. If you want a night-rate tariff, this code is what changes.
🌿 MIC (Maximum Import Capacity): the size of your connection in kVA. Most homes are 12 kVA; it matters if you are adding a heat pump and a 7 kW EV charger to an older supply.
🛡️ Keep Your MPRN to Yourself
An MPRN and a name are enough for a supplier to start a switch, which is why doorstep and phone sales agents ask for the bill. You can cancel any doorstep contract within 30 days (14 days for phone or online sales) without giving a reason, but the simpler rule is never to hand your bill or MPRN to someone who called you. Ask for the offer in writing, compare it yourself, and switch on your own terms.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
🌿 Giving the account number instead: the supplier's account number changes every switch; the MPRN never does. Forms want the MPRN.
🌿 Dropping the leading zeros on a GPRN: 0012345 and 12345 are not the same entry on a form. Seven digits, always.
🌿 Using the old house's number: the MPRN belongs to the property. After a move, the number on your old bill is worthless.
🌿 Waiting for a bill to switch: if you have just moved in, phone ESB Networks for the MPRN rather than paying a month on a standard tariff.
🌿 Reading the meter serial as the MPRN: if it is on the meter itself, it is the serial number. The MPRN is on paperwork, not on the box.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
🔹 Does my MPRN change when I get a smart meter?
No. ESB Networks states the MPRN is unique to the premises and will never change. A meter swap changes the meter serial number and the MCC code, not the MPRN.
🔹 Is my MPRN the same as my neighbour's?
No - every connection point has its own. Apartments in one building each have a separate MPRN.
🔹 Can I find my MPRN from my Eircode online?
Not directly. The ESB Networks online lookup needs an account whose details match your supplier's records. Otherwise phone 1800 372 757 with the address and Eircode.
🔹 Why does a supplier need my GPRN if I only want to switch electricity?
They don't. GPRN is only needed for a gas switch or a dual-fuel plan.
🔹 My bill shows DG2 but I live in a town - is that wrong?
Possibly not. The urban/rural classification follows ESB Networks' network map, not the postal address, and some edge-of-town estates are DG2. You can query it with ESB Networks, but reclassification is rare.
🔹 I have a keypad prepay meter - where is the MPRN?
On the Payzone top-up receipt, and in the supplier's app. PrepayPower and Pinergy customer service can also read it out with the address.
📚 Related Guides
🌿 Best Electricity Provider
🌿 Electricity Prices & Average Bill
🌿 Night Rate Electricity
🌿 Pay-As-You-Go Electricity
🌿 ESB Smart Meter Error
🌿 Appliance Running Costs
🌿 Hot Water Costs
🌿 Electric Heater Running Costs
🌿 Dehumidifiers
👉 All guides and calculators
Climate Jargon Buster is an independent resource. Formats and contact numbers are correct as of September 2026 and are set by ESB Networks and Gas Networks Ireland, with which we are not affiliated - confirm anything account-specific with them or your supplier.