What Is A SPID Number?

No matter what kind of industry or sector your business is in, you will have your own unique supply point identifier number (or SPID number) that helps utility companies identify your water and sewerage supplies across your various sites.

You may have noticed that you have a meter point administration number (or MPAN) for your electricity supply, and a meter point registration number (or MPRN) for your gas supply. Your SPID is simply the same idea, except that it relates to water. Typically, you will have two SPIDs per business premises, one for the water connection and the other for the sewerage supply.

How do I find my SPID number?

Take a look at the latest bill from your water supplier and you will find a copy of your water and sewerage SPID numbers. Your core SPID number is made up of ten digits and will then either be followed by a ‘W’ (for water supplies) or an ‘S’ (for sewerage supplies).

If you can’t find a recent invoice or bill, you can get in touch with your water retailer and give them your supply address in order to find out what your SPID number is.

Note that your SPID will always stay the same for your specific business sites. The only time you’ll have a new SPID number is if you decide to relocate your business and set up shop in a different location.

Your SPID number is based on your location, with English SPIDs starting with a ‘3’ and Scottish SPIDs starting with either a ‘1’ or ‘2’.

If you’ve built a new business premise or perhaps you own a domestic property that has been turned into a business (such as a holiday home), you will be assigned a SPID and registered on the commercial wholesale water network.

New properties that haven’t been assigned a SPID number by a wholesaler are known as gap sites, a property that is connected to the network and uses water but isn’t currently being billed by a business water supplier.

If you have been contacted by a wholesaler to say that your premises is a gap site and you agree with this assessment, you will need to sign up with a business water supplier. If you do not agree with the assessment, you can get in touch with the wholesaler in question and explain the situation so they can update their records.

Note that there may be an in-person inspection of your site to determine whether you should be paying business water rates.

Why do I need to have a SPID number as a business?

Your unique SPID number lets your water retailer and your water wholesaler know where you access your water from. This is essential as it will give them the information they need to ensure they’re billing you correctly, including all chargeable data items that are associated with your business, including your return to sewer allowance and full meter details.

SPIDs are also very useful if you decide you want to switch water supplier for any reason and they can make the process a lot easier and more efficient for you.