Essential Connections

Reminder! Secure Web Forms closes for CCEWs and NOSWs at 5pm on Monday 3 July 2023.

Submission of CCEWs and NOSWs is fee-free in Essential Connections until 5pm Monday 3 July 2023.

• You will need to submit an Intent to Connect before you can submit a CCEW/NOSW, where there is a Connection Application offer.

What’s going on? My past cases have a status of “Pending ITC” (Intent to Connect)

When basic connections came into Essential Connections, the status of past applications changed to ‘Pending ITC’. This is the system working as expected but because it does not link back to Secure Web Forms, it does not recognise that any CCEWs or NOSWs have already been submitted.

If you have already submitted CCEWs and or NOSWs for past applications, you don’t need to do anything. We will apply a fix in the background to rectify this soon.

Scheduled information and help zoom sessions are below. You can register to join any session. Click the ‘Register here’ link for the session that suits you. Tip! Save into your calendar or note down the joining details (Meeting ID and passcode).

Links to Video guides and step-by-step guides for all key basic connections activities in Essential Connections are below.

More help options:

• Essential Energy Contact Centre Call 13 23 91 (General Enquiries).
• Contact aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What do you need to do?

1. Please use the self-help materials.
2. Ensure you are registered to use Essential Connections Registration.
3. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
4. View this and past communication via Essential Engagement.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

Basic Connections is now live in Essential Connections. Here's what's available to help you.

Basic Connections video guides and step-by-step guides.

Links to Video guides and step-by-step guides for all key basic connections activities in Essential Connections are below.

Scheduled information and help zoom sessions are below. You can register to join any session. Click the ‘Register here’ link for the session that suits you. Tip! Save into your calendar or note down the joining details (Meeting ID and passcode).

What is Happening?

In preparation for basic connections coming into Essential Connections from 19 June 2023, there will be the following system outages:

1. 5 pm Thursday 15 June 2023 to 7am Friday 16 June 2023.
2. 5 pm Friday 16 June 2023 to 7am Monday 19 June 2023.

Essential Connections will not be available during these outage times.

Good news!

• Essential Connections portal passwords will now last 1 year/ 365 days before needing to be changed.
• You will receive a reminder 5 days before your password expires.
• This change is effective immediately and the 365 days applies from your last password change.

What do you need to do?

1. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
2. View this communication via Essential Engagement.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

Please note: ESSENTIAL CONNECTIONS – SYSTEM OUTAGES

In preparation for basic connections coming into Essential Connections from 19 June 2023, there will be the following system outages:

1. 5 pm Thursday 15 June 2023 to 7am Friday 16 June 2023.
2. 5 pm Friday 16 June 2023 to 7am Monday 19 June 2023.

Essential Connections will not be available during these outage times.

Basic connections is coming into Essential Connections from 19 June 2023.

Basic Connections video guides.

Video guides for all key basic connections activities in Essential Connections are below. Next week, we will publish the step-by-step guides.

Scheduled information and help zoom sessions are below. You can register to join any session. Click the ‘Register here’ link for the session that suits you. Tip! Save into your calendar or note down the joining details (Meeting ID and passcode).

Getting ready for basic connections: Ceasing forward drafts of CCEWs (Certificates of Compliance for Electrical Works) or NOSWs (Notices of Service Works) Switchboard review approach and Non-standard approval fee.

Here’s our latest action and information update.

Please don’t draft Certificates of Compliance for Electrical Works or Notices of Service Works in Secure Web Form for works after 20th June 2023.

Essential Connections will replace Secure Web Forms and emails for basic connections activities from mid 2023. This will include submission of CCEWs (Certificates of Compliance for Electrical Works) or NOSWs (Notices of Service Works).

Your action: With this in mind, please do not draft Certificates of Compliance for Electrical Works or Notices of Service Works in Secure Web Form for works that will be completed on or after 20th June 2023. These will not be copied across to Essential Connections and will result in you needing to redo them.

How will Switchboard Reviews be done?

Approval to connect new and upgraded electrical installations greater than 100 Amps is dependent on provision of main switchboard information as set out in the Service and Installation Rules of NSW (Section 4, 4.15 LV Services > 100 amps).

The switchboard review process involves two steps:

1. Protection Settings Request for Switchboards to be used in the design of the switchboard.
2. Request for a Switchboard Review.

Both of these steps will be undertaken in the Essential Connections Portal by a registered user.

You will not be able to submit a protection settings request unless you have an approved connection offer . In addition, you will not be able to submit a Certificates of Compliance for Electrical Works or Notices of Service Works until the Protections Settings Request and Switchboard Review are completed/ approved.

Closer to go live, we will share a short demonstration video and a step-by-step guide to show you how to submit protections settings requests and switchboard reviews. We will also cover what you need to do for a like-for-like replacements.

What’s new with non-standard approvals for basic connections: submission in Essential Connections and a new fee.

A non-standard approval is required where you seek to vary from our construction standards, the Australian / New Zealand wiring rules (AS/NZ 3000) and the NSW Service and Installation rules.

From mid 2023, basic non-standard approval will be done in the Essential Connections portal. Previously they were managed via email or phone. This will ensure a more consistent, timely response and visibility of all requests. Essential Energy will respond to a non-standard approval within 15 business days.

We are introducing a fee for basic non-standard approvals. Under the Regulatory Framework, Essential Energy is obliged to recover costs we incur during the connections process from the customers requiring the service – this includes the costs of assessing non-standard approval requests. We have been charging Level 3 ASPs this fee for several years and we are now extending this fee to cover L2 ASPs and ECs requests.

The non-standard design approval fee is an hourly rate. On average it takes approximately 30 mins to process a basic connection non-standard approval request. The fee has been approved by the Australian Energy Regulator following a thorough assessment of the costs involved in performing such services.

Closer to go live, we will share a short demonstration video and a step-by-step guide to show you how to submit a non-standard approval.

What do you need to do?

1. Please do not draft Certificates of Compliance for Electrical Works or Notices of Service Works in Secure Web Forms for works that will be completed on or after 20th June 2023.
2. Keep reading our emails about basic connections coming into Essential Connections.
3. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
4. View this and past communication via Essential Engagement.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is happening?

The AER has approved Essential Energy’s new regulatory charges for Ancillary Network Services from 1 July 2023.

As an Accredited Service Provider (ASP), Authorised Person (AUP) or Electrical Contractor (EC), please use the new charges applicable to the services you provide when preparing quotations for work to be undertaken after 30 June 2023.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the 2023-24 Pricing Schedules for Ancillary Network Services available on the Essential Energy website
2. Accredited Service Providers, Authorised Persons and Electrical Contractors should consider pricing changes when preparing quotations for customers regarding future work
3. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation
4. View this communication via Essential Engagement.

Further information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

There are new functions coming for basic connections.

These include notifications, reminders and a collaboration function that will help you do business more easily with Essential Energy.

Essential Connections will replace Secure Web Forms and emails for basic connections activities from mid 2023. What you may of missed and further information is available on Essential Engagement.

With all key activities being done in one system, the basic connections process will be more streamlined and easier to track and manage.

Essential Connections also has automatic notifications and reminders, and a collaboration function to help you work with Essential Energy teams across the life of the connection process. This email explains how these will work.

The diagram below shows the basic connections activities that will be managed in Essential Connections. Notifications and reminders that will be sent out by Essential Connections at different times are also explained below.

Collaboration with Essential Energy through Essential Connections

You may also receive task notifications through Essential Connections if more information is required to complete a request. You will get an email as well as a ‘bell’ icon appearing in the corner of your screen when you log into Essential Connections.

You can complete tasks, including document uploads, and send messages to Essential Energy - all through Essential Connections.

We will show you how this works as part of training, closer to go live.

What do you need to do?

1. Keep reading our emails about basic connections coming into Essential Connections.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
3. View this and past communication via Essential Engagement.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

Essential Connections will soon replace Secure Web Forms for basic connections.

From mid-2023, you will submit forms, requests, track progress, and receive notifications to manage your basic customer connections in the Essential Connections portal.

What does it mean for you?

• You will no longer submit the reviews and forms listed above via the Secure Web Forms Portal or email.
• Key forms such as CCEW and NoSW will need to be submitted by the authorised/ licenced installer who is supervising or testing the installation works.
• You will need to be individually registered to use the portal. We will explain your next steps to ensure correct registration in a future email.

New to ‘Essential Connections’? How will it help you?

In mid-2022, Essential Energy introduced ‘Essential Connections’ to improve customer experiences across the end-to-end connections process. Applications and enquiries, standard and major/ HV connections activities are now undertaken in the Essential Connections portal.

The portal has automated many manual processes. It also streamlines connections activities by auto-populating available information and supporting electronic signatures. You can see and track current and past applications and projects and communicate with Essential Energy - all in one place, in Essential Connections.

Once we all get used to Essential Connections (and this will take some time!), your interaction and communication with us should be faster and easier.

Please note that the following will remain in Secure Web Forms:

1. Requests of Service Works (ROSW)
2. Requisition for supply of FIRs

What do you need to do?

1. Keep reading our emails. We will share new information, including:

2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

3. View this communication via Essential Engagement.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

Your opinion matters to us and we’d love to know how you’re finding the new Essential Connections portal. Please share your thoughts so we can continue to improve and provide the best possible experience for you.

What do you need to do?

1. Please click on Essential Connections Portal Survey, this is completely anonymous and will take 2 to 4 minutes to complete.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What’s happening?

You’re invited to join in a series of Neara training sessions we’re holding over four successive Fridays:

1. 3rd March 2023 from 9am – 10.30am: Introduction to Neara.
2. 10th March 2023 from 9am – 10.30am: OH Design.
3. 17th March 2023 from 9am – 10.30am: UG Design.
4. 24th March 2023 from 9am – 10.30am: Automated Reports, Design Checks, Construction Schedule, Q&A.

You’re welcome to attend any of these sessions, which will be conducted over Zoom.

These sessions will not be covering any new material. It will be content already available in our existing resources.

Who can attend?

The sessions are open to all Level 3 designers who are:

• Interested in Neara and want to find out more.
• A new Neara user.
• An existing Neara user who’d like a refresher.

How do I sign up?

You will need to register before joining the Zoom session, either beforehand, or on the day at least five minutes before the starting time. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

• Session 1: 3rd March 09:00-10:30: Introduction to Neara: Register Here.
• Session 2: 10th March 09:00-10:30: OH Design: Register Here.
• Session 3: 17th March 09:00-10:30: UG Design: Register Here.
• Session 4: 24th March 09:00-10:30: Automated Reports, Design Checks, Construction Schedule, Q&A Register Here.

Does it cost anything to attend?

These training sessions are free of charge.

What do I need for each training session?

• Ability to use Zoom.
• We recommend using two screens – one for Zoom and one for Neara, to try things out, as we go through them.
• Neara functions best on the preferred Chrome Browser.
• Neara software. If you aren’t already a Neara user, you can download a free trial which lasts for 10 days from Neara.

What will I need in the long term if I want to use Neara and have access to Essential Energy’s network data and lidar?

Although you will not need to do the following to participate in any these four training sessions, in the long term, if you want to use Neara and our network model and Lidar data, you will need:

• A Neara licence.
• You must be registered as a Level 3a and/or Level 3b with the Department of Office and Energy Climate Change.
• To have signed up with Essential Energy’s Essential Connections portal.
• To have an Okta account with us, which is used for authentication purposes when requesting our network data. This is aligned to one email address and mobile number. Okta access happens automatically when you sign up with Essential Connections.
• To complete a form requesting our Neara network model access.

What do you need to do?

• Register for one of the above Zoom sessions.
• Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
• View this communication via Essential Engagement.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Digital Asset Management project at dam@essentialenergy.com.au. if you have any queries regarding this training.