Metering Contestability - Metering Changes in SA: Industry 'staged' approach conclusion
On 1 December 2017, we entered the new world of Metering Contestability.
As part of the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) ‘Power of Choice’, this meant a shift of responsibility for metering services from SA Power Networks to the retailers. To ensure a smooth transition, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) organised an industry ‘staged’ approach to assist the change.
This ‘staged’ approach is ending on 30 March 2018 and retailers will now be responsible for supplying and installing all metering equipment. This includes work for retailers that ‘opted in’ and had jobs received and accepted by SA Power Networks prior to 1 December 2017. SA Power Networks will not provide any metering services after 30 March 2018.
To ensure you are prepared for this transition, we have provided information below about:
- the responsibility changes around metering
- what this means for the jobs in our system.
Responsibility changes for the end of 'staged approach'
In a previous Industry News, we explained the changes in responsibility for ‘opted in’ retailers after 30 March 2018. As a reminder, we have summarised the main points below.
All meters installed after 30 March 2018 must be arranged and undertaken via the customer’s retailer and their meter provider. It will be the responsibility of the electrician to coordinate this directly with the relevant retailer. This includes retailers who ‘opted in’ to the industry ‘staged’ approach.
For New Service Provision and Alteration of Service Provision jobs, electricians will continue to raise service provision requests and book servicing and energisations with us, and we will provide these services as we do today. However, electricians will now request and coordinate metering equipment with the retailer on the customers behalf. We recommend contacting the retailer to get an understanding of their lead times before contacting SA Power Networks to make a booking.
For PV Installations, electricians are required to apply and receive Small Embedded Generator (SEG) approval from us. However, they will now request and coordinate metering equipment with the retailer on the customers behalf.
For more detailed information, you can read our previous Industry News.
Transition for existing jobs
New service provision and alteration of service provision
All existing New Service Provision and Alteration of Service Provision jobs will stay in our system. We will still install or alter our service and energise to the meter isolator on the days they are booked. However, the electrician will need to contact the retailer to request and organise the metering equipment.
We recommend electricians engage with the customer’s Retailer as early as possible to coordinate metering equipment.
Moving forward, you will still need to request a New Service Provision or Alteration of Service Provision on our online form or on REX, so we can install or alter our service and energise to the meter isolator.
PV installations
We will not be installing PV metering after 30 March 2018. Although this means several PV jobs will be cancelled in our system, we have been proactively contacting Retailers to ensure they are aware of this work and can prepare, communicate and organise these jobs with electricians to provide metering.
You are still required to apply for Small Embedded Generator (SEG) approval from us. We have started to see instances of PV metering being installed without SEG approval. This is a clear breach of the applicable regulations and relevant laws and we will be rectifying these instances, which may result in customer-inverters being disconnected.
Please ensure SEG approval is received prior to connecting the SEG installation to the network.
Further information
For more information, please check out our previous Industry News or new meter installations.
You can also find more information by searching ‘Power of Choice’ on the AEMC website.
If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or on the other links provided, please phone our Builders and Contractors on 1300 650 014 (Monday-Friday 8am-5pm) or email the Metering Contestability team at meteringcontestability@sapowernetworks.com.au