Do you have a fully signed connection agreement?
It's a question that catches out more businesses than you might think.
We've recently seen several cases where clients have been unable to locate a fully signed and countersigned copy of their electricity Connection Agreement. It may not seem important now, but it can quickly become an issue, particularly for larger connections or sites with generation.
When can it cause problems?
Most commonly when:
Increasing or reducing your import/export capacity.
Adding new generation assets.
Going through a business sale, acquisition or investment due diligence process
Can't the DNO just provide a copy?
Usually, yes. However, DNOs often only hold the original Connection Agreement. If changes have been made over the years, those amendments may not be reflected in the copy they provide.
This can leave you needing to prove exactly what has been agreed.
What records should you keep?
If your connection has changed since it was first installed, make sure you have:
Signed acceptance forms for any upgrades or amendments.
DNO countersigned copies of those acceptances.
Proof of payment relating to upgrade works.
Relevant email correspondence.
Signed G59, G99 or G100 witness test documentation for any generation assets.
Worth checking now
It might feel like a mundane admin task, but missing connection records have a habit of surfacing at the worst possible time. Taking a few minutes now to check your files could save significant delays and frustration later. And if you haven't made any changes, hopefully the copy provided by your DNO is all you need. Just file it somewhere safe and you'll know exactly where to find it when the time comes.
