Lookup DNSP by NMI Tool

What the Lookup DNSP by NMI Tool Shows

Type the NMI (National Metering Identifier) from your electricity bill into this free NMI distributor lookup. It names the Electricity Distributor (DNSP) for that connection and lists the distributor's own published contact details. DNSP stands for Distribution Network Service Provider.

The result shows these contact details for the distributor:

• Faults and outages: the 24/7 phone number. On a phone, tap the number to call it.
• General enquiries: the phone number for questions about the network.
• Email: the email address, where the distributor publishes one.
• Website links: the website, the contact page, and the outage map (where the distributor publishes one).
• Postal address: the address for letters to the distributor.

These are the distributors' own advertised numbers and links. We re-verify them periodically.

When You Deal with Your Distributor

An Australian electricity customer deals with two companies. The retailer sells the electricity and sends the bill. The distributor owns and operates the poles and wires of the local network, and it is a separate company from your retailer.

The distributor's name is often absent from the bill. The NMI is printed on the bill, and the NMI identifies the distributor for that connection. You deal with the distributor for these services:

• Smart meter data: most distributors offer a customer web portal where you can download your data (see the next section).
• Faults and outages: the distributor restores supply and runs the 24/7 faults line. If there is danger to life, call 000 first.
• Solar panels and batteries: a connection needs the distributor's approval, which the installer usually lodges.
• Connections and upgrades: new connections and supply upgrades go through the distributor, typically via your retailer or an electrician.

How Your NMI and Distributor Lead to Your Smart Meter Data

Most distributors offer a customer web portal where you can download the interval data from your smart meter (your electricity use, recorded at short, regular intervals through the day). The portal gives you the data as a NEM12 CSV file, the standard file format for interval data in Australia's National Electricity Market.

The portal usually asks for your NMI when you register. The NMI and the name of your distributor are therefore the starting points for your data.

From Your NMI to a NEM12 CSV File

1. Find the NMI on your electricity bill.
2. Enter the NMI in the Lookup DNSP by NMI Tool to see your distributor.
3. Open the distributor's website link in the result.
4. If the distributor offers a customer portal, open its registration page.
5. Register with your NMI and any other details that the portal asks for.
6. Download your smart meter data as a NEM12 CSV file.

The NEM12 CSV file carries your NMI smart meter data: the NMI itself and the interval readings recorded for that connection. The readings show when your home uses electricity through the day. That pattern can help you compare electricity plans, or check how solar panels or a battery might suit your home.

For step-by-step instructions, see How to Download / Access Your Smart Meter Data.

What You Need: the NMI from Your Electricity Bill

The tool needs the first 10 characters of your NMI. The 11th character is a check digit, and the tool accepts the NMI with or without it.

Your retailer usually prints the NMI near the supply address or with the meter details. For a full answer to "where is the NMI on my bill?", see How to Find My NMI on My Electricity Bill.

How to Lookup DNSP by NMI

1. Find the NMI on your electricity bill.
2. Type the first 10 characters into the tool. If you have the 11th check digit, you can add it.
3. Read the result as you finish typing. The tool names your distributor and lists its contact details.
4. If the number is not a distribution network NMI, read the explanation. The tool says in plain words what the number is, for example a gas NMI.
5. On a phone, tap the faults and outages number to call the distributor.
6. To download your smart meter data, open the distributor's website link and look for its customer portal.

Launch Lookup DNSP by NMI Tool

Why the NMI Finds the Exact Distributor

AEMO (the Australian Energy Market Operator) allocates NMIs in blocks of numbers. The first characters of an NMI name the distributor that AEMO allocated the block to.

• One distributor per NMI: every electricity connection has its own NMI, and exactly one distributor serves each NMI.
• Printed on your bill: the NMI is on the bill even when the distributor's name is not.
• Independent of boundaries: network boundaries do not follow postcode or suburb boundaries. The NMI identifies the network for the connection directly.
• A guide from AEMO: AEMO describes its NMI Allocation List as "a guide only". The network for an NMI may have changed since AEMO allocated the block.

Postcode or Suburb Instead

If you do not have a bill with you, the postcode and suburb tools find the distributor from an address. To compare all three lookups, see Lookup your DNSP by Postcode, Suburb or NMI.

What the Tool Accepts and Returns

• Numbers and letters: the tool accepts NMIs made only of numbers and NMIs that include letters.
• 10 or 11 characters: the first 10 characters give the answer, and the 11th check digit is optional.
• Every state and territory: the tool covers every Australian state and territory.
• Plain-words explanations: when a number is not a distribution network NMI, for example a gas NMI, the tool explains what it is.
• Published contact details: the tool shows the distributors' own advertised numbers and links.
• AEMO data: the tool uses the NMI Allocation List that AEMO publishes, and it shows the version of that list.
• Displays on Desktops, Laptops, Tablets & Smart Phones
• Browser-Based (No Installation)
• Free for Personal and Commercial Use
• No Payment & No Signup

Tips for Entering Your NMI

• A missing or doubtful 11th digit: this tool reads the first 10 characters. The NMI Checksum Digit Calculator supplies a missing 11th digit or confirms a doubtful one.

  Try our NMI Checksum Digit Calculator Tool

• The letters O and I: an NMI never uses these letters. If a character on your bill looks like an O, type the digit 0. If it looks like an I, type the digit 1.
• A gas NMI in the result: if the tool explains that the number is a gas NMI, copy the NMI from your electricity bill and enter it again.
• Other NMI tools: the NMI Tools page groups this lookup with the check digit calculator.

Technical Details

• Check digit: the NMI checksum (the 11th character) is always a numeric character.
• Allocation List version: the tool shows the version it uses, so you can compare it with the current list from AEMO.
• Direct links: you can link straight to a result with the nmi parameter. Add ?nmi= and the first 10 characters of the NMI to /online-tools/lookup-dnsp-by-nmi-tool/app/.

Easy and Secure

• Browser-Based (No Installation)
• No Payment & No Signup
• Private - Your Data is not shared with 3rd Parties

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does the Lookup DNSP by NMI Tool show? It names the Electricity Distributor (DNSP) for the connection that your NMI identifies. It also lists the distributor's own published contact details.
• Which distributor is my NMI connected to? Enter the first 10 characters of your NMI in the tool. The tool names the one distributor that serves that connection.
• Does the tool show contact details for the DNSP for my NMI? Yes. It shows the 24/7 faults and outages number, the general enquiries number, the website, the contact page, and the postal address. It also shows the email address and the outage map where the distributor publishes them.
• How many characters of my NMI does the tool need? The tool needs the first 10 characters. The 11th character is a check digit, and adding it is optional.
• Does the tool accept an NMI that contains letters? Yes. The tool accepts NMIs made only of numbers and NMIs that include letters.
• What does the tool do with a number that is not a distribution network NMI? It explains in plain words what the number is, for example a gas NMI.
• Does the NMI distributor lookup cover every state and territory? Yes. The tool covers every Australian state and territory.
• Where do the tool's contact details come from? They are the distributors' own advertised numbers and links. We re-verify them periodically.
• Which data does the tool use to identify the distributor? It uses the NMI Allocation List that AEMO publishes, and it shows the list version. AEMO describes the list as "a guide only".
• After I find my distributor from my NMI, how do I get my smart meter data? Open the distributor's website link in the result and look for its customer portal. Most distributors offer a portal where you can download the interval data from your smart meter as a NEM12 CSV file.
• Can I link straight to a result for one NMI? Yes. Add ?nmi= and the first 10 characters of the NMI to the tool's /app/ address.
• Is the Lookup DNSP by NMI Tool free? Yes. The tool is free for personal and commercial use. It runs in your browser and needs no payment and no sign-up.