MCR1140 - MCR 1140 – Introduction of Eircodes into the Retail Market in Ireland
This change request concerns the design for the introduction of Eircodes into the Retail Market in Ireland. Implementation timelines will be separately agreed, as normal.In 2015, Ireland will implement a postcode system called Eircode (see the Eircode Website https://www.eircode.ie). 2.2million addresses will get an Eircode, for example each house on a street, each flat in an apartment block, each house in a rural townland, both units in a duplex unit.
Whilst 2.2million addresses will be assigned an Eircode by the Eircodes project not every MPRN Meter Point Address will get one for example Unmetered MPRNs will not get an Eircode.
An Eircode is unique to a house/commercial premise, and not to a person or organisation. This means that where there is a COLE, the Eircode will not move with the customer rather it stays with the MPRN Meter Point Address.
The Eircode has a structure A65F4E2 (there is one allowable exception for the first three characters viz.D6W). Each Eircode is comprised of seven alpha/numeric characters that are unique to each mailing address. The seven characters are logically made up of two parts – a Routing Key and a Unique Identifier.
The first three characters of each Eircode, called the “Routing Key”, are designed to benefit the postal and logistics industry. The Routing Key will be used to help sort mail, however it is not directly linked to counties, towns, or geographic features.
The second part of the Eircode, called the “Unique Identifier,” is comprised of four characters drawn from a set of letters and numbers that identify each individual address.
The Eircode, when printed for posting, should appear at the end of an address, and the Routing Key should be displayed separately from the Unique Identifier by displaying a blank space after the 3rd value of the Eircode e.g. A65 F4E2.
All letters in an Eircode are in an uppercase format
This MCR was re-versioned to consider the impact of this change on Gas Market.
Any delay potentially to Eircodes in the Electricity Market will potentially delay the implementation in the GAS Market if GAS has to align with Electricity. This is another item that will need to be added to the matrix of considerations when particular deliveries are being looked at.