The Essential Services Commission (ESC) has released its timely connections decision, increasing requirements for distributors connecting power to greenfield residential developments under changes aimed at improving efficiency and timeliness. 

Under the commission’s decision, distributors will be required to:

• establish a customer service standard setting out what a distribution business expects to deliver over the next two years in relation to negotiated connections;
• establish a consultative committee with relevant stakeholders that meets quarterly to resolve issues with delays; and
• report publicly every six months against a performance reporting framework.

Distribution businesses will submit their customer service standard to the ESC for review by 4 December 2020, when the ESC will assess each one to ensure it reflects thorough engagement and is meaningful.

This result follows sustained UDIA Victoria engagement with the ESC, advocating for a modernised framework to govern the connection of electricity to new developments. We commend the steps taken to improve electricity connection standards and we will continue to monitor improvements and opportunities for further action.

Read the ESC’s ‘Timely negotiated electricity connections – Decision paper’.

Read the UDIA Victoria submission.

Greenfield connections survey

To assist the distribution businesses develop their standards, the ESC has prepared a short survey asking respondents about their experiences in undertaking electricity connections in greenfield areas. The survey was the suggested by members from the UDIA Victoria during the engagement process. The ESC and UDIA Victoria encourage respondents to be as specific as possible to make the results more meaningful. You can do this with confidence; the survey is anonymous and the ESC will de-identify responses before forwarding to the appropriate distribution business.

Click here to take the survey.

The survey closes at 5.00 pm on 13 November 2020.