Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
1.
Introduction
1.1
Scope
This document is the Retail Market Procedure for the management of unmetered inventory and consumption.
The Procedure applies to all unmetered sites and contains the following sub-processes:
 Unmetered Inventory Records
 Unmetered Inventory Updates
 Unmetered Inventory Splits
 Unmetered Inventory Clarifications
 Consumption Determination
An unmetered Meter Point is a ‘logical’ Meter Point and may consist of one or more physical connections provided that the following characteristics are the same:
 A common customer
 A common connection voltage
 A common load profile
Where there is more than one physical connection these may be located anywhere in Northern Ireland.
Meter Point then there is no requirement for a registration.
1.2
Version
D0.1
D0.2
D0.3
A0.4
History of Changes
Source of Change
F0.9
X1.0
1.3
Where new physical connections are added to an existing ‘logical’
Description of Change
Initial Draft
Following initial NIE review
Following SIG review
Following SIG agreement and noting difference in the derivation of expected consumption between UoS Billing
and Data Aggregation
Pre-approval issue
Baseline Release
Outstanding Issues
Issue of NIE T&D policy on unmetered connection including considerations for when a connection should be metered or unmetered
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
2.
Procedure Description
2.1
Unmetered Inventory Records
Customer
UNMETERED SUPPLIES – 1. Unmetered Inventory Records
Receive
Unmetered
Inventory
4
NIE T&D
U710A
Provide
Annual
Confirmation
Supplier
U710A
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Receive
Unmetered
Inventory
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
2.1.1
Step
Activities
Role
NIE T&D
Action
Interface
NIE T&D will maintain a record of the unmetered inventory held against each unmetered Meter Point.
The record will contain:
 MPRN
 Customer name
 Customer address
 Customer contact details
 Connection voltage
 Unmetered demand profile, which may be flat, dusk-midnight, dusk-dawn or any other pattern. The unmetered
demand profile will describe the expected pattern of consumption over a calendar year.
 For each item type associated with the Meter Point
o Item type code and description
o The wattage of the item type
o The number of items of this item type that are connected and energised
o The number of items of this item type that are connected but not energised
o The effective date for the item counts
 Inventory agreement date and status
Each year, on a date agreed with the customer, NIE T&D will provide an Annual Notification of the unmetered inventory
held against the unmetered Meter Point, containing all the above information, to both the customer and the registered
Supplier.
Form U710A to
Customer and Supplier
The record of unmetered inventory will be regarded as having been confirmed by the customer as an agreed inventory
unless the customer indicates otherwise within one month of receipt of the inventory record.
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
2.2
Unmetered Inventory Updates
Customer
UNMETERED SUPPLIES – 2. Unmetered Inventory Update
Perform
Fieldwork
Period Update
Agreement?
No
Yes
Provide
Customer
Inventory Upd.
Receive
Unmetered
Inventory
Request
Fieldwork
Receive
Unmetered
Inventory
4
U710P
4
NIE T&D
NIE
Connect
U071
U710F
Perform
Fieldwork
U072P
U072F
Confirm
Unmetered
Inventory
Update
Unmetered
Inventory
Supplier
U710P
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U710F
Receive
Unmetered
Inventory
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
2.2.1
Step
Activities
Role
Customer
Action
Interface
A customer may have an agreement with NIE T&D that the customer is responsible for their own unmetered fieldwork,
including disconnections and new physical connections against an existing Meter Point
Where a customer that is not responsible for undertaking their own unmetered fieldwork requires modifications to their
unmetered inventory, including new connections, they should apply to NIE Connect for the appropriate fieldwork.
Form U071 to NIE
T&D
Where a customer is responsible for undertaking their own unmetered fieldwork then the customer will provide to NIE
T&D according to the customer agreement either:
 Customer Fieldwork Notification detailing the specific fieldwork performed including the number of items of
each item type installed, energised, de-energised or removed and the date of the work; or
 A periodic Customer Inventory Update1, provided according to a schedule agreed between the customer and NIE
T&D (see section 2.1.2), detailing the entire record of unmetered inventory held against each unmetered Meter
Point
NIE
Connect
NIE T&D
Form U072F to NIE
T&D
Form U072P to NIE
T&D
Where NIE Connect receive a request for unmetered fieldwork from a customer then NIE T&D will carry out the
fieldwork subject to payment of appropriate charges.
Following completion of the fieldwork performed by NIE Connect, NIE T&D will provide a Fieldwork Notification of the
unmetered inventory held against the unmetered Meter Point, including details of the changes made with effective dates set
as per the fieldwork date, to both the customer and the registered Supplier. The Fieldwork Notification will be provided
within ten days of fieldwork completion by NIE Connect.
Form U710F to
Customer and Supplier
Where NIE T&D receive a Customer Fieldwork Notification form a customer that performed their own fieldwork, NIE
T&D will provide a Fieldwork Notification of the unmetered inventory held against the unmetered Meter Point, including
details of the changes made with effective dates set as per the fieldwork date, to both the customer and the registered
Supplier. The Fieldwork Notification will be provided within ten days of receipt of the Customer Fieldwork
Form U710F to
Customer and Supplier
1
Specified customers, such as Department of Regional Development in respect of Public Lighting, are entitled to carry out unmetered fieldwork and maintain their own
inventory. Such customers will be required to provide a Customer Inventory Update to NIE T&D according to an agreed schedule. Typically the schedule will be monthly
or quarterly but can be of a different periodicity. Where such an arrangement is in place it is not required that the customer record and notify to NIE T&D the dates of
individual items of fieldwork.
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
Step
Role
Action
Interface
Notification.
NIE T&D will retain the right to inspect any fieldwork performed by the customer or audit any element of the unmetered
inventory.
NIE T&D
Within 10 days of receipt by NIE T&D of a Customer Inventory Update from a customer, NIE T&D will provide a Period
Notification of the unmetered inventory held against the unmetered Meter Point, including details of the changes made
with effective dates set as per the customer agreement, to both the customer and the registered Supplier.
Form U710P to
Customer and Supplier
The effective date of any changes will generally be the mid-point between the effective date of the current Customer
Inventory Update (i.e. the Update including the changes) and the effective date of the previous Customer Inventory
Update. Where the Customer Inventory Update is provided on a quarterly (or less frequent) basis, the effective date will
be the first day of the month following the mid-point.
NIE T&D will retain the right to inspect any fieldwork performed by the customer or audit any element of the unmetered
inventory.
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
2.3
Unmetered Inventory Splits
Receive
Split
Inventory
4
U710S
Request
Inventory
Split
NIE T&D
Customer(s)
UNMETERED SUPPLIES – 3. Unmetered Inventory Split
U073
Split
Unmetered
Inventory
Supplier
Transfer?
Yes
No
Confirm
wth
Suppliers
Supplier(s)
U710S
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Agree Split /
Re-allocation
Receive
Split
Inventory
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
2.3.1
Step
Activities
Role
Action
Interface
Customer
A customer may request a split of their unmetered inventory into multiple Meter Points or a re-allocation of inventory
between existing Meter Points.
The customer should provide a record of the unmetered inventory detailing the nature of
the split or re-allocation required and the reason for it including identification of new customer details where inventory is
transferred to a different legal entity.
Form U073 to NIE
T&D
Where a new Meter Point is to be registered to a different Supplier then the customer must indicate this to NIE T&D.
NIE T&D
Where NIE T&D receive a request for a split of unmetered inventory from a customer then NIE T&D will work with the
customer(s) and NIE Connect to determine and agree a split in accordance with the requirements of each party.
Where the inventory split or re-allocation involves Meter Points to be transferred to a new organisation then NIE T&D will
confirm the split or re-allocation with the new organisation and identify the intended Supplier for the transferred inventory.
Where the inventory split or re-allocation involves Meter Points registered or to be registered to a different Supplier then
NIE T&D will confirm the split or re-allocation with the other Supplier prior to the effective date for the new inventory.
Inventory splits will be subject to the following rules.
 NIE T&D will not split inventory that is linked to a single Connection Point.
 NIE T&D will not split inventory where the total consumption of that inventory is less than the market agreed
deminimus value unless the reason is that part of the inventory is being transferred to a different legal entity
 The total item count across the post-split Meter Points must equal the total item count across the pre-split Meter
Points for each item type within the pre-split inventory
Prior to the effective date for the inventory split or re-allocation NIE T&D will advise each affected customer and Supplier
of the new inventory.
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Form U710S to (each)
Customer and (each)
Supplier
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
2.4
Unmetered Inventory Clarifications
Customer
UNMETERED SUPPLIES – 4. Unmetered Inventory Clarification
1,2 or 3
Request
Unmetered
Inventory
Receive
Unmetered
Inventory
Receive
Clarified
Inventory
Request
Inventory
Correction
U710C
Provide
Physical
Connect Data
U070
NIE T&D
NIE T&D
Connect
U710R
Provide
Unmetered
Inventory
U074
Clarify
Unmetered
Inventory
U070
Supplier
U710R
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Request
Unmetered
Inventory
Receive
Unmetered
Inventory
U710C
Receive
Clarified
Inventory
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
2.4.1
Step
Activities
Role
Action
Interface
Customer
/Supplier
A customer or Supplier may request a copy of the record of unmetered inventory from NIE T&D at any time.
Form U070 to NIE
T&D
NIE T&D
Where NIE T&D receive a request for a copy of the record of unmetered inventory from a customer or registered Supplier
then NIE T&D will provide a Request Notification of the unmetered inventory held against the unmetered Meter Point, to
both the customer and the registered Supplier within five days of request receipt.
Form U710R to
Customer and Supplier
Customer
Where a customer does not agree that an unmetered inventory record is accurate then they should notify NIE T&D
immediately using an Inaccuracy Notification form. The Inaccuracy Notification form must indicate the Notification
(issued by NIE T&D) which is being queried and detail the corrections that are believed to be required.
Form U074 to NIE
T&D
NIE T&D
Where NIE T&D receive a notification from a customer of inaccuracy in the unmetered inventory then NIE T&D will
investigate the inaccuracy with the customer and with NIE Connect and will notify the customer of the outcome within one
month of the receipt of notification.
Where the investigation leads to an update of the unmetered inventory then NIE T&D will provide an updated record of
the unmetered inventory held against the unmetered Meter Point, including the corrections effectivity dated as below, to
both the customer and the registered Supplier:
 Where an Inaccuracy Notification is received from the customer within 10 days of issue of a Fieldwork
Notification then the correction will be effective from the date of the fieldwork
 Where an Inaccuracy Notification is received from the customer within 10 days of issue of a Requested
Notification then the correction will be effective from the issue date of the Requested Notification
 Where an Inaccuracy Notification is received from the customer within 10 days of issue of a Split Notification
then the correction will be effective from the issue date of the Split Notification
 Where an Inaccuracy Notification is received from the customer within one month of issue of an Annual
Notification then the correction will be effective from the issue date of the Annual Notification
 Where an Inaccuracy Notification is received from the customer within one month of issue of an Period
Notification then the correction will be effective from the issue date of the Customer Inventory Update
 Where an Inaccuracy Notification is received from the customer outside the timescale for response to an Annual,
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Form U710C to
Customer and Supplier
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
Step
Role
Action
Interface
Requested, Period, Split or Fieldwork Notification then the correction will be effective from the date that NIE
T&D receive the Inaccuracy Notification
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Retail Market Procedure NI 114 – Unmetered Inventory and Consumption
2.5
Consumption Determination
2.5.1
Consumption Determination Activities
Step
Role
NIE T&D
Action
Interface
NIE T&D will calculate an expected consumption for each Meter Point to be used in UoS Billing and Data Aggregation..
The expected consumption for a Meter Point on a settlement day will be calculated as the sum of the expected
consumptions for each item type that has items connected and energised at the Meter Point on the settlement day.
The expected consumption for the purposes of UoS Billing for the item type at a Meter Point on a settlement day will be
calculated as the product of:
 The expected consumption effective on the settlement day for a single item of the item type, calculated as the
wattage of the item type multiplied by the average hours of consumption within the month
 The number of items of the item type that are connected and energised on the settlement day
The expected consumption for a given month, to be used in UoS Billing for the Meter Point, will be the sum of the
expected consumptions for each day in the month.
The expected consumption for the purposes of UoS Billing for the item type at a Meter Point on a settlement day will be
calculated as the product of:
 The expected consumption effective on the settlement day for a single item of the item type, is the proportion of
the expected annual consumption (calculated as the wattage of the item type multiplied by the actual hours of
consumption in the year) that is attributable to the settlement day as given by the applicable unmetered demand
profile
 The number of items of the item type that are connected and energised on the settlement day
The expected consumption for a trading period on a settlement day, to be used in Data Aggregation under SEM, will be the
expected consumption for a Meter Point on the settlement day multiplied by the fraction of the days consumption
represented by the trading period according to the applicable unmetered demand profile.
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