National Metering Identifier (NMI)

Written and checked by the Energy Merchants desk · Reviewed 3 October 2026

The NMI, or National Metering Identifier, is the number that identifies a customer’s connection point to the grid. It is printed on the electricity bill, and every meter in the National Electricity Market has one. Western Australia and the Northern Territory use their own equivalent identifiers.

Why it comes up on a solar or battery job

The NMI ties the installation to a specific network connection. The distribution business needs it to process the connection application. Compliance certificates and some battery program forms ask for it. A wrong digit leads to a rejected application or a mismatch, and the fix is a delay.

In practice

Take the NMI from the customer’s latest bill, or from the switchboard meter, and record it at the quote stage, not at the end of the job. A photo of the meter showing the NMI or the meter number is a useful piece of evidence for the file. Check the compliance certificate has the same NMI as the network application.

Worked example

A customer’s bill shows an NMI starting with 6102 followed by six more characters. The installer types it into the network portal and the system returns the site’s address and the network operator. If the address does not match the property, the number is wrong and it needs correcting before anything else is lodged.

Common confusion

The NMI is not the meter serial number. The serial identifies the physical meter, which can be replaced when a smart meter is fitted. The NMI stays with the connection point. It is also not the customer’s account number with their retailer.

See also DNSP, the STC photo requirements, how it works and the glossary.