Message from Mark Bygraves: Supporting Our Customers

A letter from CEO Mark Bygraves about support during these difficult times.

We know that the COVID-19 situation is a challenging and unprecedented event for our customers and we recognise that it has resulted in significant operational challenges and changes to the way that you operate your business. 

I wanted to reassure you that Elexon is here to support you and help you address any issues you are facing, and consider if there is anything that we can do to reduce your burden.

As the current situation has unfolded, we have been considering in detail what we could do to ease some of the pressure on your businesses.

As part of that process we wrote to all of our BSC Party operational contacts last week to ask what difficulties your businesses are experiencing and what you anticipated to be impending issues.

With that feedback and our own analysis, we have been formulating what could be done to help, considering actions that would be within our control, and potential areas where derogations could be sought. Therefore:

• Tomorrow (26 March 2020), we will be discussing with the Performance Assurance Board (PAB) options for relaxing or suspending Performance Assurance activity, including Error and Failure Resolution (EFR),Technical Assurance Agent site visits, Technical Assurance of Performance Parties (TAPAP), and Supplier Charges. We will let you know the outcomes of PAB’s decision thereafter.
• We will keep all Performance Assurance Techniques under close and constant review to determine any other revisions we can make to minimise the operational burden on BSC Parties and Party Agents. We are also taking a flexible approach to adapt arrangements for the forthcoming BSC Year to reduce the burden on parties, particularly around techniques such as the BSC Audit.
• We have received a number of queries around estimation and profiling. We are currently assessing and analysing impacts of the current status on both of these processes, and assessing whether there are any BSC parameters we can amend or change to help you.
   
  Our current view is that it would not be appropriate to recommend any changes to the load profiles. There will be some misallocation of Non-Half Hourly volume, but the energy settled for Non-Half Hourly customers will be correct once meters are read.

  Further, Suppliers will have used the profiles for their forecasting models and changes could have an adverse impact on their Energy Imbalances. However, we are monitoring the data as it becomes available and will report on any findings.

  We will continue to review this stance, and will come back to you with guidance when we have proposals. You can find more information on our Coronavirus (COVID-19) – latest information page of our website.

• Plus we are looking to raise the threshold above which advice notes/invoices are issued to reduce some of the operational burden you may be facing in processing payments, particularly for those Parties who make manual payments.

At the moment, with guidance from Ofgem, we are working on the basis that approved BSC Changes should progress in line with agreed implementation dates.

We would welcome insight from BSC Parties as to whether they foresee any problems with Change continuing to schedule. 

We will of course factor in the current situation when progressing Modifications and Change Proposals (CPs), including reducing or stopping industry meetings to discuss changes that do not yet have agreed implementation dates.

I am keen to understand whether there are any other issues which you may be facing with Elexon’s services so we can do whatever we can to help and support you. Please feel free to email me directly at [email protected], or contact your dedicated OSM or email us at [email protected].

We closed our office on 12 March and I do not expect any issues to impact the services we provide to you, as we continue to operate under our own business continuity plan to provide stability under the Balancing and Settlement Code, the Capacity Market and the Contracts for Difference schemes.  

Kind regards
Mark Bygraves
CEO, Elexon