Electrical Contractors

What is Happening?

A new version of CEOP2015 Contestable Works Guidelines Terms and Conditions for Contestable Works is available on the Document Library, this update aligns the document with the release of Basic Connections in the Essential Connections Portal and adjustments or amendments in response to ASP and internal stakeholder review and feedback.

Continuous Improvement

What do you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

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

We’ve changed Intent to Connect functionality and created a guide with tips to help you (Admins) support your businesses.

Admins can now submit Intent to Connects for works their company is undertaking.

Please note: The Intent to Connect for works that will be done by someone not listed as part of your company will need to be submitted by that person. Please provide them with the ECN and Application case number.

We’ve developed a guide for Admins/Support staff focusing on basic connections forms and activities which is available on our website (Essential Connections - Basic Connections Quick guide for Admins and Support staff).

It includes:

• What forms Admins can submit?
• How to register as an Admin in the Essential Connections portal
• What’s the best way to see your company’s cases
• Useful statuses to know
• Paying fees/ invoices.

We trust this is helpful.

Don’t forget - these help options are always available for you:

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

What do you need to do?

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

Basic connections information and help sessions are ending soon.

This week’s information & help zoom sessions are below. Sessions are 45 mins long – but you can just ask a quick question/ stay as long as you choose.

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).

All Notice of Arrangement (NOA) applications can now be made in Essential Connections.

If you are applying for a NOA where the development is part of a contestable works project, you can request this via our Essential Connections portal as a registered user in 2 ways:

1. Click on the 'Manage My Standard Connection Projects (L3 and L1 ASP works)' button on your homepage and then click the 'Request Notice of Arrangement' button.
2. Your Level 1 ASP can request a NoA by clicking on the ‘Request Notice of Arrangement’ button within their construction case.

All other NOAs: You will need to submit a Connection Application: Subdivision – Residential and Commercial via the Essential Connections portal making sure you select ‘Yes’ to the question ‘Requesting Notice of Arrangement’.

More information about NOA and guides to show you what to do Click Here.

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.

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 Information sessions and help available:

We’re working to improve Essential Connections for you.

• We have added a ‘Submit Intent to Connect’ button to completed Application Cases to make this even faster. The button is underneath the Application Case details.
• Click the button to launch the Intent to Connect form.
• You will not need to enter the ECN or Application case number when you launch an ITC from the Application case.

Coming soon: We are changing permissions to allow company admins to submit Intents to Connect (ITCs) for work completed by their company.

This week’s information & help zoom sessions.

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).

At our recent forums, you asked for a session on what is changing in version 9 of CEOP2015 – Contestable Works Guidelines, due to be published on 1 July 2023.

We’re offering an optional session on 22 June 2023 from 10.30am – 12.00 noon.

If you would like to attend, you can click below to register, enter your details and add the invitation to your calendar:

Register Here

What do you need to do?

1. Click on ‘Register now’ and add your details to attend the information session.
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.

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).

The go live date for basic connections coming into Essential Connections is 19 June 2023.

To encourage you to quickly switch across, there will be no fees for CCEWs and NOSWs submitted in Essential Connections from 19 June to 3 July. (Don’t forget, you need to submit the Intent to Connect first).

Secure Web Forms will be closed from 4 July for CCEW & NOSW submissions.

• Previous forms will still be accessible.
• Request for Service Work (ROSW) and Requisition for supply of Frequency Injection Relays (FIRs) will continue to be submitted through Secure Web Forms.

CCEWs and NOSWs will need to be submitted by the authorised/ licenced installer who tested the installation works.

You will need to be individually registered to use the portal.

• Please activate your account if you received a Welcome email from OKTA, Essential Energy’s security platform.
• Please go to Essential Connections Registration and register if you are a new user.

Intent to Connect is new. It’s the bridge between approved applications and service and/or electrical works. It will be submitted by the authorised Level 2 ASP or licenced Electrical Contractor doing the works.

Please note that customers will receive some notifications from now on so it will be important to enter customer details correctly.

Protection Settings Requests and Request for a Switchboard Review >100amps will be done in Essential Connections.

Non-standard approvals (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 (SIRs)) will be submitted in Essential Connections. A fee, approved under the Regulatory Framework, will apply to non-standard approvals from 19 June 2023.

Need help? Here’s what’s available.

Self-help resources:

We will share all the links next week.

• Short videos for every activity/ form.
• Step-by-step guides.

Drop-in sessions.

We will hold information and help sessions from 13 June until late July, at 7:30am, 12 noon and 5pm. You can join a session and ask questions and get help. We will share the schedule for this next week.

Essential Energy Contact Centre.

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

Payment options.

Fees are still required to be paid upfront but there are two options:

1. The person submitting the CCEW and/ or NOSW can pay using a credit card at the time of submission.
2. The person submitting the CCEW and/ or NOSW can exit the form once they reach the payment page and have the payment made by a company administration/office employee, or by an employee of a different business, using the payment reference number found on the invoice (beginning with ‘EEI-‘). The person paying the invoice does not need to be a registered user of Essential Connections to make this payment. The case will remain in a status of ‘Draft’ and is not considered submitted until payment is made. The invoice can be found within the relevant case. The process for making a payment using this method can be found at Essential Connections Support

What do you need to do?

1. Re-read previous information to ensure you’re as ready as possible.
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.

The go live date for basic connections coming into Essential Connections Portal is 19 June, pending no technical challenges. Included in this Go Live is Notice of Arrangements.

What are you doing?

I need a Notice of Arrangement.

• If a standard construction project is not being managed via Essential Connections Portal, please submit the Notice of Arrangement (NoA) request via the contestable works mailbox: contestableworks@essentialenergy.com.au.
• For all other NoA requests please submit via the Essential Connections Portal.
• Please keep an eye on information updates – we are planning to bring all NoA into Essential Connections Portal soon.
  

What do you need to do?

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

Further Information

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