New Essential Connections portal for submitting Low Voltage enquiries and applications coming soon

What is Happening?

Essential Energy is working to improve customer experiences across the end-to-end connections process by upgrading technology and improving processes. Improvements include the new Essential Connections self-service portal, which we are targeting for Monday,16 May 2022.

All Low Voltage (LV) connection enquiries and applications are to be created and submitted through the new portal from 16 May 2022.

All High Voltage (HV) enquiries, applications, design, construction, testing and quality assurance processes will be transitioned to Essential Connections in future phases of the project.

Changes from the current Low Voltage enquiry and application forms

The new Essential Connections portal will be your one-stop-shop for all your enquiries and applications.

The portal will automate many manual processes. It will also integrate with other systems to provide data from organisations such as Spatial Services NSW (address validation and auto-population of lot/DP) and the Clean Energy Council (inverter and battery lists) to help you complete your applications.

Other exciting changes coming with the release of Essential Connections include:

• new and more targeted application categories, such as load only, generation only, load and generation, temporary builders supply, unmetered supply and asset relocation
• email/SMS notifications for job progress (no more calling Essential Energy for updates)
• electronic signature for Connection Offer acceptance (no more printing and signing)
• standard connections are automatically approved
• easy-to-use online payment gateway for upfront payments
• knowledge articles on the Essential Energy website to help you use and understand the new portal.

Getting ready for 16 May 2022

Read only access to Connections web portal from 11 May to 16 May (no applications can be submitted)

From midday 11 May, connection enquiries and applications will no longer be submitted via the Connections web portal, while we switch over to the new Essential Connections portal, which is scheduled to be released on 16 May.

Registered users will still be able to log in with read only access to view applications previously submitted.

Activating your Essential Connections account for Level 1 & 2 ASPs and ECs (Level 3 ASPs will use that same access as the BetterConnect portal)

Before you can access the Essential Connections portal and submit enquiries and applications, you will need to activate your account.

On Sunday 15 May, you will receive a welcome email from our secure access management provider OKTA with a link through to the essential connections portal

Note: Solar Retailers need to self-register via the Essential Energy website to use the new Essential Connections portal. Registration will be available on 16 May.

Introduction of fees and upfront payment

The Essential Connections portal enables Essential Energy to charge for Ancillary Network Services (ANS) fees, as required by the Australian Energy Regulator. Up until now, we have not charged for some of these fees, as our systems did not support such charging. To find out more, read introduction of new fees and upfront payment on Essential Engagement.

We previously communicated that ANS fees and upfront payment were scheduled to be charged from Monday 2 May. The new date is 16 May, to align with the release of the Essential Connections portal.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above, watch the video by click on Essential Connections Portal preview and look out for your activation email on 15th May 2022.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

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