Trading parties say business market new connections need simplification

Wholesalers and retailers have told MOSL the current arrangements for managing new connections in the business retail market have significant shortcomings and need simplifying.

The market operator has published a summary of responses to its Request for Information on streamlining the new connections process. This found the current process adds cost to the market, is increasing vacancy and leading to duplication of effort.

MOSL said it will look to various actions to address the situation including:

• consideration of a code change to allow wholesalers to register the supply point at connection;

• creation of a new supply point status of "New Vacant" – to ensure that new connection supply points are tracked following transfer of ownership from wholesaler to retailer;

• reviewing the current process timeframes, including considering extending or removing timeframes to allow trading parties to focus on the process outcomes of good data quality and premises occupation; • reviewing the new connection market performance standards. Consider extending or removing performance standards;

• consideration of a code change to make the building supplies flag mandatory. This would enable greater visibility of Temporary Building Supply (TBS);

• reviewing retail market eligibility of TBS and consider managing TBS outside of the market. A majority of respondents preferred that TBS are either managed solely by the wholesaler or removed from the market. Standpipe hire is managed outside of the market and was raised by one wholesaler as an alternative option, while another manages TBS through a combined pipe connection and assessed charge.

• producing with support from RWG, a Good Practice Guide on New Connection Data Submission to support wholesaler teams in sourcing the correct data for supply point registration; and meeting developers to discuss how to improve retail market engagement. Some feedback stated that developers had not been fully engaged when the codes were written. It will look to engage with developers to understand if there are ways in which engagement can be improved.