Interruptible/Firm Allowance (IFA)

Description

This chargeable service allows an interruptible supply point to continue to take a specified maximum daily quantity of gas up to 14,650 kWh (500 therms) per day. Requests are dealt with on a first come first served basis and will be offered subject to availability based on an aggregate daily maximum.

Daily quantities up to 30% of the supply point capacity (also known as SOQ) will be accommodated under this service, although each site will be limited to 14,650 kWh (500 therms) per day initially. Any additional amount s requested will then be analysed to assess if capacity is available to accommodate and on this basis the request will be agreed or rejected.

Possible uses of this service would be to maintain essential processes or to provide ancillary services such as canteens, water heating or localised space heating.

Provided that the capacity was available, the following conditions would need to be satisfied to enable a site to be accepted as an Interruptible Firm Allowance (IFA) customer:

• The meter or meters making up the interruptible supply point must use more than
  5,860,000 kWh (200,000 therms) per annum.
• The site must have equipment for daily metering or be upgraded with the appropriate equipment.
• The site must be able to cope during periods of interruption. At this time the interruptible part of the load will not be allowed to flow gas above the firm allowance.

This service is not available to a Shared Supply Meter Point with a firm allocation.

Benefits

• By taking an IFA supply the site will retain the benefit of interruptible transportation charges on the majority of the load.
• Enables an agreed proportion of the site load to burn during an interruption period, without incurring a failure to interrupt charge.
• Allows the gas consumer to be in control of a proportion of their capacity requirements

Service Request Details

For gas consumers to progress an IFA request further, please provide the following information to your gas shipper/supplier who will instigate the process with Transco.

Partial

Description

This service allows for a reduction in gas demand on a site, rather than full interruption. The amount of reduction is agreed in a series of 'Tranches' in order to arrive at a gas supply profile which best serves the individual needs of the site.

Sites suitable for this service

The following conditions would need to be satisfied to enable a site to be accepted as a partial interruptible customer:-

• The meter or meters making up the interruptible supply point must use more than
  11,722,840 kWh (400,000 therms) per annum to gain any benefit from this service.
• Minimum tranche quantity is 200,000 therms, maximum number of tranches allowed is nine.
• The site must have equipment for daily metering and may require telemetry. Siteworks charges would be incurred for any upgrading of monitoring equipment.
• The site must be able to cope during periods of interruption, at which time the interruptible gas load will not be allowed to flow.
• Interruption can be called for on a tranche by tranche basis - the gas burning equipment on site must be bale to cope with these tranche call offs.
• All tranches could be interrupted at one time.

Benefits

• May allow gas consumers to balance their requirement and enjoy greater protection from the risk of full interruption, thus maintaining critical processes.
• May enable a proportion of the site load to burn during an interruption period, without incurring a failure to interrupt charge.

Allows the gas consumer to exercise a choice in which plant to operate to achieve the offtake rate reduction requested.

Service Request Details

For gas consumers to progress a Partial request further, please provide the following information to your gas shipper/supplier who will instigate the process with Transco.

Swap Option

Description

This option allows equivalent supply points, one firm, one interruptible, to swap their supply status on a permanent basis, enabling the interruptible customer to gain a firm gas supply despite the constraints on the network. The firm site would correspondingly benefit from the lower transportation charges.

Sites suitable for this service

The following conditions would need to be satisfied to enable the site swapping from firm to be accepted as an interruptible supply point:

• The meter or meters making up the interruptible supply points must use more than 5,860,000 kWh (200,000 therms) per annum.
• The site must have equipment for daily metering or be upgraded with such equipment.
• The proposed interruptible site must be able to cope during periods of interruption at which time the interruptible gas load will not be allowed to flow.

Transco would need to test whether the loss of interruption at the one or more sites is physically compensated for by the one or more firm sites changing to interruptible. This test would need to be undertaken across the whole network from a local to national level.

Rule of thumb guidelines to help select compatible sites are as follows:

• Firm site Supply Point Capacity (also known as SOQ) maximum daily consumption must be at least 90% of the interruptible sites SOQ.
• Firm site Supply Point Offtake Rate (also known as SHQ) maximum hourly consumption must be at least 90% of the interruptible sites SHQ.
• The Firm site must be in an exit zone which incurs a higher transportation charge.
• Once accepted by Transco neither site can re-apply for a SWAP within 12 months of effective change.

Disconnected sites can also be included, if they stopped taking gas within 12 months of the proposed swap.

Benefits

• Allows a site to swap from interruptible supply point to a firm supply point even when there is no National Transmission System (NTS) capacity available.
• The site swapping to firm does not incur NTS reinforcement cost, local reinforcement may be required, if so this would be chargeable.
• Any number of sites can swap, these sites do not have to be owned by the same gas consumer or supplied by the same shipper.
• Can eliminate capacity charges for sites which have been isolated.
• Compatible with IFA, which would allow capacity management and flexibility for both gas consumer and shipper. Thus enabling a proportion of the site load to burn during an interruption period, without incurring a failure to interrupt charge.

This swap can occur at any time of the year subject to current nomination and confirmation timescales. The firm site would need to be nominated and confirmed as interruptible prior to the interruptible site being nominated and confirmed as firm.

Service Request Details

For gas consumers to progress a Swap Option request further, please provide the following information to your gas shipper/supplier who will instigate the process with Transco.

Shippers should apply for this service by contacting their Shipper Services Customer Advocate Officer.

Inter-Supply Point Transfer of Firm to Interruptible ('Buddying')

Description

This service will allow a shipper to release the capacity which has been allocated to a firm supply point and where the configuration of the system permits, allow it to be temporarily re-allocated to an interruptible supply point. The net result is that an interruptible supply point can continue to consume gas during periods of interruption, in exchange for it's 'Firm Buddy' interrupting.

Sites suitable for this service

The following conditions would need to be satisfied to enable the site swapping from firm to be accepted as an interruptible supply point:

• The meter or meters making up the interruptible supply points must use more than 5,860,000 kWh (200,000 therms) per annum.
• Both sites must be daily metered.
• The site must be able to cope during periods of interruption at which time the interruptible gas load will not be allowed to flow.
• Transco would need to test whether the loss of interruption at the one site is physically compensated for by the firm site changing to interruptible. This test would need to be undertaken across the whole network from a local to national level.

Rule of thumb guidelines to help select compatible sites are as follows:

• Firm site Supply Point Capacity (also known as SOQ) maximum daily consumption must be at least 90% of the interruptible sites SOQ.
• Firm site Supply Point Offtake Rate (also known as SHQ) maximum hourly consumption must be at least 90% of the interruptible sites SHQ.
• The Firm site must be in an exit zone which incurs a higher transportation charge.
• Both sites should exhibit similar usage patterns on Bank holidays, weekends etc.

No proportional splits of interruption are allowed between the two sites.

Benefits

• Compatible with IFA, which would allow capacity management and flexibility for both gas consumer and shipper. Thus enabling a propration of the site load to burn during an interruption period, without incurring a failure to interrupt penalty.
• Compatible with Partial giving additional flexibility to capacity management.
• Allows a site to temporarily transfer from an interruptible supply point to a firm supply point.
• Allows a gas consumer to match production and supply requirements across different sites.
• Assist shippers to manage their interruptible portfolio, thus optimising supply and demand.
• Permits an interruptible supply point to officially burn gas up to an agreed quantity during interruption.
• Does not incur NTS reinforcement cost.

Service Request Details

For gas consumers to progress a Buddying request further, please provide the following information to your gas shipper/supplier who will instigate the process with Transco.

Firm Sites

Interruptible Sites

The Interruptible shipper should apply for this site service by completing the 'Application for Buddy' request form.

PRINT APPLICATION FOR BUDDY