Market Entry FAQs

You need to create your own BSC Party ID; this information is on the Accession Form and all the other BSCP forms you submit to us through the market entry process. The ID must be an alphanumeric combination of eight or less characters, e.g., NORT123. The letters should be capitalised and there should be no spaces or other characters such as ampersands or commas.

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What is the difference between a Market Participant Identifier (MPID) and a Party ID?

A BSC Party ID is the main company identifier and is linked directly to the Company who signed the BSC accession agreement. BSC Parties that operate within the Supplier Volume Allocation (SVA) arrangements (Suppliers & LDSOs) will also have an (MPID). This is a four alpha character ID and is registered within Market Domain Data (MDD) which maintains key information essential to the operation of the SVA arrangements. For further information refer to the  MDD information sheet.

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Do I need to lodge collateral (credit cover) with ELEXON?

Charges are made to or by Party’s as a result of any imbalance (Trading Charges) 29 days after a Settlement Day. Credit Cover ensures that we have enough collateral from you to cover these payments if you cannot make them. We don’t specify the amount of Credit Cover you must lodge; it’s up to you to decide. You’ll generally make this decision based on your trading characteristics. For further information on Credit Cover refer to the Credit Cover Information Sheet.

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I currently use the Low Grade Service but want to order a High Grade service. How can I do this?

You need to send us a  Communication Line Request form to start the process. We will request further technical information from you before we raise an order for the line.

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Are there any costs associated with the Low Grade and High Grade services?

The Low Grade service is free of charge to all BSC Party’s. There are costs associated with the High Grade service but they are dependent on the type of service you require. Full details of the charges are detailed in the  Schedule of Specified Communication Charges.

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What are the Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) associated with the High Grade service?

The terms and conditions are covered under  BSC Section D Annex 3.  BSC Section O and associated documents contain further information on terms and conditions, and on the service itself.

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Do I need Tibco Software to be able to use the High Grade service?

The Tibco software provides the mechanism for automated publication of Balancing Mechanism Reporting Agent (BMRA) data to your site. There are two main reasons you may choose not to order Tibco Software via ELEXON:

a.You already have Tibco Software licenses; and
b.You don’t need the automatic publication facility, and can use the browser/java applet interface and manually refresh data screens as required.

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Can High Grade lines be installed outside of the UK mainland?

Yes, we can now provide High Grade lines outside of the UK. The available line types and the associated costs are dependent on an individual quote. For further information send your completed  Communication Line Request form to us.

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Can more than one BSC Party use the same High Grade line?

Yes, it is possible for different parties to share the same physical connection. You must indicate if this is your intention when placing the order. The High Grade service is designed for a typical single Party profile and the service levels set on that basis. Potentially additional volumes mean that service levels are not guaranteed and the need for increased bandwidth may lead to additional costs. If this is the case, we recommend that you raise a call with the BSC Service Desk on 0870 833 5601 or BSCServicedesk@logica.com so that a member of our technical team can look into your situation specifically.

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How do I access the ECVAA Web Service (EWS)?

The ECVAA Web Service (EWS) is a web-based reporting and submission tool that provides Energy Contract Volume Notification (ECVN) and Metered Volume Reallocation Notification (MVRN) data.

This service is available to all BSC Parties, MVRNAs and ECVNAs.

To order the service you need to send a request to bscservicedesk@logica.com. For further information read theEWS Information Sheet.

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What is the Participant Test Service (PTS) and how much does it cost?

The PTS is a test system, similar in configuration, to the live BSC central systems environment. It is available to BSC Parties, Party Agents, third party software providers & ELEXON to increase the level of assurance to individual companies, and to the industry as a whole. You can use the PTS service before competing CVA Qualification testing and operating in the live environment, and to test any impacts as a result of changes to your business software.

The PTS service is booked in half day test slots (9am-1pm/1-5pm) and is charged at £911+VAT per test slot. New Parties entering the market can book a half day test slot at a 50% reduced rate. This is limited to one single booking. If you require another slot you must pay the full amount. To book a PTS test slot please submit a completed  PTS Booking Form to BSCServicedesk@logica.com. If you are a new Partyand would like to make use of the reduced rate, send your booking form to market.entry@elexon.co.uk.

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Why do we need to register Authorised Persons?

Authorised Persons ensure that we only carry out specific Code activities on the request of an Authorised Person; this is designed to safeguard your company.

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I am an Authorised Person but have forgotten my password, can this be reissued?

Yes, please either call or email the BSC Service Desk on 0870 833 5601 or BSCServicedesk@logica.com and request that your password be reissued.

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All the Category A Authorised People have left our company. How do we create new ones?

Each company requires at least one category A authorised person as they are the only person who can add or cancel authorisations on behalf of your company. To set up a new category A person, we need a letter from the registered company director on company letterhead and a completed BSCP38 5.1 form nominating a new Category A authorised person. please go to the Market Entry page for templates.

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Which are the different categories of authorisation in BSCP38?

 Section 4 of BSCP38 lists all of the authorisation categories in full and explains what the authorisation covers.

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How can I check who is authorised for our company?

Each BSC Party should maintain a list of who within their company is authorised. Each year the Central Registration Agent (CRA) send a full list of the current authorised people to a Category A authorised person within each company.

A category A Authorised Person within your company can request a current list of all Authorised Persons by contacting the BSC Service Desk on 0870 833 5601 or BSCServicedesk@logica.com.

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How often can I change and update our authorised people?

As often as you like. To update your authorised persons, you must follow the process in  BSCP38. There is no limit to the number of authorised persons you have registered for your company.

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How can I remove someone’s authorisation?

Follow the process in  BSCP38 to cancel an authorisation.