New Connections.

Since deregulation of the gas and electricity markets, the structure of the utility industry has changed to allow competition while maintaining security of supply.

Electricity

There are 5 key components to the Electricity Industry

1) Generators.
2) Transmission.
3) Distribution.
4) Metering.
5) Supplier.

To obtain new supplies, we will normally have to deal with three of these, Distribution, Metering and Supplier. Normally the first action is to appoint a supplier. These are listed by OFGEM, however this leaves the critical actions with a body that may not have the same sense of urgency that you do.

If there is no existing infrastructure to your site, we will contact the local distribution company whose area your site is situated in.

We will also need to know the maximum demand you require and the supply voltage (which will depend somewhat on the tariff you can negotiate). The options are Low Voltage (240volts single phase) and 415 v three phase, or High Voltage, which can be typically 11kV or 33 kV. High Voltage supplies however require you to own and maintain your own transformers to get the voltage to the level you require within the building, but the tariff advantages can be attractive. We can analyse the installation and running costs and recommend the best "lifetime cost" option.

We will also assist you to determine the most suitable capacity requirements, as this can significantly impact both installation and operating costs. Many engineers will overspecify capacity, and it is important to consider the implications of this practice before demanding a supply capacity from the network operator.

It is also useful to understand the local infrastructure and potential demand on the system, as this can impact your costs considerably if substantial reinforcement is required.

Once we have arranged the infrastructure, we will need to appoint a supplier with you, negotiate a start up tariff, based on best estimates of demand and consumption. We will also appoint a meter operator, and arrange for you to enter into a Meter Operator and Communications agreement with them.

The supplier should co-ordinate the activities of the distribution company and meter operator, but often they will not have the same motivation to achieve the deadlines you may have, and have not agreed discounts with meter operators.

GM Associates are independent and can manage this complex process for you, meeting your deadlines and achieve best costs for installation and supply.

Gas

Three principle players are concerned with the installation of new or upgrading gas supplies

1) Network Operator and maintainer (mainly Transco, but other companies are allowed to install new pipework and connect to their network)

2) Metering - again mainly Transco, but other operators can now offer installation.

3) Gas suppliers. There are many gas suppliers, (see Ofgem for a full list) however, many contract out new installations and metering to their preferred providers.

This industry is technically "suppler lead", which means that for most applications, users need to contact a supplier to seek quotations for both supply and installation, however this often results in overpaying for either supply or installation or both.

At GM Associates, we seek competitive supply and installation agreements on your behalf and manage the whole process to ensure gas is supplied at the right quantity, at the right time, and at the best price.

Note however that even we are limited to the delivery times of others, and a request for a typical installation should allow at least 3 months from start to finish, and that is for a conventional installation.

Other Utilities

In addition to obtaining Gas and Electricity supplies, we can also assist with discovery and installation of Water and Sewage services, BT or Cable supplies, and assist you to coordinate these services into your work programmes.