PPE Number – Why it is important and where to find tt? A guide
Accurate billing for the electricity consumed by a user requires that the provider can identify exactly where and under what conditions the electricity is being delivered. This is what the PPE number is used for. Where can you find it, and why is the PPE number important?
What is the PPE Number and Why Is It Important?
The PPE number (Point of Electricity Supply) is used to designate a specific location where electricity is delivered from the central grid. You could say it is the connection point between the central grid and the customer's home or business network. In practice, it is possible to have several PPEs, for example, if a company has several branches or if a private individual owns more than one apartment or house.
Each PPE may have one or more meters connected to it, and it has a unique 18-digit number. You can find it on your distribution service invoice or on your comprehensive services invoice. It’s important not to confuse the PPE number with the meter number—these are two completely different identifiers, although the provider can identify the user with either.
The PPE number is important for several reasons. First and foremost, it ensures accurate measurement of the location where electricity is supplied. The provider has access to data from a specific PPE and can accurately calculate electricity consumption for a given period. That’s why your electricity bills are correct.
Another function of the PPE number is to maintain continuous billing when switching electricity providers. If you sign a contract with a new provider, they gain access to the current status of the PPE, ensuring that subsequent billing reflects the existing meter readings and does not start from scratch.
Definition and Functions of the Electricity Supply Point (PPE)
The concept of the Point of Electricity Supply is defined in the Energy Law1. According to Article 3, point 67 of this law, a PPE is understood as a metering point in the installation or network for which settlements are made and for which a change of supplier can occur. It serves an identification function and acts as a kind of access code since it can be used in the process of changing the electricity supplier. Energy balancing is carried out at the PPE.
The PPE code may also be required when providing additional services by the operator (e.g., signing a DSR contract with a company), as well as for handling complaint submissions.
As an interesting note, the PPE also helps energy companies determine the final electricity tariff. This is especially noticeable for property owners who lease premises for various institutions or businesses. There is often an opinion that PPE in such buildings should be billed according to the C11 tariff (with limited off-peak consumption), rather than G tariffs intended for households. In practice, this can mean significantly higher electricity bills.
The PPE number is assigned by the Distribution System Operator (DSO). The application usually includes a diagram reflecting the connection of the central grid to the customer’s network and a statement confirming the connection has been completed.
At the PPE, all parameters relevant to billing for the sale/purchase of electricity are measured:
- Power;
- Amount of energy drawn from the grid;
- Amount of energy returned to the grid.
The PPE is also important for prosumers, as it allows them to calculate how much electricity has been supplied to the power grid. It applies to all users connected to the central grid, including small households, corporate consumers, and even solar farms. Only users with off-grid photovoltaic systems do not have a PPE number, as these systems are not connected to the DSO network and operate entirely independently (which, of course, involves various consequences, including a lack of energy supply stability during periods of lower efficiency).
Where to Find the PPE Number – Step-by-Step Instructions
You can find the PPE number on your electricity bills from your electricity provider. It is typically located at the top of the document, just below the customer number, invoice number, electricity consumption address, contractual power, and tariff group. If you cannot locate your PPE number, contact your electricity provider by email, online, or by phone.
Some operators offer customers convenient apps that allow for the aggregation and analysis of data related to the PPE. For example, Energa Operator has developed the Mój Licznik 2 , app, which allows users to:
- Verify meter readings assigned to a specific PPE;
- Compare energy consumption across different periods;
- Assess the efficiency of using a chosen tariff;
- Simulate energy costs for a different tariff group than the current one;
- Check how much energy the customer has fed into the grid (for solar energy users).
By having the PPE number, you can consciously manage your energy consumption and optimize it in the long term.
How to Read and Understand the PPE Number on Your Invoice?
The new PPE code structure consists of 18 characters:
- The first three digits (590) represent the prefix for the Polish GS1 organization responsible for developing measurement standards;
- Digits 4 to 7 are the individual number assigned by GS1 to the specific distribution network operator. For example, Polenergia Dystrybucja’s code is 4962, and Tauron Dystrybucja’s is 3224;
- Digits 8 to 17 are the unique PPE number assigned to the point by the DSO;
- The last digit serves as a control function.
To use the PPE number, for instance, to change your electricity provider, you will need the complete PPE number.
Before the change, PPE codes consisted of 20 characters and four sections, including the region and municipality (4 digits), supplier code (5 characters), balancing zone (5 characters), object code (3 characters), and meter number (3 digits). The new standard, introduced a few years ago, is more transparent and relates to the implementation of CSIRE (Central Energy Market Information System) in Poland.
The Importance of the PPE Number in Energy Supply Processes
The PPE number is not so much an identifier of the user as it is of the connection point to the grid. This means that all the details of the contract with the provider are "encoded" in it. If you believe that the deliveries are being carried out in violation of the terms of cooperation, reporting this in a complaint and providing the supplier with the PPE number will allow for a quick identification of any irregularities.
Whether you are a consumer or run a business with a large geographical reach, knowing your PPE number can be useful. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep your invoices organized so that you can quickly locate it if needed.
1. https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU19970540348