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The go live date for basic connections coming into Essential Connections Portal is 19 June 2023, pending no technical challenges.
From 19 June, Protection Settings Requests for Switchboards, Switchboard Review Requests and basic Non-Standard Approval requests will be managed in Essential Connections.
You will need to complete these where relevant before you can undertake works and submit a Certificate Compliance Electrical Works (CCEW) and / or Notification of Service Work (NOSW) via Essential Connections Portal.
Here's what to do:
I need to get Protections Settings for a Switchboard >100amps.
- Submit a Protection Setting Request for Switchboards via Essential Connections Portal.
- You will need the Essential Connections Number (ECN) and Application case number.
- If you did not submit the application, please ask your customer for those details.
- For applications submitted in the old NECF portal, please contact 13 20 80 and ask for your reference numbers so you can submit the Protection Setting Request.
I need to submit a Switchboard Review Request.
- Submit a Switchboard Review Request via Essential Connections Portal.
- You need approved Protections Settings before you can submit a Switchboard Review Request. You will need the ECN and Protection Setting Case Number to submit this form.
- All Switchboard review requests that have been submitted via email before 19 June will be processed by email. No new submissions will be accepted in the mailbox from 19 June.
I am planning works that vary from design and construction standards and the rules. I need to submit a Non-Standard Approval Request.
- Submit a Non-Standard Approval Request via Essential Connections Portal.
- You will need the Application reference numbers to submit the Non-Standard Approval (NSA). If you did not submit the application, please ask the customer for those details (Application number and ECN).
- For applications submitted in the old NECF portal, please contact 13 20 80 and ask for your reference numbers so you can submit the ITC.
Clarifying requirements for like-for like switchboard replacements >100amps: Connection application required.
Connection applications are required for replacements of any switchboards over 100amps.
This requirement aims to resolve confusion around this topic. For example, in the past some contractors / ASPs requesting switchboard reviews have found that they need to submit a connection application before they can have their switchboard reviewed due to the potential impacts of changes to electrical protection or earthing even where there is no load change.
To ensure all >100amp switchboard replacements are properly assessed as to their potential impact on our network, we will be requiring a connection application for all replacements of switchboards over 100amps. This change will come into immediate effect.
What do you need to do?
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
- View all communications via Essential Engagement
Further Information
If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
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.
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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?
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
- View all communications via Essential Engagement.
Further Information
If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
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:
- Protection Settings Request for Switchboards to be used in the design of the switchboard.
- 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?
- 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.
- Keep reading our emails about basic connections coming into Essential Connections.
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
- View this and past communication via Essential Engagement.
Further Information
If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
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?
- Review the 2023-24 Pricing Schedules for Ancillary Network 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
- 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.
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
What is Happening?
To protect everyone’s health and safety, we’ll hold our next round of ASP engagement forums via Zoom, rather than face to face.
In this round, we’ll be covering a range of topics including Safety, Earthing, how to use the Network Information Portal, as well as updates from Contestable Design and Planning, BetterConnect, Essential Connections and Neara.
We encourage you to participate in these forums. You’ll have the opportunity to discuss our plans and initiatives, and to ask questions or raise issues with Essential Energy team members.
Tuesday 23rd May 2023 9:00am – 11:00am Register Here
Tuesday 23rd May 2023 5:00pm – 7.00pm Register Here
A confirmation email will be sent to you with the Zoom meeting once you have registered.
What do you need to do?
- Select the session time above that suits you and reserve your spot.
- 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.
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
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?
- Keep reading our emails about basic connections coming into Essential Connections.
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
- View this and past communication via Essential Engagement.
Further Information
If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
New for basic connections: ‘Intent to Connect’.
Last week we communicated that Essential Connections will be replacing Secure Web Forms and emails for basic connections activities from mid 2023.
There will be one new step in the process: ‘Intent to Connect’. Intent to Connect will be 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.
More than one Intent to Connect can be submitted for an application. For example:
- Intent to Connect just for Service works (Level 2 ASP works).
- Intent to Connect just for Electrical works.
- Or an Intent to Connect for both types (if you are authorised to do both types of work).
How does this help you?
Nearly all of the information on the Intent to Connect will auto populate from the application. You will be able to see:
- Site details.
- Application offer e.g., Basic & EBG (Embedded Generation).
- Retail customer details.
- Details about the approved installation including load requested, export limit applied by Essential Energy and the model of equipment.
- Any approval conditions (e.g., Switchboard Review, Non-Standard Approval) and whether these are completed.
In the Intent to Connect, you can make minor updates to equipment you intend to use and request a change from Underground to Overhead* if required. (*Note: This will require a Non-Standard Approval).
If the information is correct - that is, you will be undertaking the works as per the approved application - all you need to do is acknowledge this and enter the planned date/s for the work.
In late May, we will share a step-by-step guide and a demonstration video to show you how to ‘Submit an Intent to Connect’.
Intent to Connect will help general connections governance
The Intent to Connect will give Essential Energy visibility of the intended timeframe for works. Essential Connections will send you reminders if the NoSW and/ or CCEW is not submitted after the designated work date you enter in the Intent to Connect.
One more thing! Registrations and access to Essential Connections
Our team is checking that users are correctly registered to use Essential Connections for basic connections. Some things will need to change. For example, users will need to be individually registered. Some accounts may need to change.
You do not need to do anything yet - but please keep an eye out for an email with further information. Emails will only be sent to those who need to take some action. These will be sent over the next coming weeks.
What do you need to do?
- Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
- View this and past communications via Essential Engagement.
Further Information
If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
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:
- Requests of Service Works (ROSW)
- Requisition for supply of FIRs
What do you need to do?
- 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.
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
Changes to the Low Voltage Connections External User Guide.
We have made a change to the structure of the external user guide for low voltage connections. The enquiry, application and design processes were all contained within one large guide.
However, based on your feedback, we have now split these guides to provide a process focus so that customers can find the process specific information they are after rather than having to go through a large guide. We have also created a number of videos for the design related processes and linked them to the new guides. All guides can be found on the support page on our website:Essential Connections Support.
The new guides are:
- Connection Enquiry.
- Connection Application.
- Design Information Application – with videos for the DIA process, how to collaborate with the design team and what to do when a case is moved to Pending Requestor.
- Design Certification - with videos for the design certification process and recertification process, how to collaborate with the design team and what to do when a case is moved to Pending Requestor.
- Non-Standard Approvals.
- Easements.
- Asset Labels.
Essential Connections Invoice Reference Number (EEI-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx).
Customers that are paying for an invoice out of Essential Connections have experienced an issue with not having the ability to copy and paste the invoice reference number from the body of the email. As a result, we have now amended the automated email that goes out with the invoice to include the EEI reference number which can be copied and pasted into the portal.
Searching for an ECN Number when you are not the owner of the application case.
Earlier this year several customers that were not the owner of the application case, when they tried to search in Essential Connections using the ECN nothing was returned in the search. We have made an update to the system that now resolves this issue, and anyone can search using the ECN number (note, the search will only return cases that your business owns under that ECN).
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.
You cannot leave comment in this blogpost unless you are a part of the project panel.
Essential Connections Portal Maintenance from 10:00am this Friday 10th February - 07:00am 13th February 2023.
Essential Energy will be performing maintenance on the Essential Connections portal from 10:00am Friday 10th February 2023 to 7:00am Monday 13th February 2023. During this time, applications and enquiries will not be able to be submitted. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Requesting a DIA for a Major Connection Project
With the launch of our Major Connections functionality in the Essential Connections portal a few weeks ago we have also introduced a new pathway for submitting a Design Information Application (DIA) request relating to these Major Connections projects. A DIA request requires an ECN number and an application case number, so we have created a new application type called the ‘Major Connection Contestable Works Project application’. The application takes less than 5 minutes to complete, auto-approves and has no fee attached so you can get your application case number and ECN immediately and proceed to your DIA request.
As part of the application process, we ask for you to enter the ECN number from the Major Connections process so please make sure you get this from the proponent of the Major Connection (or whoever submitted the Detailed Enquiry). The system will not let you proceed if the ECN you select isn’t related to a major connection. Additionally, a DIA can only be requested for a Major Connection when our connections planning team determine that the project has proceeded sufficiently to inform an accurate DIA request. If you try to submit this application and are unable to proceed, please check the ECN number with the connection proponent or ask them to contact their connection co-ordinator.
We have also developed a guide to help you navigate this new connection application which can be found Essential Connections Support.
Load Requirements in Application Form
We have received a few enquiries from customers around whether the ‘Required Load’ fields in our low voltage connection application forms for existing connections require the total load or only the new load required. For these fields you need to enter the total required load following the proposed connection (i.e. existing load plus new load). Our Essential Connections Support-Registered User Guide has been updated to make this requirement clearer.
User Nicknames
You would have noticed that on some of the communications sent from the Essential Energy portal your ‘name’ has been a random 20-digit number. We have recently updated the system to use your ‘first name, last name’ instead of the random number.
What do you need to do?
- Review the guide to help navigate this new application.
- 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.