SPAA Expert Group Open Session

10thJanuary 2018 at 10:30am

ElectraLink’s Office: 10 Bloomsbury Way, London, WC1A 2SL

Attendee Representing/ Company
Ellie Rogers [ER] / Xoserve
Kate Mulvany [KM] / British Gas
Victoria Burkett [VB] / SSE
Roger Somoo [RS] / Utility Warehouse
Radhika Kalra [RK] / EON Energy
Rachael Ridler [RR] / Npower
Mel Davenport [MD] / Generis
Diane Knowles [DK] – Teleconference / Morrisons Data Services
Lorna Mallon [LM] – Teleconference / Scottish Power
Alex Cebo [AC] - Teleconference / EDF Energy
Secretariat
Martin Brandt [MB] (Chair) / ElectraLink
Kishan Nundloll [KN] / ElectraLink
Sophie Stromback [SS] / ElectraLink
Dimple Gohil [DG] / ElectraLink
  1. Welcomes, Apologies and Administration
  2. The Chair welcomed attendees.
  3. There were no apologies. The minutes of the last meeting were approved subject to minor changes discussed in the meeting. One member noted that the action for ElectraLink to review and write a SEG paper surrounding the escalation processes within SPAA schedules was omitted from the December minutes. The December minutes will be update with this action for ElectraLink.
  4. Electralink will also add the SPAA escalation processes as an agenda item for the February SEG meeting.

1.4One member suggested that section 12.1 in the SPAA Expert Group (SEG) December minutes should be rephrased to more clearly reflect that the group agreed to review the electricity process but the group has not made any decisions to align the gas MDD process with the electricity MDD process.

1.5The attendees list requires updating to reflect that Diane Knowles is representing Morrisons Data Services.

1.6All outstanding actions were discussed and updated accordingly.

  1. Update from the SPAAWorking Groups & SPAA EC
  2. ElectraLink provided updates on the activities in other SPAA Working Groups.The group agreed that concerns regarding Debt Assigned Protocol (DAP)will be discussed at the joint SEG-IREG Working Group on the 23rd January 2018.
  3. The Chair informed the group that the Erroneous Transfer Working Group (ETWG) met on the 5th December 2017 to discuss the erroneous transfer compensation payment schemesin addition to the composition and makeup of the proposed Erroneous Transfers Performance Assurance Board (ETPAB). The SPAA Contract Manager Guidance Document was legally reviewed and approved by the SPAA EC and has been uploaded to the SPAA website. The next ETWG meeting will be on the 16th January 2018 which will entail a review of a high-level summary of the proposed ECOES solution, review comments submitted on the draft ETPAB Terms of Reference (ToR) and review the draft ETWG Final Report.
  4. An update was provided on the activities of the EC.
  5. SPAA Definitions Update
  6. ElectraLink provided a verbal update regarding the SPAA Definitions.
  7. ElectraLink informed the group that the SPAA Definitions have been legally reviewed by Gowlings. There is also an undergoing review of other SPAA schedules affected by the defined terms.
  8. Comments from CP 17/416

4.1CP 17/416[1] was approved at the December Change Board meeting. The change will be implemented in the June SPAA release.

4.2Prior to the next SEG meeting ElectraLink will take the action to contact the parties who submitted comments to determine which comments have been resolved. The unresolved comments will be brought back to the next SEG meeting as agenda items to be discussed by the group.

  1. Electricity MDD Process
  2. One member of the group outlined the electricity MDD process to the group. It was suggested that to align the gas and the electricity MDD process that there is an extended deadline for new market participants to be added to the MDD. The standard MDD deadline for submitting MDD changes would remain however MDD changes requesting to add new market participants can be submitted up until the comments are issued. Comments and any additional new market participant MDD requests will be communicated to SPAA party change administrators and MDD change administrators. MDD changes will be voted on at Change Board and the final release date would remain unaltered. The group agreed that this could not act as a substitute for urgent changes however could act as fast track option. The group noted that adding a fast track option to the current MDD process would increase the likelihood of confusion however may also reduce the number of urgent MDD requests.
  3. A member of the group raised concerns regarding a shortened timeframe for adding a new market participant short code to their systems. The consensus from the group was that the fast track option may be a good addition to the MDD change process.
  4. It was noted that the electricity and the gas MDD processes are inherently different. Within the electricity MDD process there is a flow that notifies the relevant parties of a new short code being implemented whereas within the gas MDD process there is no flow but instead a zip folder which is uploaded onto the SPAA website. The group agreed that new MDD short codes need to have a robust communication process.
  5. The group agreed that there may be scope for discussing the idea of gas MDD flows as this would provide consistency between the gas and electricity process.
  6. One member of the group noted that the MDD Working Group (MDD WG) was first created to address the misalignment between the data held with UK Link and the data held within the SPAA MDD however the scope could be extended or a new working group created to consider the use of a flow within the gas MDD process.
  7. The group agreed to wait and see what the outcome of CP 17/419[2] is after Impact Assessment (IA) and to provide comments regarding creating a fast track option to the MDD process. If the fast track option receives a lot of support from the group this can then be taken back to the MDD WG to be considered.

5.7A member proposed removing the SPAA MDD market participant list and only retaining the market participant list found within UK Link. However, it was opposed by the group as the two lists have discrepancies. The SPAA MDD data set is also more formally published on the website with communications sent out when the list has been updated. The group agreed that more long term there will need to be more clarity as to where the information sits centrally and who is responsible for it. MB will bring the issue surrounding responsibility for the MDD data once the Retail Energy Code (REC) is implemented at the Switching Working Group.

  1. Blank MAM ID Report

6.1Xoserve presented the Blank MAM ID Report. It was noted that the numbers for Blank MAM IDs had increased between January 2017 and December 2017 but it is important to note that this was after Project Nexus went live. The Blank MAM IDs have remained fairly static throughout the year and especially within the last three months.

6.2The report will be sent to Shippers by Xoserveand is to be included in the UK Link Shipper Pack which may help bring down the numbers for Blank MAM IDs. Xoserve will confirm when Shipper packs are issued.


  1. SPAA Expert Group Activity Plan
  2. The Activity Plan was discussed and updated, all updates were noted and will be sent out with the pre-meeting documents, ahead of the next meeting.
  3. Risk & Issues Register
  4. The Secretariat confirmed the Risk and Issues Register has been updated and all relevant updates will be included as per normal for the next meeting.
  5. Any other Business
  6. One member raised an AOB regarding Schedule 24 and the appendix. It was confirmed that at the last SEG meeting it had been agreed that the appendix will be removed from Schedule 24. The SPAA Main Body should hold an appendix with contact details. Contacts that relate to a certain Schedule should also be held within the specific Schedule it concerns, allowing each schedule to be read in isolation. SSE agreed to sponsor a CP rectifying this. ElectraLink will draft a CP.

9.2A member raised issues surrounding the prepayment assurance Schedule, Schedule 41, where the numbering is incorrect. ElectraLink will draft an updated version of the Schedule and raise a CP. ElectraLink will have to provide clear guidance on the self-certification process as this may need to be requested again

9.3The group noted that they would like to receive Outlook meeting invites for the SEG meetings occurring in 2018. ElectraLink will issue meeting invites to the group.

9.4There were no other items of AOB.

Date of Next Meeting 7thFebruary 2018

Appendix A: Summary of Actions

NEW AND OPEN ACTIONS

Action Ref. / Action / Owner / Status – Update
SEG/10012018/01 / Add SPAA escalations processes as an agenda item for the SEG meeting in February. / ElectraLink / OPEN
SEG/10012018/02 / Update minutes from the December SEG meeting. / ElectraLink / OPEN
SEG/10012018/03 / ElectraLink to contact parties who submitted comments for CP 17/416. Unresolved comments to be added to next month’s SEG agenda. / ElectraLink / OPEN
SEG/10012018/04 / Parties to provide comments regarding a fast track option in regard to CP 17/419. / ALL / OPEN
SEG/10012018/05 / MB to raise the issue of responsibility surrounding the MDD data with the Switching Working Group. / MB / OPEN
SEG/10012018/06 / Xoserve to confirm when shipper packs are issued. / Xoserve / OPEN
SEG/10012018/07 / ElectraLink to draft a CP removing the appendix from Schedule 24 and amending subsequent schedules with points of contact. / ElectraLink / OPEN
SEG/10012018/08 / ElectraLink to draft a CP to update Schedule 41. / ElectraLink / OPEN
SEG/10012018/09 / ElectraLink to issue Outlook invites for the upcoming SEG meetings in 2018. / ElectraLink / OPEN
SEG/06122017/02 / Electralink to get Gowlings to review Schedule 24 and breach process. / ElectraLink / OPEN
SEG/01112017/04 / ElectraLink to test the online platform once it has been developed and provide users with a user guide / ElectraLink / OPEN

CLOSED ACTIONS

SEG/06122017/01 / Electralink to provide a list of all Operational Contacts within SPAA Parties to their organisations. / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/06122017/03 / Contract Manager Guidance document to be sent to the SEG. / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/06122017/04 / Electralink to remove ‘Contact Type’ from Appendix and re-order appendix in order of the Schedules. / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/06122017/05 / ElectraLink to check Electricity process to align Gas MDD process. / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/01112017/07 / Add terms of reference to appropriate place on the website. ElectraLink to ensure all the updated terms of reference are done / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/01112017/02 / ElectraLink to send final version of Contract Manager Guidance Document to all SEG members as soon as this is made available. / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/01112017/01 / The SOGC requested members of SEG to provide feedback ahead of the next SOGC meeting. / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/01112017/03 / ElectraLink to provide an update of the Operational Contacts review and data cleanse / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/01112017/05 / ElectraLink to circulate RET and SAR DTS Routes as part of the meeting pack / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/01112017/06 / ElectraLink to add in the Risk and Issues Register, in the description of the risk add in a reference to which SEG Meeting it was discussed. / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/04102017/01 / ElectraLink to discuss with current small supplier’s ways in which to increase engagement within SPAA. / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/04102017/02 / ElectraLink to provide paper on current state of play of Operational Contacts held within SPAA. / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/06092017/01 / Utilita to confirm levels of encryption and adding template to Schedule 9 / Utilita / CLOSED
SEG/06092017/02 / Xoserve to review data for Blank MAM ID and present findings to next SEG meeting / Xoserve / CLOSED
SEG/06092017/03 / ElectraLink to inform SGN of the next GPEG meeting so they can relay issue of unregistered supply points not existing in central system / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/06092017/04 / ElectraLink to update Risk & Issue Register and present changes ahead of next SEG meeting / ElectraLink / CLOSED
SEG/06092017/05 / ElectraLink to write up formal letter with regards to concern to on encryption issues for I&C Suppliers / ElectraLink / CLOSED

[1]CP 17/416 - ET Reason Rejection Code Clarification in SPAA Schedule 10

[2] CP 17/419 - Updates to Schedule 18- Market Domain Data