Introduction to Market Opening

Historically most of the electricity in Northern Ireland has been supplied by Northern Ireland Electricity plc. The total annual electricity demand in Northern Ireland is approximately 8,000GWh.  Capacity available to meet electricity customer’s demand is approximately 2,152MW with the peak demand, at any time, approximately 1669MW.  From the 1st April 2005 all metered non-domestic customers now have a choice of electricity supplier. NIE Transmission and Distribution (T&D) still owns and operates the electricity network in Northern Ireland. As the licensed Distribution System Operator it is still responsible for maintaining all the sub-transmission, medium and low voltage electricity network infrastructure.  If you are a non-domestic electricity customer you have the right to choose one of the electricity supply companies currently licensed to supply electricity in Northern Ireland (details on these supply companies may be found below). Non-domestic customers may contract with any second tier supply licence holder or NIE Supply, provided they have capacity to sell. These contracts are struck at a price negotiated by the parties and not a regulated price.   Non-domestic customers are also able to purchase a ‘green only’ product and it is expected that the market will open fully to include domestic customers on 1st November 2007 in line with the creation of the Single Electricity Market (SEM) in Ireland. 

Below you will find some further frequently asked questions and answers about market opening.
Who can supply electricity?
What are the processes to change supplier?
Why switch supplier?
Will this cost me anything?
Where can I get advice?
Will switching supplier affect my supply in any way?
What do I do now?

Who can supply electricity?

If you are a non-domestic customer you may choose to either purchase your electricity from one of a number of licensed suppliers or remain with NIE Supply. For independent second tier supplier advice and persons to contact please click on the link below:

Link to Second Tier Supply Licenses
 



What are the processes to change suppler?

There is a standard process associated with switching supplier and information on this can be obtained from any of the suppliers listed above. Your chosen supplier will be able to guide you through the process for changing.

Steps To Participate In The Market:

Step 1:
Suppliers may need your historic load data to provide you with a quotation. This can be determined from your previous electricity bills or you can make a request for your load data by email at datarequest@nie.co.uk. To comply with the Data Protection Act a supplier can only obtain historic load data on your behalf with your written consent. A standard request form is available by clicking here.

Step 2:
In order to participate in the “non-renewable” energy market you must have a “half-hour on-line” meter installed, which has a communication line that enables NIE T&D to retrieve your half hour load data. Where possible NIE T&D will install a GSM communications link, the cost of which will be billed by NIE T&D to your supplier, who may the pass the costs on to your company/organisation. In certain circumstances a dedicated telecommunications line may be required.

Step 3:
You will need to have a Connection Agreement with NIE T&D. A Connection Agreement requires to be in place even if you do not intend to change your supplier. For further information please refer to the Connection Agreements page.



Why switch supplier?

Second Tier Suppliers such as stated above can often buy electricity from a range of competitive source, giving them greater flexibility with price ranges than your current supplier.



Will this cost me anything?

The eligible non-domestic supply market is operated on a negotiated contractual basis between customer and supplier. Suppliers are granted licenses from Ofreg, however they are entirely responsible for their own pricing policies and contractual arrangements. In order to participate in the market you must have a “half-hour on-line” meter installed, which has a communication line that enables NIE T&D to retrieve your half hour load data. Where possible NIE T&D will install a GSM communications link, the cost of which shall be borne by your company/organisation. In certain circumstances a dedicated telecommunications line may be required.



Where can I get advice?

You can obtain further advice from the suppliers listed above, or you may also obtain free independent advice on market opening from OFREG (http://ofreg.nics.gov.uk). or the GCCNI (http://www.gccni.org.uk/).



Will switching supplier affect my supply in any way?

Changing your electricity supplier does not in any way imply a change in the quality of supply you will receive. If the Northern Ireland wide electricity supply is in difficulty, for example if there is a problem with a generating plant and some customers need to be interrupted, the choice of which customers are affected is in no way influenced by the electricity supplier a particular customer has.



What do I do now?

You are under no obligation to switch supplier. The basis of opening the market to competition is to make it more competitive and help to drive down prices. The ultimate aim is to empower electricity customers with freedom of choice, and to align the electricity industry with other competitive markets in Northern Ireland. As an eligible customer you can now contact the supplier of your choice or indeed all suppliers to initiate the tendering process.  Second tier suppliers will undertake the necessary steps to carry the movement process through to completion.



Requirements for Market Participation

It is a requirement that all customers connected to the Distribution network have a Connection Agreement in place with NIE T&D. The following diagram shows the contractual relationship between customers, their chosen supplier and NIE T&D business, who own the network.


Low Voltage (LV) Customers:

NIE T&D Standard Connection Terms and Conditions will apply to all customers (domestic and non-domestic) supplied at less than 650 volts through the agreement they enter into with their selected electricity supplier. Please click below to download a copy of NIE T&D’s current Standard Connection Terms and Conditions. The current conditions were approved by the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation on 23 October 2007.

NIE T&D Standard Connection Terms and Conditions in PDF format (119 KB)

High Voltage (HV) Customers:

All customers supplied at more than 650 volts require to have a site specific
connection agreement directly with NIE T&D. Please click below to download a
copy of a sample HV Connection Agreement and associated Health and Safety
rules (SRG 4).

HV Connection Agreement in PDF format (266 KB)

Associated Health and Safety Rules in PDF format (494 KB)

Connection Agreements for Customers with Generation:

Customers who wish to connect generation that operates in parallel with the NIE T&D Network are required, under The Electricity Supply Regulations, to have the written agreement of NIE T&D.

To make a formal application to NIE T&D, to obtain written consent to operate your generation in parallel with the NIE T&D network, please register your scheme via the NIE online registration system http://www.nie.co.uk/genconnect/ and download the necessary forms, which should be completed and returned to NIE.

We would emphasize that you must not connect generating plant, that is designed for operation in parallel with the NIE T&D system, without the prior written agreement of NIE T&D.

The Central Design Authority (CDA)

The CDA, is an NIE T&D appointed body responsible for coordinating and supporting  the overall design of the new Retail Market Arrangements in the Northern Ireland  non-domestic electricity market.

The opening of full retail competition in the Northern Ireland non-domestic electricity market represents a challenge for the industry. Coupled with the challenge of designing and implementing the arrangements that will support the competitive market, is the challenge of ensuring consistency between all market design components. The market design consists of a number of key components (configuration items) that are relevant to the industry as a whole. These components include, market procedures, legal documentation and market message definitions.

The CDA performs an administrative, industry-facing role, which supports and coordinates, the overall market design including the Market Registration Code (MRC). The MRC commenced on 11 September 2006, after the original parties signed the Market Registration Framework Agreement

Central Design Authority Board

On the MRC Commencement Date the Central Design Authority Board was established and became operational. The functions of the Central Design Authority Board are to consider and make decisions in relation to Issues and Code Change Proposals, as provided for under the MRC Change Procedures. NIE and each Supplier have the right to appoint, by notice in writing to the Central Design Authority, one person each to the Central Design Authority Board.

Central Design Authority Board Meetings

Board meetings are convened normally every month. Change Control Board members receive all relevant information from the CDA, including minutes of the previous meeting, five working days before the meeting. The frequency of meetings can be amended accordingly to reflect the volume as well as urgency of change requests. The CDA will advise the Change Control Board members of any changes to the meetings.

Change Control Board meetings review newly raised change requests, change request impact assessments and determine change request recommendations. The Change Control Board meetings are chaired by the CDA and Ofreg/NIAER attend these meetings as an observer.

Market Design Baseline Management Overview

Key to managing market design changes and ensuring consistency between all market design components is the establishment of the MRC baseline. The MRC baseline consists of a set of component documents that are mutually consistent and are issued at a specific point in time. Together, this set of components, describe all aspects of how the new retail electricity market operates from a market participant perspective.

To review the current MRC Baseline document release for the new retail market arrangements please click on the link below provided by Ofreg/NIAER:


http://ofreg.nics.gov.uk

Additional Market Documentation


NIE T&D will post documents (in PDF format) that will assist market participants as and when they become available.
  Document Title Publish Date Size
oStatement of Charges for Connection August 2007 05/12/2007 198 KB
oDe-Energisation Code of Practice 22/10/2007 129 KB
oStatement of Charges for Use of The NIE plc Electricity Distribution System 2007/08 15/10/2007 644 KB
oStatement of Public Service Obligation (PSO) Charges 2007/08 15/10/2007 19 KB
oStatement of Charges for Use of The NIE plc Electricity Transmission & Distribution System 2007/08 (superseded Nov 2007) 13/06/2007 303 KB
oTransactional charges for services provided by NIE T&D in support of the competitive retail market 16/10/2006 80 KB
oInterim Code of Practice for De-Energisation of Non-Domestic Metered Premises 20/06/2006 64 KB
oInterim De-energisation Form for Non-Domestic Premises 20/06/2006 25 KB
oInterim Re-energisation Form for Non-Domestic Premises 20/06/2006 25 KB
oUse of System - Wheeling Agreement 08/06/2006 113 KB
oPayment Security Policy Schedule 25/04/2006 59 KB
oConformed Use of System Agreement NIE 2006 03/04/2006 192 KB
oUoS Statement 2006/07 29/03/2006 322 KB
oStatement of Charges April 2005 08/12/2005 49 KB
oManagement of MIC (Distribution Network Capacity Management) 05/12/2005 54 KB
oMarket Opening Fieldwork Charging Policy 25/10/2005 44 KB
oGuidance Document Wheeling 2005/06 25/10/2005 100 KB
oDe-Energisation Code of Practice for Non-Domestic Metered Premises 30/09/2005 116 KB
oUoS Statement of Charges 2005/06 01/04/2005 207 KB
     

Market System Communication Arrangements

To enable suppliers to obtain answers on any questions or concerns after implementation of the New Electricity Retail Market Arrangements, please contact us at STS.query@nie.co.uk.

Market Design Communication Arrangements

To facilitate suppliers to submit Queries, Issues or Change Requests directly to the Central Design Authority, please contact us at CDA@nie.co.uk.

Market Design Query Resolutions

We will shortly provide an online search and submit facility to enable suppliers to access CDA archived market design query resolutions etc.

Supplier Enquiry (Billing & Registration)

Should you have an enquiry about a customers account, please email us at STSCustAccQuery@nie.co.uk.

Distribution Code

As part of the arrangements for the SEM and the implementation of the IME Directive, it has been necessary, through the establishment of a Distribution Code, to separate out the operation of the Distribution System from the Transmission System. The Distribution Code is designed to permit the development, maintenance and operation of an efficient, co-ordinated and economical NI Distribution System.

The Distribution Code is a document in its own right, but for the period following SEM Go-Live, it will cross refer to the relevant Distribution System related elements in the Grid Code. The relevant provisions of the Grid Code are therefore incorporated by cross references, which are purposive rather than relating to specific provisions in the Grid Code to reflect the fact that Distribution related issues in the Grid Code are dealt with as an integral part of the Grid Code provisions.

This Distribution code has been developed in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (NIAUR) and has been the subject of a public consultation. The Distribution Code has been approved by NIAUR. A full Distribution Code will be developed during the course of 2008.

Please click below to download a copy of Distribution Code.

Distribution Code

NIE is now establishing "The Northern Ireland Distribution Code Review Panel" to take forward the development of the full Distribution Code.  For further information click here.

Northern Ireland Electricity Transmission and Distribution System Security and Planning Standards

  Document Title Publish Date Size
oSecurity & Planning Standards Index 04/09/2007 18 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 1; ER-P2-5 04/09/2007 2,426 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 2; PLM-SP-1 04/09/2007 1,968 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 3; PLM-ST-4 04/09/2007 2,408 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 4; PLM-ST-9 04/09/2007 9,087 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 5; ER-P28 04/09/2007 6,563 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 6; ER-P16 04/09/2007 3,471 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 7; ER-P29 04/09/2007 1,950 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 8; ER-G5-3 04/09/2007 14,183 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 9; ER-G12-2 04/09/2007 11,926 KB
oSecurity & Planning Standards 10; EPM-1 04/09/2007 455 KB
     

Interface Agreements

NIE is party to two Interface Agreements with NIE Energy Ltd as conditions of its licence to participate in the transmission of electricity.

  • the PTIA is an agreement between NIE and NIE Energy Ltd in its capacity as the Power Procurement Business.
  • the SuTIA is an agreement between NIE and NIE Energy Ltd in its capacity as the holder of the NIE Energy Supply Licence, but excluding where it is acting in its capacity as the Power Procurement Business.

The agreements were designated/approved by the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (NIAUR) as part of the new market arrangements introduced on 1 November 2007. Please click below to download a copy of either the PTIA or SuTIA as appropriate. 

PTIA.pdf (67KB)

SuTIA.pdf (67KB)

 
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