Getting started with your connection

Truck and workers investigating power pole

Getting started with your connection

Follow the steps below to get connected.

Step 1 – Three things to check before you apply
Step 2 – Understand your requirements
Step 3 – Prepare your application
Step 4 – Submit your application
Step 5 – Receive your Connection Contract and Schedule of Site-Specific Conditions
Step 6 – Getting connected

Need more help?

Step 1 - Three things to check before you apply

Are you in our network area?

Essential Energy distributes power across 95 per cent of NSW and parts of Southern Queensland. Check your location on our network area map.

If you’re not in our network area, contact neighbouring electricity distributors, Endeavour or Ausgrid.

If your premises are outside but near our network boundary you might want to connect to the Essential Energy network rather than a neighbouring distributor. We assess out-of-area connections on a case-by-case basis. Essential Energy, your local distributor and the Independent Price and Regulatory Tribunal must all approve these applications.

To see if you can make an out-of-area connection to our network send us an enquiry by selecting Submit a New Connection Enquiry via the Essential Connections portal.

Are you already connected to our network and just need to turn on your power?

If you are in our network area and there is already an electricity meter on your premises, you probably don’t need a new connection. If you've got no power, choose an electricity retailer to switch on your electricity supply at the meter.

Do you need to submit a connection application?

Some activity doesn’t require a connection application to be submitted but may require other forms. See our ‘Connections Matrix’ article to determine what forms are required to be submitted for a range of different connection activities.

Step 2 – Understand your requirements

Depending on your needs, your connection request will fall into one of four categories:

Basic connection: Where you have existing access to the low voltage network and the local network has enough capacity for your needs.
Standard connection: Where you need to extend the existing network to reach your property, or the network does not have enough capacity and needs to be upgraded.
Standard connection (subdivision): Where augmentation of the network is required to provide power to your subdivision.
Major connection: Where you require connection to the high voltage network, large scale electricity generation above 5MW, or embedded generation from 30KW to 4.99MW.

Basic and Standard Connection services have related Model Standing Offers. It is very important that you understand the terms and conditions, especially the Schedule of Site-Specific Conditions, because they form part of your Connection Contract. When we assess your application and issue your Connection Contract, you are bound by the conditions in the associated Model Standing Offer.

Each Model Standing Offer can be downloaded from our Connection Contracts page.

If you require multiple supply points to a single DP or Lot, first read our Multiple Points of Supply Guideline.

Also see our Support article Selecting the right connection application.

This page describes the process of setting up or altering basic and standard connections to the low voltage network, including:

New or altered load only connections like connecting a new house to our network or requesting increased load for an existing connection
Connections including embedded generation like solar panels or batteries
Subdivisions and Real Estate developments
Asset relocations
Temporary builders supply
Small unmetered supply

If you require a major connection to the high voltage network, please visit our HV Connections page.

Step 3 – Prepare your application

Before you start your low voltage connection application, you’ll need to gather some information.

The first four things you should do to prepare are:

Choose the correct Connection service: You will need to select the correct Connection service and understand the terms and conditions in the related Model Standing Offer including the Schedule of Site-Specific Conditions (see Step 2 – Understand your requirements).
Choose a retailer: Your retailer is the company that bills you for your electricity use. You will need their details to find or obtain your National Meter Identifier (NMI).
Find or obtain your NMI: For an existing connection, this unique identifier can be found on your electricity bill. For new connections, your selected retailer can help you obtain one.
Choose an electrical contractor or Accredited Service Provider (ASP) - Completing a connection application requires technical knowledge. Most retail customers should engage expert support to complete an application.

For more detailed information on each of the above steps, refer to our Preparing a low voltage connection application article in our Support pages.

Need information from us to help plan your connection?

If you want an understanding of the potential augmentation costs for a proposed connection before submitting a formal connection application you can use our Planning Assessment Enquiry process. See more details of this process in our support article.

Step 4 – Submit your application

All applications for low voltage connections are made through the Essential Connections portal. When you navigate to Essential Connections, instructions on how to enrol to become a registered user are provided on the Home page under the Connections Help tile.

It is important that you select the right application for your connection and understand the requirements relating to that connection (refer to Step 2 – Understand your requirements).

Fees

There are several different fees that may apply to your connection application. See our Connection Application Fees article for more information about the different types of fees and how they are determined.

You can also find all of our Ancillary Network Services (ANS) fees that are approved by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) in our Price Schedule for Ancillary Network Services. Refer to Table 1.2 on Page 2.

Application fees are non-refundable. If your application is incomplete or incorrect, an Incomplete Information Charge applies. We strongly recommend that you carefully check your application before you submit.

Who can apply?

Only registered users of the Essential Connections portal can submit a connection application. Essential Connections registration is only available for:

Accredited Service Providers (ASPs)
Electrical Contractors
Solar retailers and installers
Retail customers with good technical knowledge of electrical networks, including:
- Real estate developers
- Council workers
- Engineering consultants
- Telecommunications
- Legal agents
- Government departments
- EV charger proponents.

If you are not in any of the above user categories, you should engage an ASP or electrical contractor to complete the connection application on your behalf.

To register as a user of the Essential Connections portal, visit our Essential Connections registration page.

Step 5 – Receive your Connection Contract and Schedule of Site-Specific Conditions

Once your application is submitted, we conduct an assessment to determine which Connection Contract should apply. Depending on what your connection request involves, we may be able to auto-approve your application and return a Connection Contract to you immediately. Find out more about auto-approvals in our support article.

Once we complete our assessment, we will send you a Connection Contract Confirmation and Schedule of Site-Specific Conditions.

We provide three types of Connection Services which cover most low voltage connections. Refer to Step 2 – Understand your requirements and the terms and conditions for each.

Timeframes

Essential Energy will respond within 10 business days, unless otherwise agreed.

Accepting the Connection Contract

By default, a low voltage connection application is expedited. This means that you accept the terms and conditions in the related Model Standing Offer and the Schedule of Site-Specific Conditions during submission of the connection application. You, or your agent, may opt out of an expedited connection application when the application is being made in the Essential Connections portal. We may also decide not to expedite your Connection Contract depending on the information provided in the connection application.

Your Connection Contract commences on the day that we issue the Connection Contract Confirmation to you.

Each Connection Contract and Schedule of Site-Specific Conditions is uniquely identified by an Essential Connections Number (ECN) in the format ‘ECN-000000’. This number is only issued once the application has been approved and a Connection Contract Confirmation has been issued. This number will be referenced in all communications regarding your connection and will be used to reference all other activities required to deliver your connection.

Please ensure that you receive a copy of your Connection Contract and Schedule of Site-Specific Conditions, your ECN and your connection application case number (8-digit number that relates specifically to your connection application) from whoever submitted your application. This is because other electrical professionals that you engage to complete your works will require these throughout the lifecycle of your connection project.

To read more about expedited connection applications, visit our Expediting Low Voltage Connection Applications article on our Support page.

Negotiating your connection

You have the right to negotiate your connection. Please refer to our Negotiation Framework for the details and processes to follow.

Deemed Standard Connection Contract

A Deemed Standard Connection Contract starts on the date when you start to use the connection services at the premises. It covers the agreement for the provision of ongoing connection services between Essential Energy and you.

More information about our Deemed Contracts can be found on our Connection Contracts page.

Step 6 – Getting connected

As part of your Contract, we may include site-specific conditions which form part of your Connection Contract. You can find these in the Connection Contract Confirmation that we send you as the Schedule of Site-Specific Conditions. Your ASP or electrical contractor should abide by these conditions when building or installing your system.

Basic Connection Contract

If you do not require construction of network assets, you can engage a Level 2 ASP or electrical contractor to complete your connection. For some connection types, such as the installation of solar panels, you may only need a licensed solar installer.

For more information about a Basic Connection and the steps to be taken to finalise your connection, please see our Basic Connections page.

Standard Connection offer

If we have determined that your connection requires construction of network assets, you will need to engage a Level 1 and a Level 3 ASP.

For more information about a standard connection offer and the process to finalise your connection please see our Standard Connection page.

Unsure what to do?

The ASP or electrical contractor who helped with your application can clarify:

The next steps to get connected,
The timeframes to complete the work, and
Who you need to engage to complete the work.

Need more help?

Connection applications are very technical. We strongly recommend you engage an electrician or electrical consultant early to help you plan.

If you are unsure of your connection requirements, check our Support pages for articles that may give you the information you need. Our Network Information Portal, accessible from our Electricity network maps page may also provide useful technical details of your premises.

If you can't find the answer you need, you can make a connection enquiry through our Essential Connections portal.

Some enquiries attract a fee that you will be required to pay before we can process your request. For information on fees and charges related to connection enquiries, refer to Table 1.2 in our Price Schedule for Ancillary Network Services available on our Network Pricing page.

We can help you with: