First, find the serial number on the physical meter
Look at the physical electricity meter rather than relying only on the bill.
Find the meter serial number printed or displayed on the meter.
Do not confuse it with the current meter reading, the MPAN, a barcode, a communications-device number, or another number printed on surrounding equipment.
If you're unsure which number is the serial number, take clear photographs of the whole meter rather than guessing.
Do not remove covers, break seals or interfere with the meter.
Take photographs before anything changes
Take a clear photograph of the whole meter.
Then photograph the meter serial number, the current reading, every relevant Day, Night, Rate 1, Rate 2 or Total register, and any useful information visible on the meter display.
Keep the original photographs.
If there are several meters at the premises, photograph each meter separately and make it clear which part of the building or supply you believe each one serves.
Photographs can become particularly important if the meter is later exchanged.
Now compare the physical meter with your electricity bill
Find the meter information shown on the bill.
Compare the supply address, the MPAN, the meter serial number, the meter readings, the number of registers, and the billing period.
Do not rely on the business name or address alone.
If you have more than one electricity supply, make sure you are comparing the physical meter with the correct MPAN.
What if the MPAN matches but the serial number doesn't?
If the MPAN appears to identify the correct electricity supply but the physical meter serial number doesn't match the bill, investigate the meter history.
One possible explanation is that the physical meter has previously been replaced but the records you are looking at do not correctly reflect the exchange.
There may also be another record issue that needs investigation.
Do not assume that a serial-number mismatch automatically means the bill belongs to somebody else.
Ask the supplier to confirm which meter it currently has recorded as installed, when that meter was installed, whether a previous meter is recorded as removed, and which readings are associated with each meter.
Did this start after a smart-meter installation or meter exchange?
If the discrepancy appeared after a meter was replaced, tell the supplier.
Find out the date of the meter exchange, the serial number of the old meter, the serial number of the new meter, the final reading recorded for the old meter, the opening reading recorded for the new meter, and which meter the supplier currently believes is installed.
Check bills immediately before and after the exchange.
A meter exchange creates an important boundary in the billing history.
If the exchange information is wrong, simply submitting another current reading may not resolve the historic problem.
What if the supplier's records say my meter was removed, but it's still here?
Do not try to alter the meter yourself.
Photograph the physical meter clearly.
Capture the meter serial number, the current reading, the wider meter installation, and the date the photographs were taken.
Tell the supplier that the physical meter currently installed at the premises does not correspond with the meter status or history it has described.
Ask it to investigate the meter exchange and registration history.
If the supplier requires an engineer or metering agent to verify what is physically installed, cooperate with an appropriate site visit where practical.
Do not assume that a database record must simply be overwritten without investigation.
What is ECOES?
ECOES is an electricity industry enquiry service containing information associated with electricity supply points and metering.
Meter information associated with industry records can include details such as the meter serial number and meter installation or removal information.
For most business customers, the practical first step is not to try to correct industry records themselves.
Raise the discrepancy with the energy supplier and provide evidence of what is physically installed.
Ask the supplier to investigate the meter and registration records and explain what needs correcting.
What if two meters appear to have been mixed up?
This needs careful investigation.
Do not start swapping readings between accounts yourself.
For each physical meter, collect the premises, the MPAN you believe relates to it, the physical meter serial number, the current reading, clear photographs, and previous bills.
Create a simple record for each supply.
Then ask the supplier to confirm which meter it has associated with each MPAN.
If the same meter serial number appears against more than one supply, or the physical meters do not correspond with the supplier's records, highlight that specifically.
Does a wrong serial number mean my bill is wrong?
Not necessarily.
A meter serial-number error can exist without changing the amount you have been charged.
But it can also be a warning sign that the meter or reading history needs closer investigation.
The important question is whether the incorrect meter information has affected which readings were used, which registers were billed, the meter exchange history, estimated consumption, or the allocation of consumption to your supply.
Do not demand a refund simply because one identifier is wrong.
First establish whether the billing itself has been affected.
Don't stop when the meter record is corrected
If the meter details have been wrong for months or years, ask whether historic bills need reviewing.
Work backwards through previous bills.
Look for when the meter serial number first changed, whether an old serial number continued appearing after a meter exchange, changes in reading patterns, estimated readings, unexpected jumps or drops in consumption, changes in Day and Night allocation, and bills that appear inconsistent with how the business operates.
Correcting today's meter record does not automatically establish whether historic billing was accurate.
What if the supplier corrects the meter but not the bills?
Treat the meter-record correction and billing correction as two separate questions.
Ask: Has the physical meter record now been corrected? And: Did the previous error affect what I was charged?
If billing was affected, ask for a clear recalculation showing the period corrected, the readings used, the consumption used, payments already made, and the resulting account balance.
Keep the original bills as well as the corrected versions.
What if it isn't resolved?
If the supplier does not resolve the discrepancy, raise a formal complaint.
Provide the photographs and evidence again and explain precisely what remains wrong.
Keep the complaint reference, copies of all photographs, meter-exchange information, bills, supplier responses, and a simple chronology.
Eligible microbusiness and Small Business customers may be able to take an unresolved supplier dispute to the Energy Ombudsman after receiving a deadlock letter or after the supplier has had eight weeks to resolve the complaint.
Not every business qualifies.
Ofgem does not investigate individual customer complaints.
Signs the problem needs further investigation
Investigate further if:
- The physical meter serial number does not match the bill.
- The same serial number appears to be associated with different supplies.
- A meter is recorded as removed but is still physically installed.
- A replacement meter does not appear on later bills.
- The serial number changes without a known meter exchange.
- Readings before and after a meter exchange do not make sense.
- The number of registers on the bill does not correspond with the meter.
- Consumption changes dramatically around the date of a meter exchange.
None of these automatically proves you have been overcharged. They are reasons to investigate the records and billing.
What to send the supplier
Give the supplier enough evidence to investigate properly.
- Your account details
- The supply address
- The MPAN
- A photograph of the whole meter
- A clear photograph of the physical meter serial number
- Photographs of the relevant readings or registers
- The date the photographs were taken
- Copies of bills showing the conflicting meter information
- Details of any known meter exchange
If more than one supply is affected, separate the evidence for each MPAN.
Copy-and-paste supplier message
Subject: Meter serial number does not match the physical electricity meter
I'm contacting you because the meter serial number recorded on my electricity account does not appear to match the physical meter installed at the premises. I have attached photographs showing the meter currently installed, its serial number and the relevant meter readings. Please confirm: 1. The MPAN associated with this account. 2. The meter serial number you currently have recorded as installed against that MPAN. 3. The installation date you hold for that meter. 4. Whether a previous meter is recorded as removed and, if so, the removal date. 5. The meter serial numbers and exchange history held for this supply. 6. The closing reading held for any previous meter. 7. The opening reading held for the current meter. 8. Whether the meter information used on my bills is correct. 9. Whether this discrepancy has affected any historic meter readings or bills. 10. What action is required to correct the meter and industry records if they are wrong. Please do not simply amend the latest reading without investigating the meter history. Please confirm the outcome of your investigation and any required billing corrections in writing.
Why we check the physical meter
We've dealt with business energy accounts where the information recorded against a supply did not correspond with what was physically installed at the premises.
Problems involving meter exchanges, serial numbers, registers and historic readings can be difficult to untangle if everyone keeps working from the same incorrect account information.
That's why we start with the physical evidence.
Photograph what is actually installed.
Identify the supply.
Establish the meter history.
Then work out whether the billing has been affected.
When meter information affects the bill
Meter problems can sometimes have a significant financial effect.
In one genuine TBER investigation, a large dairy farming business received an electricity catch-up bill for £183,717.22.
Photographic meter evidence helped establish that Day, Night and Total readings had been mixed up in the billing process.
Correcting the meter-register issue resulted in an approximate £94,000 credit.
A separate backbilling challenge resulted in a further approximate £50,000 credit.
That is an extreme example, but it demonstrates why physical meter information should be checked when the billing doesn't make sense.
The Best Energy Rates Desk
If the serial number on the bill doesn't match the meter in front of you, don't start by guessing which record is right.
Start with the physical evidence.
Photograph the meter.
Identify the MPAN.
Check previous bills.
Find out whether there has been a meter exchange.
Then ask the supplier what meter it believes is installed against that supply.
The aim isn't simply to get one number changed on a database.
The aim is to establish what happened and whether the incorrect information has affected your billing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a meter serial number?
A meter serial number identifies the physical electricity meter. It is different from the MPAN, which identifies the electricity supply point, and from the meter reading, which records consumption.
Where can I find my electricity meter serial number?
It is normally printed or displayed on the physical meter. If you are unsure which number it is, photograph the whole meter rather than guessing or confusing it with the meter reading, MPAN or another equipment number.
Is my MPAN the same as my meter serial number?
No. The MPAN identifies the electricity supply point. The meter serial number identifies the physical meter installed at that supply. A meter can be replaced while the MPAN for the supply remains the same.
Why doesn't the meter serial number on my bill match my meter?
One possibility is that the meter has previously been exchanged and the information you are looking at does not correctly reflect the current installation. There can also be other record problems. Photograph the physical meter and ask the supplier to confirm the meter and exchange history associated with your MPAN.
Does a wrong meter serial number mean my electricity bill is wrong?
Not automatically. The record can be wrong without changing the amount billed. But the mismatch should be investigated to establish whether incorrect readings, registers or meter-exchange information have affected the billing.
What if my supplier says my meter was removed but it is still installed?
Photograph the physical meter, including its serial number and reading, and tell the supplier that what is physically installed does not correspond with the meter history it has described. Ask it to investigate the registration and meter-exchange records.
What happens to my MPAN when my electricity meter is replaced?
The physical meter and its serial number can change during a meter exchange while the electricity supply point continues to be identified by its MPAN. The exchange history should correctly connect the old and new meter information with the supply.
Can two business electricity meters get mixed up?
Meter and supply records can require investigation where physical meters do not correspond with account information. If you have several meters or MPANs, document each supply separately and ask the supplier to confirm which physical meter it has associated with each MPAN.
What is ECOES?
ECOES is an electricity industry enquiry service containing information associated with electricity supply points and metering. If you believe the meter information associated with your business supply is wrong, the practical first step is normally to raise the discrepancy with your supplier and provide evidence of what is physically installed.
Should I keep sending meter readings if the serial number is wrong?
Keep a record of genuine readings and photographs, but do not assume that submitting another reading will correct an underlying meter-record problem. Ask the supplier to investigate which physical meter and registers are associated with your supply.
Can an incorrect meter exchange affect old bills?
Potentially. If incorrect meter or reading information was used after an exchange, historic billing may need investigation. Establish the old and new meter details, exchange date and readings and ask whether previous bills were affected.
Can The Best Energy Rates help investigate incorrect meter details?
Yes. We can help compare the physical meter, supply information, bills, readings and meter history and help establish what needs to be queried with the supplier. This does not require you to change energy supplier.
Related guides
Meter readings don't match bill
What to do when meter readings and bills don't correspond.
Business energy bill validation
How we check business energy bills for errors.
£144,000 dairy farm billing investigation
How photographic meter evidence led to £144,000 in credits.
SSE bills, meter readings and backbilling
Backbilling rules and meter reading guidance for SSE customers.