Electricity North West Ltd

General FAQs

What types of flexible services do you need?

We publish an Invitation to Tender (ITT) twice a year in Spring and Autumn. Each ITT details the type of product (response) that is required for each zone. The products we procure are: Operational Utilisation & Variable Availability, Peak Reduction and Operational Utilisation. Find out more about the products via our Technical Specification document (Spring 2024).

How will I know when you have a requirement?

We will publish any requirements on our website and on Picloflex. You can sign up to our distribution list to get notified whenever we publish a requirement.

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Do I currently need to be connected to the network?

Not necessarily, within each Invitation to Tender the conditions precedent specifies when your flexible asset will need to be connected to our network. Further information on connecting to our distribution network is available in our Get connected section. All connection charges will be payable by the connectee in accordance with our Common Connection Charging Methodology.

How does payment work?

When you place a bid on Piclo, we ask that you state both an availability and utilisation price (subject to flexible service type). You can use our new cost calculator to check whether the prices you are offering for availability and utilisation exceed the ceiling price offered for each tender. The cost calculator can be found within appendix six of the Invitation to Tender appendices.

Subject to the delivery of flexible services, you will be entitled to invoice Electricity North West and will receive payment by bulk electronic clearing (BACS) by the end of the following month (after such invoice is received). More details on payment can be found within the terms & conditions of each Invitation to Tender.

What is Flex Assure?

Developed by the ADE and supported by Government, the Major Energy Users Council and Make UK, Flex Assure is a voluntary code of conduct scheme offering business energy users assurance of the service they can expect to receive from flexible service providers. Find out more using the link below.

More about Flex Assure

Technical FAQs

How is performance measured?

We will confirm your flexible service delivery via your meter, using the variance in load between receipt of our signal and your response to determine whether requirements have been met. You should keep an accurate record of your flexible service delivery as evidence of your performance.

As part of our flexible service requirements we ask providers to provide minute by minute metering, or an agreed equivalent. The level of response will be calculated using the minute by minute metering readings submitted by the provider, verified against half hourly settlement readings for the duration of the contracted performance.  Reponses will be calculated on the number of full minutes of response. We will confirm your flexible service delivery via your meter, using the variance in load between receipt of our signal and your response to determine whether requirements have been met. You should keep an accurate record of your flexible service delivery as evidence of your performance.

How will you communicate with my asset?

We are currently working via the Open Networks Project to provide a common standardisation for an Application Programming Interface (API) to dispatch services. We believe that only through standardised dispatch mechanisms in all UK DNOs and the ESO markets will help with interoperability for providers across multiple markets, and encourage competition within platform providers.

We can also offer the ability to be dispatched via alternative methods including emails, phone calls and Electricity North West owned remote terminal units (RTU) which are located within the company substation supplying the site. Further details can be found in the specification of the Invitation to Tender (ITT).

What method of baselining will you use?

In association with the ENA Open Network project we have developed a range of common baselining standards which can be used across the industry when measuring and settling flexible services dispatch contracts. We encourage participants within our tenders to engage with us regarding the baselining methodology which represents the best solution for their sites asset type and the level of data they are able to provide of historical and future usage patterns. The supported baselines are:

• Mid 8-in-10: A rolling historical baseline which uses data from the “middle” of the last 8 of 10 days.
• Mid 8-in-10 with Same Day Adjustment: A rolling historical baseline which uses data from the “middle” of the last 8 of 10 days, but also applies a “same day adjustment”.
• Mid X-in-Y: A custom rolling historical baseline, where the user can choose how many days to consider and what length of same day adjustment to use.
• Nominated: A nominated baseline, which allows the user to input the self-declared baseline of the asset in advance of the flexibility dispatch event.
• Zero: A baseline which assumes that the asset is not operating except for when providing a flexible service.

An industry standard baselining tool and user guide has also been produced to allow for participants to verify their baselines, delivering transparency into how baselines are calculated by DNOs.

The methodology for baselining will be agreed between the Electricity North West and the Provider post contract award and ahead of any service provision, this shall occur at least 6 months prior to the first utilisation period.

Shifting demand at peak times

You can participate in our tenders and get paid for shifting your demand away at peak times. We are happy to receive bids where the provider can demonstrate they can shift demand away for the periods where the service would be required. It is important to note that because these sites do not have a dispatch capability that the funding given would be spread across the whole availability window.

My assets don't have minute by minute metering, can I use a lower granularity of metering?

Our preference is minute by minute metering however we are willing to accept other metering granularities such as half hourly metering. Certain flexibility service products rely on minute-by-minute metering granularity for accurate performance monitoring and settlement. Where an alternative to minute-by-minute granularity is provided, the data may be disaggregated. For example, if half hourly metering is provided, the kilowatt hour (kWh) for that period will be divided by thirty to produce a minute-by-minute energy usage figure.

Please note that this will decrease the accuracy of billing so there is a risk that the asset will show as an under delivery of capacity during a period of change in flexible services requirements.

Providers should enter this information into the technical pre-qualification questions, so it is appropriately recorded.

Metering data for aggregated portfolios

We ask that you collect and store individual assets metering data but aggregate it together when sending it through to us for settlement. We however will at times ask to see the raw metering data for individual assets, so we can audit these values. We will also cross check site data against Smart meter data for audit purposes.

Asset metering data or site meter data?

We would generally prefer that asset metering is utilised to provide the metered level of response to a flexible service, provided it is to a good degree of accuracy. Asset level metering means that there is less risk of other site loading impacting upon the delivery vs baseline, leading to higher accuracy in settlement.

We will however accept site metering where asset metering is unavailable or where the degree of accuracy is imprecise. Where available, providers should maintain records of site loading as well to allow for auditing of demand response. Please note that site metering will be accessed and utilised in order to audit the combined response and to ensure that gaming behaviours are not in operation.

What are the accuracy requirements for metering?

For Asset Point Metering- the Provider should ensure compliance with the following metering standards set out within the most recent published relevant Balancing and Settlement Code of Practice Eleven: ‘code of practice for the metering of balancing services assets for settlement purposes’:

• The metering ‘accuracy requirements’
• 'The asset meter calibration test certification’
• 'The limits of error’
• The ‘sealing’ requirements

For Boundary Point Metering - the Provider should be compliant with Balancing and Settlement Codes of Practice 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 as applicable.

If requested by the Company, the Provider shall provide evidence of compliance with the above standards. This may be in the form of certification, photo, or written confirmation. If compliance with these standards is not possible, we would ask that providers discuss this with us prior to bidding into a tender.

Energy Efficiency FAQs

Did you know that you can participate in our tenders and earn revenue from installing energy saving measures that reduce your long term energy use? If we can reduce the amount of demand on the network on a sustained basis then this removes the potential for network overloads and results in us deferring or avoiding reinforcement.

How will I bid into a tender?

Participants would register the level of demand reduction they are able to achieve by employing energy efficiency measures and would also submit a price they want per MWh of reduction they are able to offer. Bids should be submitted via the Piclo platform with the capacity and cost per MWh and then these will be assessed against the requirements. The number of hours will be based upon the estimated availability and utilisation requirements detailed within the tender.

Can I bid for multiple years of funding?

Participants can bid for multiple years of service and stack revenues. Energy efficiency savings should result in an enduring reduction in demand, so we encourage participants to apply for multiple years of funding to allow us to achieve multiyear network savings and to allow participants to recoup more of the costs of employing energy efficiency measures.

How will you measure my reduction in demand?

We will utilise historical data from the property’s historical electricity metering data and compare this with the new usage figures following the employment of energy efficiency measures. We are currently working with industry partners to develop more sophisticated baselining techniques for the ongoing monitoring of energy efficiency measures (RetroMeter).  In cases where the site has a Maximum Import Capacity (MIC) declared we would anticipate that participants would reduce this MIC value in line with their electrical energy savings.

What if I need to temporarily increase my demand?

We understand that site demands will change over time and that even with energy efficiency measures employed there may be a need to increase the sites electrical demands e.g. for the installation of electric vehicle charging points. Where we have entered into a contract for the provision of flexible services by the method of energy efficiency; prior to the installation of any new equipment to the site which is going to increase the site demands in a significant manner, we would expect that we would be notified of the sites intention to install new equipment or to use site demands in a different way at which point we can review the changes and determine if it will have a material impact upon the contract. In most cases as long as the changes in site demands do not counteract the energy efficiency measures that the site is being paid for then there is unlikely to be a contractual issue. Failure to speak to ENWL prior to a significant change in demand patterns may result in the termination of the contract.

What if the measures are already installed?

Unfortunately, if you are already saving energy through the efficiency measures then you would not be eligible. In order to defer and avoid reinforcement we need to see a change in demand compared to current energy demands on the network.

Is it all Energy Efficiency or just electricity?

The funding ENWL are offering is only for the reduction in electrical demands.

How will I get paid?

We will pay for energy efficiency services on a quarterly basis following the receipt of electrical metering data and comparing this to the baseline for the property/site. In order to get paid the site must have achieved its declared reduction in capacity across the service window.

Do I need minute by minute metering?

No, given that these measures provide a long-term reduction in capacity, half hourly settlement is sufficient.

What are the benefits?

Many buildings use more energy than they actually need, through inefficiencies and energy waste. By installing energy efficiency measures, customers can:

• Reduce energy waste in the long term
• Lower energy bills, typically by around 20%
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, supporting the UK’s ambitious decarbonisation targets
• Take part in flexible services tenders to earn an extra revenue stream and contribute to a more sustainable, resilient and reliable network.

Learn more

What are some examples of measures I can install?

To participate in our flexibility tenders, you could employ any of the following energy efficiency measures:

• LED light bulbs
• Replacing less efficient electric heating systems with: Heat pumps, condensing boilers, more efficient electric heating, biomass, solar panels, smart thermostats
• Switch to energy efficient appliances and equipment
• Turning appliances off when not in use
• Double glazed windows and doors
• Insulating cavity walls and loft spaces

How do I install these measures on my site?

Here's where to go for more advice on making your site more energy efficient:

Energy Saving Trust :  Energy efficiency advice for business.

Green Economy  : Green Economy's marketplace showcases installers, tradespeople, providers, designers, suppliers and manufacturers of net zero technologies and services.

Energy Technology List :  A government guide to selecting energy efficient equipment.

Renewable Energy Hub  : Directory of installers and professionals.

A guide to LED lighting  : Which? buyer's guide to best LED energy efficient lightbulbs.

The Renewable Energy Hub UK: Compare prices from thousands of installers and suppliers of renewable energy equipment and services through their listings directory.