Transcript When an e-mail should be deemed to have been received by Parties?

Modification: 0479 - Inclusion of email as a valid
UNC communication
Allowing email as a valid form of UNC communication in specific
circumstances.
Why Change?
• Email has superseded fax as a more efficient and common form of business
communication
• Precedents have been set in the energy industry:
− Gas Industry: UNC Modification Proposal 033, ‘Notification to Users of
Emergency Incidents – Impacts on Code Communications’ extended allowable
forms of communication to include internet and email within the Shipper Incident
Communication Procedure (SCIP) and was implemented in 2005.
− Electricity Industry: Modification Proposal P133, ‘Email Communication under
the Code’ allowed general communication given by the Balancing and
Settlement Code Committee (BSCCo) to all parties simultaneously to be sent by
email.
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Why Change?
• There is scope for positive change:
− A 2011 Transmission Workgroup on Force
Majeure and payment of Exit Charges discussed
the reliability of faxes and questioned whether
email may be a more appropriate alternative.
− Several areas of the UNC that dictate specific
forms of communication or contact details have
never been looked at with regards email.
− Appendix 5 of the UK Link Manual can be
reviewed for potential amendments.
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Solution
• Examples of UNC amendments:
− UNC TPD S3.4.5 (Invoice and Payment) and UNC TPD V3.4.7 (Code Credit Limits) dictate
the information Users shall provide to Transporters to allow communication on
Transportation Charges and Invoicing. Currently they only dictate the inclusion of a single
telephone number, address and facsimile number. These proposals will amend the
references to include a single email address.
− UNC TPD V2.1.2 (Admission Requirements) states that in order to become a Shipper
User in relation to a System or a Trader User in relation to the NTS a person must provide
the address, telephone and facsimile numbers of the Applicant User. This will be amended
to include a single email address to improve communications.
• Appendix 5 of the UK Link Manual is being reviewed by NGN and will be
presented to the Workgroup for discussion and to consider additional
potential areas for inclusion of email.
• We would also welcome suggestions from Workgroup members on possible
areas of the Code that could be included in this proposal to be amended to
allow email communication.
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Governance Arrangements
When an e-mail should be deemed
to have been received by Parties?
What happens if an e-mail system
fails?
• An e-mail should be deemed to have
• The responsibility to maintain a fully
been received one hour after it has
been successfully send. If the
conclusion of this hour falls after
5p.m., the e-mail shall be deemed to
have been received at 9 a.m. the
following day.
functional e-mail system necessarily
lies with the Party who owns it.
• However, the UK link manual will still
allow for conventional means of
communication, so if an e-mail fails
we can use letter or fax.
• The party is responsible for checking
and reading the email in the same
way as with post and fax.
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