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EDIFACT message guide · Statistics and reporting

MSCONS Metered services consumption report

The UN/EDIFACT message that reports metered consumption, with related technical information, for products or services at one or more locations.

Sent by
Meter operator, grid operator or utility
Received by
Supplier, grid operator or other market participant
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
No direct equivalent

What is the EDIFACT MSCONS message?

MSCONS is the UN/EDIFACT metered services consumption report. The directory defines it as a communication between trading parties, or their agents, providing consumption and related technical information at locations where the supply of a product or service is recorded by meters.

In European energy markets, MSCONS carries meter readings and load profiles for electricity and gas between grid operators, meter operators and suppliers. National market rules define the subsets and exchange deadlines, and readings drive billing and settlement. Readings can be sent as periodic meter totals or as interval series.

How the EDIFACT MSCONS message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT MSCONS Metered services consumption report message. Meter operator, grid operator or utility sends it to supplier, grid operator or other market participant. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by INVOIC. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: UNS (Section control) and the required SG5 loop with NAD (Name and address) and the required SG6 loop with LOC (Place/location identification). 5 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT MSCONS message worksMetered services consumption report: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeMSCONSSENDERMeter operator, gridoperator or utilityRECEIVERSupplier, grid operatoror other marketparticipantCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYINVOICInvoice2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage MSCONSUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSUNSSection controlMandatory group SG5 · repeats many timesNADName and addressMandatory group SG6 · repeats many timesLOCPlace/location identification+ 5 conditional groups, starting with:RFFNADCCILINBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditional groups are listed by the trigger segment that starts them; a group is sent only when its data applies.Conditional segments outside groups are not drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in the UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for MSCONS. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT MSCONS message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT MSCONS Metered services consumption report message. Meter operator, grid operator or utility sends it to supplier, grid operator or other market participant. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by INVOIC. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: UNS (Section control) and the required SG5 loop with NAD (Name and address) and the required SG6 loop with LOC (Place/location identification). 5 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT MSCONSmessage worksMetered services consumption report: whosends it, where it fits and what the directorymarks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeMSCONSSENDERMeter operator,grid operator orutilityRECEIVERSupplier, gridoperator orother marketparticipantCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYINVOICInvoice2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message MSCONS (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSUNSSection controlMandatory group SG5 · repeatsmany timesNADName and addressMandatory group SG6 · repeatsmany timesLOCPlace/locationidentification+ 5 conditional groups, starting with:RFFNADCCILINBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditionalgroups are listed by the trigger segment thatstarts them; a group is sent only when its dataapplies. Conditional segments outside groups arenot drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in theUN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for MSCONS.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends MSCONS, to whom, and which messages usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what the directory D.21A itself requires: the envelopes around MSCONS and the segments and segment groups it marks mandatory. Conditional groups are listed by their trigger segment rather than drawn in full. This is the directory's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: a message implementation guide, such as an industry subset or a partner’s own guide, usually makes some conditional groups mandatory, restricts the codes and may use an older directory.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Sending meter readings to energy suppliers
  • Reporting interval load profiles for settlement
  • Exchanging consumption for gas or water metering

Where it fits in the message flow

This message MSCONS Metered services consumption report
Usually followed by INVOIC Invoice

Structure

Mandatory segments in MSCONS (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the MSCONS message has 33 segment positions arranged in 11 segment groups. These are the segments and segment groups marked mandatory at message level, in order; a mandatory group is shown with the segment that starts it. Segments inside conditional groups are needed only when the group is used. This is the directory’s requirement, not your trading partner’s: each partner’s message implementation guide names the directory it uses, often an older one such as D.96A or D.01B where the structure can differ, makes some conditional segments mandatory and restricts the codes.

  • UNH
  • BGM
  • DTM
  • UNS
  • SG5 (NAD)
  • UNT

Practical example

MSCONS in practice

A German grid operator reads the smart meters at 40,000 metering points each month. It sends each energy supplier an MSCONS with the readings and quarter-hour profiles for its customers' metering points. The suppliers bill their customers from the data, and the operator uses the same figures for network settlement.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for MSCONS

  • Follow the national market rules that define the MSCONS subset and deadlines.
  • Identify metering points with the market's standard identifiers.
  • Validate readings and flag estimated values.
  • Plan for high message volumes at billing periods.

How ECOM helps

Automate MSCONS with ECOM

Industry

Telecom and Media

Equipment supply chains, service billing and partner data exchange for telecom and media companies.

Solution

B2B Integration

Connect every customer, supplier, carrier and bank across EDI, API, file and portal channels.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

Compare X12 and EDIFACT, or see answers to general questions in the EDI FAQ.

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