Electricity distributors to continue reporting on the time to connect new housing developments
27 March 2023
The Essential Services Commission has published a final decision that will require Victorian energy distributors to report on how long it takes to hit key milestones when connecting new housing developments to electricity.
The commission first directed distributors to develop these standards in 2021 to address delays in connecting new property developments on greenfield sites. Distribution businesses were required to develop the standards by consulting with property developers, and to report on performance until March 2022, with some improvement in connection times since then.
As part of the revised standards, the commission expects distribution businesses to regularly consult with developers, their contractors and the wider industry to improve processes related to underground connections to new housing developments.
The revised standards also include updated performance metrics for certain distribution businesses to improve transparency on the timeliness of connections and to further encourage improved processes. Distribution businesses must report on the revised standards every six months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026.
The final decision comes after a consultation paper was released in December 2022 which sought feedback from stakeholders and industry on the proposed revised standards and performance metrics. The commission also hosted a roundtable with distribution businesses and industry participants.
During this consultation process the commission received numerous submissions and feedback which helped shape the final decision.
