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Low Voltage Connection Applications for Community and Strata Title Developments


What is currently happening?

Low Voltage (LV) connection applications for single user connections are required to be submitted via the online connection portal, this is done to determine whether the existing LV electrical network can support the connection requirements or if augmentation is required. The application requires a National Metering Identifier (NMI) which is obtained from the electricity retailer. After submission the application will be assessed, and a LV connection offer will be made. This is typically either a BASIC or STANDARD connection.

Torrens title developments which require the LV electrical network to be extended and a physical point of connection to be established for each individual lot do not require a NMI or LV connection application. This is because this type of development will create multiple LV connections to the network as part of a contestable works project.

Community and strata title developments are different as they generally make connection to the LV electrical network via a single point. These require a LV application to be submitted which details the total site load for the development. To enable an application for this type of development to be submitted, the ASP is required to obtain a NMI from the electricity retailer which is used to complete the mandatory field on the online connection portal.

The issue with obtaining a NMI

  • Where a single new connection is required, obtaining a NMI from the electricity retailer can be done by the responsible Accredited Service Provider (ASP). The requestor contacts the retailer who provides the NMI after their requirements have been met.
  • Obtaining a NMI for a Community or Strata title development has recently been identified by several ASP’s as a very difficult task. This has been investigated internally and as a result, it has been agreed that Essential Energy will run a trial period where Essential Energy creates and issues a non-market NMI directly to Level 3 ASP for these Community or Strata title developments.
  • When Power of Choice was introduced where retailers issue electricity meters this has caused problems amongst the retailers who are unable to process a request for a NMI without a meter association.

Requesting a Non-Market NMI

This trial will require Level 3 ASPs to request the non-market NMI directly from the contestable works administration team, by sending an email to contestableworks@essentialenergy.com.au with the subject line of ‘Request for NMI - Community/Strata development’, the body of the email must contain the project address (including Lot & DP number) and the project/development description.

Once this request has been validated and processed, a non-market NMI will be issued to the Level 3 ASP and this NMI will never be published to the market. It is expected that the turnaround for this service will be much quicker than the current process with the retailers.

What do you need to do?

  1. For Community/Strata development request a non-market NMI by emailing contestableworks@essentialenergy.com.au
  2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation

Further Information

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