A basic connection applies when your installation:

• Requires no changes to our network (eg new poles, lines, electricity pits)
• Has no metering or technical issues
• Has no special requirements for additional power.

For example, you would need to apply for a basic connection under the following circumstances:

• Overhead lines: Powerlines are located on the same side of the street as your property, with poles located within 20 metres and no clearance or property-crossing issues
    
• Underground lines: An electricity service pit or pillar exists at the boundary of your property, with no property-crossing issues

Getting connected

To arrange a basic connection, please follow the steps below.

1. Contact a Registered Electrical Contractor (electrician) to arrange a property inspection – if there are no problems, your contractor will issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES) and Electrical Works Request (EWR)
     
2. Choose an electricity retailer – for tips and tools on choosing a retailer, please visit: https://compare.switchon.vic.gov.au/
     
3. Ask your electrical contractor to forward copies of the CES and EWR to your chosen retailer, who will then send a service order to AusNet Services. Once we’ve received and validated your new connection request, it will take 10 business days to finalise your connection.

If you don’t qualify for a basic connection, we’ll do our best to let you know within 10 business days. You may be directed to request a negotiated connection. 

You can request a negotiated connection at any stage of the application process, even if you’ve already qualified for a basic connection. 

A basic embedded generation connection applies when:

• You're feeding electricity back into our distribution network from a solar power system (or another embedded generation system, such as wind turbines)
  
  
• Your new or upgraded embedded generation system has a maximum capacity of up to 4.6 kVA, or up to 3.5 kVA if connected to a Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) powerline
   
• Your inverter meets technical requirements – ask your installer for more information
   
• Our meet all other requirements for a basic connection.

Please note that a battery system may have additional requirements that require pre-approval. For more information, contact: preapprovals@ausnetservices.com.au

Getting connected

It's important to do the following to arrange a basic embedded generation connection.
 

Choose an installer, who must be a registered electrical contractor, according to the law; solar installers must be accredited by the Clean Energy Council.
  

Check that your installer will issue and submit all necessary paperwork to your chosen electricity retailer, including the following:

• Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES)
   
• Electrical Works Request (EWR)
    
• Embedded Generator (EG) Connection Form (for new installations)
        

Tell your electricity retailer about your embedded generation system, such as a solar power system; in turn, your retailer will send a service order to AusNet Services.

Once these steps are complete, we will prepare your meter to work with your new embedded generation system.

For more information about these types of connections, please click through to our section on Embedded Generation.

Applicable from 1 February 2017, standard connections cover those where our network doesn’t quite reach the property. Typically, these would be houses in subdivisions and some semi-rural areas.

Standard connections usually involve:

• Building a service pit then running a powerline underground from a nearby powerpole to that pit. (Pole to pit connection)
   
• Connecting to an existing underground powerline. (Service joint to pit connection).
  
   

Criteria

These connections are covered by a set fee comparable to that charged by other distribution businesses, providing certain conditions are met. These include the:

• Availability of low voltage supply
   
• Service pit being in safe and technically applicable location
   
• Customer’s power requirement not exceeding 40 Amp (single phase) or 63 Amp (three phase). With connections to SWER lines, other requirements may apply
   
• The length of the connection is within AusNet Services requirements. 

Additional charges

In certain circumstances, AusNet Services will charge additional fees for standard connections. These include:

•  A customer requesting a pit in a non-preferred location
   
• A pit being located where it cannot readily be shared
   
• A connection that requires a road crossing
   
• The need to excavate an underground cable
   
• The requirements for a site-specific Aboriginal cultural heritage, due-diligence assessment. 
  
  

A negotiated connection applies when your requirements are beyond those covered by a basic embedded generation connection.

More specifically, you will need to apply for a negotiated connection if one or more of the following factors is a consideration:

• Your installation requires changes to our network (e.g. new poles, lines or electricity pits)
  
  
• You have metering or technical issues
   
• You have significant power requirements, exceeding 100 Amp, or more than 40 Amp per phase
   
• Your connection is to a Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) powerline – a single-cable powerline seen in some rural and remote areas
   
• You have an embedded generation system (or other renewable energy source) that could supply our electricity distribution network with more than 4.6 kVA, or more than 3.5 kVA if connected to a SWER powerline
   
• Your inverter or export system has special technical requirements – ask your installer for more information.
  
  

Process

To begin the negotiated connection process, please call us on 1300 360 795.

From the commencement of negotiations, we will produce a firm offer stating the costs and connection within an estimated 65 business days.

All proposed embedded generation connections must also satisfy AusNet Services’ safety and technical requirements. For more information, please click through to our section on Embedded Generation.

The REFCL is a protective device that reduces the risk of powerlines starting bushfires by rapidly limiting the current that is released in a phase to earth fault. REFCLs are being installed at select zone substations as part of the Victorian Government’s Powerline Bushfire Safety Program (PBSP)

When a phase to earth fault occurs, the REFCL elevates voltages on the two fault free phases. These fault free phases are required to withstand 24.2kV for up to 3 continuous minutes.

The REFCL also automatically adapts to network conditions. This may result in individual phase voltages being increased by 20% (16.7kV phase to ground) at a time for up to 45 seconds. This will occur multiple times during a day in an attempt to tune itself to the present network conditions.

Changes to phase to earth voltages affect customers who are supplied at high voltage (22kV).

• Effective the 20th August 2018, the Essential Services Commission (ESC) amended the Electricity Distribution Code (EDC) Version 9A to allow for elevated voltages produced by REFCL equipment installed at selected AusNet Services zone substations. The voltages are in accordance with clause 4.2.2A, Table 1A of the EDC.
• The selected AusNet Services zone substations are identified on the Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter (REFCL) webpage

HV Customers connected to these zone substations will experience elevated voltages.
These HV Customers are required to implement a solution to protect their HV electrical assets against these elevated voltages.

• The Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter (REFCL) webpage provides further guidance and information.
• Also refer to the REFCL HV Customer Policy