To update your personal details please contact your Electricity Retailer, they will then notify AusNet Services on your behalf.
Each Victorian distributor maintains specific areas of the state where they are responsible for maintenance and service of electricity or gas supply. If you experience an outage, they are responsible for restoring power to your area.
There may be some charges associated with your application. You have two options to pay:
We don’t start working on the application until the payment has come through, so a delayed payment could delay the project.
We launched our new portal on 25 May 2020. Any projects submitted after that date will be managed via the new portal.
Existing projects, started before 25 May 2020, will continue to be managed outside of the portal.
Safely performing work on our network requires significant effort and expertise from our business. What may seem like a simple project (i.e., connecting electricity to a new house) typically involves input from a range of people including engineers, network planners and field crew. In some cases we need to consider cultural heritage status of the land, vegetation obstacles, adverse ground conditions or obstructing railway crossings. It also requires the installation and maintenance of expensive equipment.
It’s important to note that as a regulated business, all of our prices and charges are reviewed and approved by the Government.
A service pit is a container installed in the ground to your property boundary that holds the electrical connection between AusNet Services’ cable and your private electrical cable allowing electricity to be supplied to your property. A Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) can then connect your house to the electricity supply. Here is an example of a service pit installed in the ground.
The following diagram shows the usual process for solar and battery connections.
For systems less than 30kW the process is outlined in the diagram. Using the Pre-approval Tool, grid pre-approval should take approximately 5 minutes to fill in the details and an answer is generated instantly.
For systems that exception out of the pre-approval tool or that are greater than 30kW, a manual technical assessment is required. This typically takes 65 business days and there is a cost associated with this process.
The fee for this service is:
Unfortunately, not – a NMI is required to be able to apply for a solar connection through the online tool. This is because we need to look at the data associated with that site to assess whether it is safe to connect.
As an alternative you can complete the PDF System updates form and email the completed form to preapprovals@ausnetservices.com.au
You access both the online Pre-approval Tool and the Post installation Tool from the Manage my application page on the AusNet Services website.
Download the Pre-approval Tool Reference Guide or the Post Installation Tool Reference Guide. Both of these documents can be accessed by clicking on the Help link on the website.
For all applications submitted from 27 February 2020, you will use the online Post Installation Tool to enter post installation details, (previously captured in the manual Embedded Generation (EG) form), whether they were approved using the instant pre-approval tool, or approved via manual technical assessment.
For all approvals, regardless of the system size, the applicant will receive a reference number that is used in conjunction with the NMI and the applicant email address to access the application in the Post Installation tool.
We try our best to ensure that we run the network so that as many people as possible can connect and generate energy in a stable and safe way, so it important that each application is fully assessed.
Exporting energy refers to the energy that you are able to feed back into the grid i.e. you do not use it in your own home.
In order to assess a new system we look at the information available to us on network capacity. To support solar and batteries there needs to be sufficient capacity in the network to allow the system to connect.
In some circumstances, where the grid had reached its capacity threshold i.e. it is unable to support any more generation, we have to export limit a customer. This means that we must set a limit on the amount of energy you can feed back into the grid, for example: If you have a 6kW solar system you can technically generate and export up to 6kW energy. However, if the grid can only support 3kW generation in your area, then we will request that your system is limited to 3kW.
Whilst we may have to export limit you, you are still able to access the main benefit of solar energy which is to use all of the energy you generate for your own consumption and therefore reduce your energy bills.
If you would like to export more, there is the option to go for a manual technical assessment where a design engineer can have a look at your system and see if there are any other options you could pursue.
In some circumstances, where the grid has reached its capacity threshold i.e. it is unable to support any more generation, we have to export limit a customer. This means that we must set a limit on the amount of energy you can feed back into the grid, for example: If you have a 6kW solar system you can technically generate and export up to 6kW energy. However, if the grid can only support 3kW generation in your area, then we will request that your system is export limited to 3kW. In some cases, the grid will not be able to support any additional generation, in which case you will receive an export limit of 0kW.
Whilst we may have to export limit you, you are still able to access the main benefit of solar energy which is to use all of the energy you generate for your own consumption and therefore reduce your energy bills.
If you have received an export limit of 0kW through the online Solar and Battery Connection Tool and you wish to have this reviewed, there is the option to request a manual technical assessment where a design engineer can have a look at your system and see if there are any other options you could pursue.
Please note: On residential systems, we do not allow more than 10kW total inverter capacity per phase or more than 5kW (3.5kW on SWER) export per phase due to network restrictions.
Don’t worry, simply contact us via our email address preapprovals@ausnetservices.com.au to have another copy provided to you.
You will need to provide the NMI and email address for the application.
We want to enable you to connect to solar, but this can create a safety issue for our AusNet Services people. We need to know where the solar systems are so we know when there is ‘live’ energy flowing.
If a system is installed without approval, there is potential that it can either:
When a customer is identified as having set up an unauthorised connection, in the first instance the customer will be contacted to disconnect their system until approval has been granted. If this does not occur, one of our service representatives will attend the premises to lock the solar energy system. We run regular reports to detect this.
For privacy reasons you need to provide the below in order to access your application in the Post Installation Tool:
In order to convert your meter to measure the energy you use and the energy you generate, we update your account to a Solar Time of Use tariff to change the way your electricity is billed.
The Solar Time of Use tariff reflects when solar customers are likely to draw energy from the grid. This means that you pay different rates for the energy you use depending on the time of day.
If you are completely replacing a current system or adding additional inverters:
You can add to a current system or apply for a full replacement using the pre-approval tool as long as the total capacity is still <30kW. Any replacements or augmentations >30kW require completion of the manual technical assessment.
If you are partially replacing a current system – i.e. some components are remaining while others are being replaced:
You will need to complete the System updates form and then email to preapprovals@ausnetservices.com.au for assessment. The Pre-approvals team will then contact you if further information is required.
Greater choice of appliances
Natural gas is convenient and has an excellent record for reliability of supply.
Natural gas meters are a fraction of the size of obtrusive LPG tanks.
LPG delivery trucks are less likely to frequent your street making it safer for pedestrians and a more tranquil setting.
Natural gas adds value to your house.
Compared to electricity, natural gas appliances are many times better for the environment with lower greenhouse emissions.
Replacing wood heating with natural gas is more convenient and cleaner for your neighbourhood.
Your natural gas bill typically comes bimonthly, allowing you a longer period before payment is required, whereas LPG and wood are generally upfront purchases.