Technical Assurance of Performance Assurance Parties

Glossary

This page explains the purpose of this annual process as a set of audits targeted at key market performance and risk areas. These risk areas are usually highlighted through activities that are reported to the Performance Assurance Board (PAB).

How it relates to you

The following Performance Assurance Parties (PAPs) may be subject to checks at the discretion of the PAB:

  • Suppliers
  • Supplier Agents
    • Includes Half Hourly (HH) and Non Half Hourly (NHH) Data Collectors
    • HH and NHH Data Aggregators
    • HH and NHH Meter Operators
  • Licensed Distribution System Operators (LDSOs)
  • Independent Distribution Network Owners (IDNOs)
  • Licensed Distributors acting as Unmetered Supplier Operators (UMSOs)
  • Supplier Meter Registration Agents (SMRAs)
  • Meter Administrators (MAs)

We conduct checks either via site visits or off-site reviews of information and data. If you are selected for a Technical Assurance (TA) check, we will contact you with the reason for the check, its scope, timescales that it will be performed in and a request for data.

About the Performance Assurance process

Technical Assurance of Performance Assurance Parties (TAPAP) is a detective Performance Assurance Technique (PAT) in Elexon’s Performance Assurance Framework (PAF). Issues for a TAPAP scope can be identified by other PAF techniques:

  • Error and Failure Resolution
  • SVA Qualification
  • Technical Assurance of Half Hourly Metering Systems
  • PARMS Techniques

The aim of TAPAP is to review where you are meeting your Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) obligations, to identify weakness in industry practices and detect any issues in the BSC processes (and or other processes as where appropriate.

Timescale

The PAB agrees an annual scope of work for Technical Assurance which is set during the approval of the Risk Operating Plan (ROP). This is done after the BSC Audit Report is published and covers the Performance Assurance Operating Period (PAOP) (01 April – 31 March).

Scope

The scope contains the checks we will perform during the period. A ‘within period revision’ to the scope can also be made with approval from the PAB. The check will then take place anytime during that BSC year.

Technical Assurance findings reports

After every Technical Assurance audit we produce a non-confidential findings report that is presented to the PAB and published on the website.

Latest report

The Supplier Agent Management check provides assurance of Suppliers’ management of their individual Supplier Hub and to assess the appropriateness and efficacy of actions taken by Suppliers in order to address BSC Audit Issues raised against their appointed Supplier Agents. We checked six Half Hourly (HH) Suppliers and seven Non-Half Hourly (NHH) Supplier MPIDs across six BSC Parties.

The selection of candidates was determined primarily based on BSC Audit Issue data and associated Settlement Risks. In August 2021 Elexon provided Suppliers with the Audit Issues of the associated Supplier Agents and performed the check between December 2021 and March 2022.

The findings and the associated recommendations were reported to the Performance Assurance Board at its meeting on 28 April 2022 (PAB255).

Previous reports

BSC obligations

BSC Section Z – Performance Assurance details the administration and implementation of Performance Assurance Techniques (PATs).

BSCP535 Technical Assurance sets out the timescales for the role of the Performance Assurance Board (PAB) and/or Delegated Authority and other interested parties in the Technical Assurance of PAPs (TAP).

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