You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
A recent incident occurred where an on-call crew did not identify CONSAC cable correctly, special requirements apply to equipment containing CONSAC cables – workers should review and implement the requirements of CEOP8030.
An on-call crew were called to a no supply, after inspection it was determined it was in a burnt-out service fuse and street light fuse in a pillar. After completing a risk assessment and discussing the job the service fuse carrier was replaced and supply restored to the house. The on-call crew didn't have a fuse carrier for the street light, so it was made safe and left for another day. All appropriate PPE was utilised.
What do you need to do?
- Review SB-811 CONSAC Cable Identification located on Essential Energy's Document Library
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
Further Information
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
On 9th September 2016, the NSW Government gazetted changes to the NSW Accredited Service Provider (ASP) Scheme Rules (the Scheme). This revision introduced new Level 1 and 2 classifications for non-electrically qualified personnel (Class 1X or Class 2X – Non-electrically qualified).
ASPs must ensure all non-electrically qualified workers are registered with the Scheme prior to submitting an authorisation application to Essential Energy; this includes both initial authorisations and renewal of existing authorised workers.
Essential Energy will, on receipt of a valid and successful applications, authorise the ASP worker(s) aligned to the new class(es) of accreditation and issue a new authorisation card.
What do you need to do?
- Review the briefing paper titled ‘20180910_Briefing - Non-Electrically Qualified Workers’ located on Essential Energy's Document Library
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation
Further information
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
Essential Energy would like to advise that Dubbo Warehouse will be closed for FIR Orders from 21 September 2018. No orders or deliveries of FIRs will be completed after 21 September 2018.
Future orders must be placed at either our Grafton or Wagga Wagga Warehouses.
While we endeavour to minimise the impact to your business, Essential Energy would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
What do you need to do?
Place orders for FIRs through the Secure Web Portal after 21 September 2018 by selecting in My Forms Requisition for Supply of Metering Equipment form, then select the Dispatch & Courier pick up location of:
- Grafton Warehouse 187 Lawrence Rd Grafton NSW 2460 or
- Wagga Wagga Warehouse 59 Hammond Ave Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
Please communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
As part of our commitment to improve our relationship and communications with ASPs Essential Energy are looking at holding forums in regional areas in October. The purpose of these forums is for ASPs to come along and hear about the latest news in the ASP space and to ask questions or raise issues with representatives from various Essential Energy teams, including the safety team, design and certification and training amongst other teams in our business.
Dates and locations of ASP forums:
- Port Macquarie 3rd October 2018
- Lismore 4th October 2018
- Dubbo 10th October 2018
- Bathurst 11th October 2018
- Albury 15th October 2018
- Wagga Wagga 16th October 2018
Forums will commence from 6pm at the above locations, with light refreshments available. To determine venue sizes we would appreciate any ASPs who wish to attend complete a survey or email
aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au with company name, numbers attending, which forum you will be attending and anything you would like to see at our forums, further information on the content of the forums will be provided closer to the events.
What do you need to do?
- Please complete the survey at engage.essentialenergy.com.au/ASP, click on your relevant ASP level, then go into Surveys & Forms
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation
Further information
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
Ring Fencing – Provider of Last Resort
Ring-fencing regulations were introduced on 1 January 2018 to support the creation of a level playing field for providers of contestable services in new and existing NSW markets.
Essential Energy is only able to provide contestable services in limited circumstances:
- In regionally exempt depots; or
- Where acting as a provider of last resort
If a customer is unable to obtain the services of a third party, they may request that Essential Energy undertake the work as a Provider of Last Resort.
For more information relating to Ring Fencing – Provider of Last Resort please download the Q & A’s located on our Document Library.
What do you need to do?
- Review & download the Provider of Last Resort Q & A’s located on Essential Energy’s Document Library
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation
Further Information
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
You may have noticed and/or observed, Essential Energy is currently undertaking additional inspections of customer connections or alterations. The inspections are being conducted on historical data ensuring customer Installation and Service Works are meeting the requirements of the NSW Service & Installation Rules, AS/NZS 3000:2007 and Essential Energy’s requirements in line with Code of Practice Installation Safety Management.
Essential Energy has started with a pilot inspection program in the Coffs Harbour area and will extend the program to the remaining regions in our footprint in the coming months.
What do you need to do?
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
Further Information
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
IMPORTANT: Commencement of IPART Reviews of the NSW Energy Market
Below are two reviews that Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) have been asked to be undertaking by the NSW Minister of Energy:
IPART has commenced its annual review of the performance and competitiveness of the retail electricity and gas markets in NSW for the most recent financial year.
The report on 2017-18 period will be their fourth annual monitoring report on the retail electricity market and the first reviewing competition in the retail gas market since gas prices were deregulated on 1 July 2017.
As part of this review, the NSW Minister for Energy and Utilities has also asked to report on:
- electricity and gas price movements from July 2018, and whether any such changes reflect efficient costs in a competitive market, and
- whether retailers are delivering acceptable levels of customer communication and service in their delivery of metering services
As part of the annual review of the performance and competitiveness of the retail electricity and gas markets in NSW, IPART have been asked to review NSW electricity retailers’ metering practices, and report on whether retailers are delivering acceptable levels of customer service and communication.
What do you need to do?
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
- Participate in these reviews by click on the links and having your say on the above topics.
Further Information
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
What’s happening?
There have been several instances recently where Level 2 ASPs, or in some cases unauthorised trade contractors, have fitted cable covers (tiger tails) to energised overhead service lines.
As a result of further investigation, it has been identified that confusion exists as to who is authorised to undertake this task. The WorkCover Code of Practice (CoP): Work Near Overhead Power lines provides direction in relation to the implementation of control measures for unauthorised persons working near low voltage overhead service lines.
Consideration should be given to Eliminating the hazard by deenergising the supply for the duration of the work, and where there is a danger of physical damage to the overhead service its temporary removal. Where this is not practicable, separating the hazard from the worksite may be achieved through the installation of insulating matting and tiger tails at the point of attachment.
Essential Energy’s response
Cable covers must only be fitted to energised service lines for the purposes of adherence to the CoP by electrically qualified Essential Energy authorised employees. ASPs and contractors are not authorised to carry out these tasks as this is not classified as Contestable Work, unless working on behalf of Essential Energy under the conditions of a contract can these be installed.
A Level 2 ASP can however, de-energise and remove a service line for the duration of the proposed works, or fit cable covers on a deenergised service line for mechanical protection and visual indication so long as the covers are removed prior to the installation being reenergised.
When de-energising a service line, the service connections at the Point of Common Coupling must always be disconnected and made safe. The service line should then be visually assessed to determine its condition. If it is not of sound condition or there are other factors preventing the service removal. The disconnected service is to remain in situ and covered with insulating matting and tiger tails for visual awareness and mechanical protection. Special attention should also be paid to protecting the consumer mains at the Point of Attachment.
If the service line is deemed to be in sound condition, and providing it is firstly disconnected at the Point of Common Coupling, then disconnect the connections at the Point of Attachment, remove the service from the attachment, and carefully roll up.
The completely disconnected service can then be secured where practicable to the non-trafficable side of the distribution pole or private pole at a minimum height of 4.6m. If this is not practicable or introduces other hazards, then the service should be removed and stored in a secure location ensuring no physical damage to the service is sustained.
Before re-energising, precautions must be taken to ensure that the service and electrical installation are in a state suitable for energisation and that all required testing (e.g. insulation resistance, polarity, neutral integrity and phase rotation) has been satisfactorily completed.
What do you need to do?
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation
- Click on the below link for additional information on Essential Energy's website
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
From 1 July 2014, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) introduced new regulatory charges for Ancillary Network Services and Metering Services. As an Accredited Service Provider (ASP), Authorised Person (AUP) or Electrical Contractor (EC), you would be aware of the current Ancillary Network Services and Metering Services charges applicable to services you provide to your customers.
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has approved the new regulatory charges for Essential Energy’s Ancillary Network Services and Metering Services to be implemented from 1 July 2018.
What do you need to do?
- Review the 2018 ‘Approved’ Pricing Schedules for Ancillary Network Services and Metering Services available on the Essential Energy website
- Accredited Service Providers, Authorised Persons and Electrical Contractors should consider pricing changes when preparing quotations for customers regarding future work
- Ensure you communicate this information to your customers and employees
For further information
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank those ASPs for their participation and attending the workshops in May 2018.
The methodology we used to deliver these workshops recognises that for us to get different results, we need to apply a different approach. While each workshop dealt with a specific issue or problem, both workshops shared objectives that focused not only on the problems we need to solve, but how we solve problems, for example:
- Embedding a new, collaborative approach to problem solving, recognising that the best solution is one that considers and reconciles the needs of everyone in the process – particularly the end customer
- Prioritising progress over perfection – incremental improvement
- Strengthening our relationship by getting to know each other and putting faces to names
We have collected a lot of useful insights and ideas from the workshops that will feed into our next phase of work. Located on Essential Energy’s
Document Library the ASP Co Design Workshops Playback document provides an overview of the workshops and a summary of the outputs.
To keep the document as concise as possible we have not played back every piece of feedback, however all feedback has been captured.
What have we done since?
Since the workshops we have ran internal sessions to take two ideas from the Co-Design workshops and progress them into a working prototype that can be tested and deployed.
- Design Certification - Application Form
- Improving the clarity and usability of the form
- Assurance – Inspections Matrix
- Creating a simple, clear and risk-based methodology for inspecting works
These prototypes are in development with the intention to test and deploy these as soon as possible.
Next Steps
We are out for tender for a partner to help us manage the prioritisation plan of attack, this will slow the process for a short period however we are still working on things that have been identified.
We have a long list of issues that we need to work through over the coming weeks, months and years, this will be a significant change program for the Commercial Services Branch. In addition to short term “Quick Win” changes, we are focused on developing a detailed work plan and procuring support to help us deliver this next phase effectively.
I will keep you informed on progress and opportunities to be involved as we firm up the plan, this will take some time. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Regards
David Wilson
Network ASP Manager
T: 02 6589 8190
A recent incident occurred where an on-call crew did not identify CONSAC cable correctly, special requirements apply to equipment containing CONSAC cables – workers should review and implement the requirements of CEOP8030.An on-call crew were called to a no supply, after inspection it was determined it was in a burnt-out service fuse and street light fuse in a pillar. After completing a risk assessment and discussing the job the service fuse carrier was replaced and supply restored to the house. The on-call crew didn't have a fuse carrier for the street light, so it was made safe and left for another day. All appropriate PPE was utilised.What do you need to do?
On 9th September 2016, the NSW Government gazetted changes to the NSW Accredited Service Provider (ASP) Scheme Rules (the Scheme). This revision introduced new Level 1 and 2 classifications for non-electrically qualified personnel (Class 1X or Class 2X – Non-electrically qualified).ASPs must ensure all non-electrically qualified workers are registered with the Scheme prior to submitting an authorisation application to Essential Energy; this includes both initial authorisations and renewal of existing authorised workers.Essential Energy will, on receipt of a valid and successful applications, authorise the ASP worker(s) aligned to the new class(es) of accreditation and issue a new authorisation card.What do you need to do?
Essential Energy would like to advise that Dubbo Warehouse will be closed for FIR Orders from 21 September 2018. No orders or deliveries of FIRs will be completed after 21 September 2018.Future orders must be placed at either our Grafton or Wagga Wagga Warehouses.While we endeavour to minimise the impact to your business, Essential Energy would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.What do you need to do?Place orders for FIRs through the Secure Web Portal after 21 September 2018 by selecting in My Forms Requisition for Supply of Metering Equipment form, then select the Dispatch & Courier pick up location of:
As part of our commitment to improve our relationship and communications with ASPs Essential Energy are looking at holding forums in regional areas in October. The purpose of these forums is for ASPs to come along and hear about the latest news in the ASP space and to ask questions or raise issues with representatives from various Essential Energy teams, including the safety team, design and certification and training amongst other teams in our business.Dates and locations of ASP forums:
Ring Fencing – Provider of Last ResortRing-fencing regulations were introduced on 1 January 2018 to support the creation of a level playing field for providers of contestable services in new and existing NSW markets.Essential Energy is only able to provide contestable services in limited circumstances:
You may have noticed and/or observed, Essential Energy is currently undertaking additional inspections of customer connections or alterations. The inspections are being conducted on historical data ensuring customer Installation and Service Works are meeting the requirements of the NSW Service & Installation Rules, AS/NZS 3000:2007 and Essential Energy’s requirements in line with Code of Practice Installation Safety Management.Essential Energy has started with a pilot inspection program in the Coffs Harbour area and will extend the program to the remaining regions in our footprint in the coming months.What do you need to do?
IMPORTANT: Commencement of IPART Reviews of the NSW Energy MarketBelow are two reviews that Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) have been asked to be undertaking by the NSW Minister of Energy:IPART has commenced its annual review of the performance and competitiveness of the retail electricity and gas markets in NSW for the most recent financial year.The report on 2017-18 period will be their fourth annual monitoring report on the retail electricity market and the first reviewing competition in the retail gas market since gas prices were deregulated on 1 July 2017.As part of this review, the NSW Minister for Energy and Utilities has also asked to report on:
What’s happening?There have been several instances recently where Level 2 ASPs, or in some cases unauthorised trade contractors, have fitted cable covers (tiger tails) to energised overhead service lines.As a result of further investigation, it has been identified that confusion exists as to who is authorised to undertake this task. The WorkCover Code of Practice (CoP): Work Near Overhead Power lines provides direction in relation to the implementation of control measures for unauthorised persons working near low voltage overhead service lines.Consideration should be given to Eliminating the hazard by deenergising the supply for the duration of the work, and where there is a danger of physical damage to the overhead service its temporary removal. Where this is not practicable, separating the hazard from the worksite may be achieved through the installation of insulating matting and tiger tails at the point of attachment.Essential Energy’s responseCable covers must only be fitted to energised service lines for the purposes of adherence to the CoP by electrically qualified Essential Energy authorised employees. ASPs and contractors are not authorised to carry out these tasks as this is not classified as Contestable Work, unless working on behalf of Essential Energy under the conditions of a contract can these be installed.A Level 2 ASP can however, de-energise and remove a service line for the duration of the proposed works, or fit cable covers on a deenergised service line for mechanical protection and visual indication so long as the covers are removed prior to the installation being reenergised.When de-energising a service line, the service connections at the Point of Common Coupling must always be disconnected and made safe. The service line should then be visually assessed to determine its condition. If it is not of sound condition or there are other factors preventing the service removal. The disconnected service is to remain in situ and covered with insulating matting and tiger tails for visual awareness and mechanical protection. Special attention should also be paid to protecting the consumer mains at the Point of Attachment.If the service line is deemed to be in sound condition, and providing it is firstly disconnected at the Point of Common Coupling, then disconnect the connections at the Point of Attachment, remove the service from the attachment, and carefully roll up.The completely disconnected service can then be secured where practicable to the non-trafficable side of the distribution pole or private pole at a minimum height of 4.6m. If this is not practicable or introduces other hazards, then the service should be removed and stored in a secure location ensuring no physical damage to the service is sustained.Before re-energising, precautions must be taken to ensure that the service and electrical installation are in a state suitable for energisation and that all required testing (e.g. insulation resistance, polarity, neutral integrity and phase rotation) has been satisfactorily completed.What do you need to do?
IMPORTANT INFORMATIONFrom 1 July 2014, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) introduced new regulatory charges for Ancillary Network Services and Metering Services. As an Accredited Service Provider (ASP), Authorised Person (AUP) or Electrical Contractor (EC), you would be aware of the current Ancillary Network Services and Metering Services charges applicable to services you provide to your customers.The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has approved the new regulatory charges for Essential Energy’s Ancillary Network Services and Metering Services to be implemented from 1 July 2018.You can read more about Essential Energy’s pricing for Ancillary Network Services and Metering Services on our website at: Essential Energy > Our Network > Network Pricing and Regulatory report > Network PricingWhat do you need to do?
I would like to take the opportunity to thank those ASPs for their participation and attending the workshops in May 2018.The methodology we used to deliver these workshops recognises that for us to get different results, we need to apply a different approach. While each workshop dealt with a specific issue or problem, both workshops shared objectives that focused not only on the problems we need to solve, but how we solve problems, for example: