What is Happening?

Essential Energy is changing the fees we charge for some Low Voltage Basic Connection Applications. We are providing six weeks’ notice of our first fee change to allow you time to prepare.

Basic Connection Application fee

From 14 March 2022, $123.38 (exc GST) will be charged per offer where a technical review is required.

This will ensure fee consistency for all Basic Connection Offers requiring technical review and recover the cost of assessing these applications from those requiring the work.

How will I know if I am going to be charged?

Basic connections involve minimal or no augmentation of the distribution network and are within the limits outlined below:

A technical review is required when the proposed connection:

• exceeds these limits, and / or
• involves electricity generation (e.g., solar, wind, hydropower) to enable export to the electricity network.

A common application type impacted by this change is a new solar connection application. Please note that customers who include a note in their application that they are willing to voluntarily limit their solar export to 5kW (Urban) or 3kW (Rural) will not incur the fee.

Additional information can be found in our Connecting to the Network Information Pack.

Complex Connection Application fee

Complex Connection Applications can occasionally require a detailed assessment by a Connections Planning Engineer. Later this year, we will introduce a fee to recover the cost of any complex connection application that requires a detailed assessment by a Connections Planning Engineer. We will provide more information prior to this fee introduction.

What do you need to do

1. Accredited Service Providers, Authorised Persons, Electrical Contractors, Solar Retailers and Solar Installers should consider pricing changes when preparing quotations or estimates for customers regarding future connection applications to be submitted on or after 14 March 2022.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

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

What is Happening?

We’re currently experiencing a backlog in processing Design Information Applications, Certifications and Notice of Arrangements as a result of staff leave over the Christmas period and ongoing COVID-19 impacts.

Resourcing ramp up

February will see all staff back from leave.

Four new officers joined the team at the end of 2021 and three more will join us in March. Following a training period while these new recruits learn the role, we expect to process the backlog and reduce timeframes to appropriate levels within the next two months.

In the meantime, we apologise for any delays and appreciate your patience at this time.

What do you need to do?

1. Review your projects in Salesforce and add a case comment if required.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation and your clients.
3. View this communication via Essential Engagement at Essential Engagement.

Further Information

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

Background

Currently, around 20% of Connection Applications are rejected due to missing or incorrect information in the Connection Point / Pole / Substation Number field.

To help you submit correct applications, our recently released Network Information Portal provides a significant amount of information about Essential Energy’s network, including the asset numbers for all poles and substations in a Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping format.

The Network Information Portal is accessible on all devices. By typing in the address (or a nearby address), you can easily find the required connection point asset number.

What do you need to do?

1. Watch a demonstration video and visit Network Information Portal via Essential Energy's Website and start exploring our network.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

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

What is Happening?

Following discussions on Wednesday, Essential Energy is aware that the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) have advised their members that they will suspend all Protected Industrial Action effective immediately.

Negotiations continue to be held to seek resolution on outstanding matters. Essential Energy remains committed to the good faith bargaining process with the combined unions to reach a modern Enterprise Agreement. We want an agreement that reflects the needs of employees while meeting our communities’ expectations around energy affordability.

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.

UPDATE:

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has notified Essential Energy of additional proposed industrial action in the form of an unlimited number of bans on issuing Access Permits and Field Access Authorities to non-Essential Energy staff commencing at 12:00am Thursday 2 December 2021 and concluding at 12:00am on Friday 3 December 2021; and a ban for an indefinite period on locking systems commencing 12:00am Thursday 2 December 2021.

In addition to the above there remains a range of other indefinite or periodic bans in place, including limitations on the following work tasks and activities:

• Travelling outside normal working hours.
• Use of a specified range of Information Technology programs and Applications.
• Certifying and inspecting Accredited Service Providers (ASPs) designs and projects.
• Verification on Life support Customers for planned outages.

Field Staff Switching – meaning that power will not be switched off which will prevent certain planned works from going ahead.

The ETU industrial action notice also includes several indefinite actions requesting that employees undertake a range of communications activities including distributing ETU/CEPU industrial campaign-related material to members of the public and Essential Energy staff; and employees providing their views concerning industrial action with members of the community and media.

Some of the cited actions include a Safety Commitment, whereby relevant employees will be ready, willing and able to perform unplanned work that, if not performed imminently, would create a serious and imminent threat to human life.

Potential Impacts

The planned industrial action is likely to create unavoidable disruptions for ASPs, contractors and customers through the possible postponement of planned work. ASPs will receive notice of planned work being postponed on the morning of the job. Notice will be provided through a phone call or email that morning.

Any job that is postponed will need to be resubmitted. This can be completed through the usual process of completing a ‘Request for Planned Outage’ form CEOP6013 and submitting via contestableworks@essentialenergy.com.au.

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.

Important information from NECA

NECA and the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC) have advised that some brands of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) inverters are non-compliant with Australian standards.

These types of inverters are causing final subcircuit Residual Current Device (RCDs) and Residual Current Breaker with Over-Current (RCBOs) to not operate and are bypassing the Multiple Earthed Neutral (MEN) in the electrical installation.

For more information in relation to electrical installations and solar / small scale generation and documents on this subject, please visit the ERAC website.

What do you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please visit ERAC website.

Important reminder

If your company has not already confirmed working on Live LV work and plan to undertake this type of work, please email your company name and email address to aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au. We will then give you instructions on how to access the new LV Confirmation system.

ASPs undertaking live LV work

Where it is appropriate for an ASP to undertake live low voltage work, you must:

• ensure that appropriate planning processes and procedures are in place to work safety in a live work situation
• have control measures incorporated into live work procedures
• identify live work responsibilities, accountabilities and authority levels of personnel or contractors, and
• ensure that anyone involved in planning or undertaking the work is trained and competent.

Your company must ensure that:

• ASPs who undertake contestable work on our network are aware of their legislative obligations regarding live work
• ASPs have reviewed and updated their safe work practices and controls in line with IPART Safety Alerts regarding recent live low voltage work industry incidents, and
• ASP workers who plan and undertake live low voltage work are competent to do so.

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.

UPDATE ON:

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has notified Essential Energy of proposed industrial action on Tuesday 30 November 2021 in the form of an unlimited number of bans on issuing Access Permits and Field Access Authorities to non-Essential Energy staff. The ban will commence at 12:00am on Tuesday 30 November and conclude at 12:00am on Wednesday 1 December 2021.

In addition to the above there remains a range of other indefinite or periodic bans in place, including limitations on the following work tasks and activities:

• Travelling outside normal working hours.
• Use of a specified range of Information Technology programs and Applications.
• Certifying and inspecting Accredited Service Providers’ (ASP’s) designs and projects.
• Verification on Life support Customers for planned outages.
• Field Staff Switching – meaning that power will not be switched off which will prevent certain planned works from going ahead.

The ETU industrial action notice also includes several indefinite actions requesting that employees undertake a range of communications activities including distributing ETU/CEPU industrial campaign-related material to members of the public and Essential Energy staff; and employees providing their views concerning industrial action with members of the community and media.

Some of the cited actions include a Safety Commitment, whereby relevant employees will be ready, willing and able to perform unplanned work that, if not performed imminently, would create a serious and imminent threat to human life.

The planned industrial action for Tuesday 30 November is likely to create unavoidable disruptions for ASP’s, contractors and customers through the possible postponement of planned work. ASP’s will receive notice of planned work being postponed on the morning of the job. Notice will be provided through a phone call or email that morning.

Any job that is postponed will need to be resubmitted. This can be completed through the usual process of completing a ‘Request for Planned Outage’ form CEOP6013 and submitting via contestableworks@essentialenergy.com.au.

It is disappointing the ETU is conducting industrial action following months of good faith bargaining. Essential Energy continues to pursue an agreement that recognises the hard work of our employees, while balancing our community’s expectations around energy costs.

Our customers, employees, contractors safety and that of the wider community remains our number one priority. We will continue to keep you updated on relevant developments as they occur and thank you for your patience and support.

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.

UPDATE ON:

Disappointingly, the ETU is conducting industrial action following months of good faith bargaining. Essential Energy continues to pursue an agreement that recognises the hard work of our employees, while balancing our community’s expectations around energy costs.

Last week the ETU communicated its intention to take industrial action from 17 November 2021. On Thursday 18 and Friday 19 November, Essential Energy received further notices from the ETU on protected industrial action. These notices include:

• An unlimited number of bans on issuing access permits and field access authorities to non-Essential Energy staff commencing 12am Tuesday 23 November through to midnight Thursday 25 November 2021.
• A work stoppage for 12 hours on Thursday 25 November from 6am – 6pm
• An unlimited ban on locking systems in the period of 8am to 11am each day, commencing Thursday 25 November and repeated on each day thereafter. This means that participating crews will not unlock any devices including phones to answer calls, iPads to conduct key work activities, vehicles or gates and buildings.

The ETU-led industrial action is taking place during the early phase of the bushfire season and commencement of storm season. This action makes it more difficult for small business owners, developers, famers, landowners, Councils and other groups in our rural and regional communities as they try to recover from the detrimental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Essential Energy has reprioritised planned work to ensure urgent and critical work can be performed as required, to reduce the risk of outages not being responded to in a timely and safe manner. Daily project assessment continues to minimise the impact for developers and contractors across regional NSW.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the action being led by the ETU will have unavoidable disruptions for customers, ASPs and contractors.

Safety, for our customers, employees, contractors and the wider community, remains our number one priority. We will continue to update you on relevant developments as they occur. In the meantime, thank you for your patience and support.

What do you need to do?

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

Further Information

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

Background

The Electrical Safety Rules (ESRs) are revised from time to time (at least every three years) to reflect the outcomes of end user feedback, incident investigations, improvement notices, safety briefs, organisational changes and industry developments including new technologies. Issue 19 of the ESRs came into effect on 11 November 2021.

As you are all aware, ASPs are not authorised to install AP and as such, this communication is for you information only.

Amendment to Clause 7.2 General Requirements for Access to HV Exposed Conductors

In response to feedback received by the Electrical Safety Office (ESO) regarding the impracticality of maintaining required safe approach distances to lower level HV circuit conductors in situations where there is a need to apply Access Permit Earths to upper circuit conductors prior to the issue of an Access Permit, issue 19 contains an amendment to Clause 7.2.

This will allow authorised workers to safely access all circuit conductors for the purpose of applying Access Permit Earths prior to issuing the Access Permit.

What do you need to do?

1. Download and review Safety Brief SB-1000 CEOP8030 Electrical Safety Rules Minor Amendment located on the Document Library and Essential Engagement.
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.