Level 2 ASPs

What is Happening?

In response to the current COVID-19 outbreak, some Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are making changes to annual refresher training for ASPs in our area. They include:

• immediate pause on training delivery until a later date
• reduced training (knowledge only, but no practical) or
• reduced class sizes to meet social distancing requirements.

These changes may impact your ability to satisfy annual training requirements to maintain your authorisation.

Essential Energy has an expectation that companies will make all reasonable endeavours to have workers attend refresher training at, or prior to, the expiry of their training. However, we understand that training through your preferred supplier may not be an option at this time.

Where this is not reasonably possible, as a fall-back option Essential Energy will temporarily extend the current one-month grace period to three months across all statutory training.

Please note that workers must have at least completed knowledge-only training with their RTO, with the expectation that a practical session will be undertaking before the three-month grace period ends.

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.

What is Happening?

Essential Energy is providing access to Network layouts and asset data for all our customers to help enable:

• Instant access to a range of overhead and underground network data
• Visibility of network routes with multiple base map functionality
• Supporting customers to self-serve the information they require and make informed choices.

Background

Access to Essential Energy’s Network layouts and associated data has been requested by numerous customers and organisations over the years. Specifically, there has been an ongoing need to enable self-service network information to Accredited Service Providers (ASPs) and Electrical Contractors (ECs) performing contestable works across the Essential Energy network. The NSW Independent Bushfire Enquiry also requires visibility of critical assets whereby “Fires Near Me” can be overlaid to enable real time risk mitigation.

What is it?

Access to the Network Information Portal will be available via Essential Energy’s Website. Upon accepting the Terms and Conditions you can simply start drilling into our network with standard search features. Specific network information is obtained by clicking on the asset to enable the creation of an email request. A demonstration video is available on our website showing how to navigate the portal and find/request the information you need.

Benefits

The Network Information Portal will help enable customers to make more informed choices whilst reducing internal workload that has traditionally serviced this need. Councils and other government organisations will benefit such as enabling desktop planning through to network visibility for critical asset protection.

The self-serve functionality provides ASPs and ECs with access to data such as pole, cable and conductor data, as well as network routes, enabling better informed customer conversations and reducing enquiries.

What happens next?

Following the Stage 1 Pilot programme, Stage 2 will provide additional enhancements and functionality which will be communicated once complete.

What do you need to do?

1. Watch the 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?

As the COVID situation continues to evolve, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued assistance to help by complying with NSW Health requirements as well as supporting Essential Energy in our COVID response.

ASPs travelling from Greater Sydney to work on Essential Energy's network must adhere to the NSW Government’s current COVID-19 rules and restrictions.

Before you commence work on our network, you must provide evidence on site that the NSW Health requirements have been met.

If evidence of the requirements is not provided, Essential Energy has the right to cancel the outage.

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.

What is Happening?

An on-call crew were called to a wires down job and discovered a split round Low Voltage (LV) pillar box exposing live LV conductors

Customers onsite reported two children had received electric shocks while playing near the infrastructure. Parents of children were advised to seek medical attention for their children.

Essential Energy workers immediately made safe at the work site and placed a new pillar lid over the top of the damaged pillar and glued in place as a temporary repair.

What do you need to do?

1. Download and review Safety Brief – SB-985_ASP Damaged Split Round Pillar Exposing Live Low Voltage Conductors located on the Document Library and Essential Engagement.
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?

In the most recent update to the Standard Contestable (Approved) Material List CEOM7004, a number of items have been removed. CLAH (Current Limiting Arcing Horns) surge arresters have been discontinued by the manufacturer and following a review of their requirement, CLAH surge arresters are to be withdrawn from Essential Energy Covered Conductor Thick (CCT) constructions.

Other associated equipment used in conjunction with CLAH surge arresters will also be withdrawn. The CCT construction drawings in Section CEOM7303 of the Overhead Construction Manual have been updated to reflect the changes.

The Standard Contestable (Approved) Material List CEOM7004 has also been updated and the associated material has been removed. For all other updates please make yourself familiar with Issue 55 of the AML.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above construction drawings and the AML on the Document Library.
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?

To enable Essential Energy to transition to a new, upgraded financial system in mid-August 2021, we need to pause the issuing of invoices from Essential Energy between 21 July and 16 August 2021.

Invoices will recommence on 16 August 2021 with Essential Energy’s new bank account details and will be sent via your company’s nominated email address listed in our system. To ensure we have the correct email address for your company, please email accounts.receivable@essentialenergy.com.au with your company name and preferred email address.

What do you need to do?

1. Email accounts.receivable@essentialenergy.com.au with your company name and preferred email address.
2. Ensure your Essential Energy’s new bank details are updated in your system from 16 August 2021 (new details can be found on invoices issued from this date).
3. All invoices will pause between 21 July 2021 and 16 August 2021.
4. 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?

Essential Energy will apply changes to some Ancillary Network Services (ANS) charges, effective from 30 September 2021. Changes include:

applying 2019-2024 Australian Energy Regulator (AER) approved charges for Ancillary Network Services (ANS) which are not currently charged for. The first charge will recover the costs we incur to inspect work by an electrical contractor that requires submission of a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) to Essential Energy

switching to a new secure online Payment Gateway (managed by the ANZ bank) to collect ANS charges via credit card payment

transitioning some high-volume and low value ANS charges to upfront payment. The first charges to transition are the Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW) Inspections, Re-Inspection of Electrical Work and Notice of Service Work (NOSW). Charges will apply at the time the CCEW or NOSW is submitted via Secure Web Forms (SWF). Other charges will transition to upfront payment over time.

Summary of changes

The above table of Ancillary Network Service and Amounts are as per the Price Schedule for Price Schedule for Ancillary Network Services 1 July 2021. These three Network Service changes will move to upfront payment via the secure online payment gateway.

“User Pays” Principle

These fees cover the costs of services that we already provide and are expected to charge for under our agreement with the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).

Under the Regulatory Framework, we need to recover those costs from the specific customers requiring the service.

Better Customer Experience

By transitioning to upfront payments and switching to a new online payment gateway, we will improve your overall customer experience with Essential Energy:

• You will receive instant confirmation when the payment is successful.
• You will have the option to download or email tax receipts at the time of payment instead of having to wait for an invoice to be mailed.
• All payments are made in ANZ bank environment and no credit card details are kept or managed by Essential Energy. The ANZ environment meets the stringent regulatory requirements of financial institutions in Australia.

What do you need to do?

1. Accredited Service Providers, Authorised Persons and Electrical Contractors should consider pricing changes when preparing quotations for customers regarding future work.
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?

To enable Essential Energy to transition to a new, upgraded financial system in mid-August 2021, we need to pause External Sales quotations and orders between 10 July 2021 and 16 August 2021.

No External Sales orders or quotations will be processed during this period.

What do you need to do?

1. Please ensure your jobs and required orders are planned ahead to cover a minimum four-week period.
2. All orders covering this period must be submitted by Friday, 9 July 2021.
3. 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?

As previously communicated on the 24 May 2021, from 1 July 2021, Essential Energy is introducing a new process to build collaboration and uplift the capability of all Level 2 ASPs authorised with Essential Energy.

If you work on or near Essential Energy’s network, you will be required to participate in the assessment process.

How it will work:

We plan to conduct these assessments over a two-year period.

• A notification will appear on your home page of Secure Web Forms (SWF): ‘ASP Level 2 Assessment is now due’. Confirmation of notification will be sent via e-mail.
• A Network Assurance Facilitator (NAF) will contact you to arrange the onsite project assessment, please make it known when your future projects will be commencing.
• Your assessment must be completed within three months of your notification.
• The NAF will assess and determine your score. Scoring will assist the NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment with accreditation performance management.

Please note that failure to complete the project assessment will result in a low score, which may affect your accreditation grading.

Assessment categories include:

• Standard of Construction Work
• Safety Performance
• Process Control
• Environmental Management
• Capability.

Aims and benefits of the project assessment process.

We aim to:

• promote a collaborative approach by obtaining feedback from you and answering your questions about working on or near our network
• provide feedback on previous inspections to avoid future non-conformances
• create a consistent approach to network connections
• highlight safety and compliance improvements
• better manage accreditation for regrades.

What do you need to do?

1. Please make sure your contact details are up to date in Secure Web Forms (SWF).
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au or contact your local Network Assurance Facilitator.

What is happening?

After some recent incidents and inquiries from the ASP forums Essential Energy would like to inform Accredited Service Providers (ASPs) of their responsibilities

• Part 3 of the Electricity Supply Act 1995 (the Act), Section 31A, a person who provides contestable network services must be accredited, in accordance with the Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2014, to provide those services (an ASP).
• The NSW Accredited Service Provider (ASP) Scheme Rules (Scheme Rules) details the requirements for a Company/Business to be accredited and a worker to be registered under a Company/Business accreditation.
• Once an individual and or company (Business) is accredited as an ASP, any person engaged to carry out contestable work on behalf of that ASP must be:
  • Registered with the ASP Scheme, and
  • Authorised by the relevant local distributor to perform contestable network service.

Accreditation is not transferable. Therefore, if an ASP changes to operate under a new ACN, the new company will be required to make a new application to be accredited under the ASP Scheme.

All ASPs are required to register with the Scheme any personnel who will be performing work on or near existing electricity network on behalf of the ASP and for which the ASP is accredited.

An ASP must notify the Scheme of changes in staff. Personnel, including employees and sub-contractors, will not be able to be authorised by the local electricity distributor until they have been registered by the Scheme.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above and ensure all workers are registered and authorised before undertaking contestable works.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

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