NEW CUSTOMER (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE “CUSTOMER”)

• any legal or natural person whose electric equipment is connected to the electricity networks of the VST, AB for the first time;
• current customer willing to increase or decrease the permissible power of electric equipment, change electricity supply reliability category or replace the installed one-phase branch line with three-phase branch line or three-phase branch line with one-phase branch line.

HOUSEHOLD CUSTOMER (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE CUSTOMER CLASSIFIED AS A HOUSEHOLD CUSTOMER)

• new customer is any natural person who will use the electric equipment connected to the electricity networks of the VST, AB, increased permissible power, replaced three-phase (one-phase) branch line and will purchase electricity supplied through the above electric equipment for the purpose of satisfying personal, family or household needs not related to business or profession.

CONNECTION SERVICE

The service provided by the VST, AB, in the course of which:

• the electric equipment of new customers is connected to the electricity networks of the VST, AB;
• permissible power of the electric equipment of the new customers is increased or decreased, electricity supply reliability category is changed or the installed one-phase branch line is replaced with three-phase branch line or three-phase branch line is replaced with one-phase branch line;
• electricity networks or electric equipment belonging to the VST, AB is relocated or reconstructed at the request of the customers or other persons;
• electric equipment is connected to the electricity networks intended for one-off events, the period of construction or other short-term (lasting not longer than 5 working days) purposes as well as the electric equipment available in a temporary structure is connected to the electricity networks.

IN CASE A PERMIT OR DESIGN DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CONSTRUCTION WORKS:

A new customer willing to connect his/her electric equipment to the electricity networks belonging to the VST, AB or a current customer willing to increase the permissible power of the electric equipment, change electricity supply reliability category or replace the installed one-phase branch line with three-phase branch line or three-phase branch line with one-phase branch line (hereinafter referred to as the Connection Service”) when a permit or design documentation is required for the construction of a construction works (generally a permit and/or design documentation is always required for the construction of a construction works in case of construction of a new construction works or reconstruction of an available construction works; furthermore, a permit and/or design documentation is always required when it is necessary to build a new power line, build a new transformer substation or reconstruct the current transformer substation etc. for the purpose of provision of the Connection Service) must submit an application for obtaining a set of design conditions for a construction works to the  director of municipality administration or any municipality administration officer authorised by him/her, whereas the latter must submit an application for drawing up the design conditions of a construction works to the VST, AB within 3 days.

The VST, AB draws up the design conditions of connecting the electric equipment of a customer to the electricity networks within 10 working days. The electric equipment of a new customer will be connected to the electricity networks only upon fulfilment of the requirements of the design conditions by the latter. The design conditions provide for obligatory requirements for building, reconstruction and/or development of electricity networks required for connection of the electric equipment of a new customer to the distribution electricity networks of the VST, AB. A new customer (excluding the customers classified as household customers) draws up the design documentation for connecting the electric equipment to electricity networks and the estimate thereof in accordance with the design conditions prepared by the VST, AB at own expenses and submits them to the VST, AB for harmonisation. Design works may be carried out only by specialised firms or separate employees possessing a license for performing such works. The design documentation submitted by a new customer for harmonisation must be in compliance with the requirements referred to in the Construction Technical Regulation “Design of a Construction Works” and other effective legal acts. After a new customer submits to the VST, AB design documentation for connecting the electric equipment of a customer to the electricity networks and the estimate thereof in compliance with the requirements referred to the legal acts and harmonized with the VST, AB and any other documents required for drawing up and conclusion of the connection service contract, the VST, AB draws up  a contract for the Connection Service and submits it to the customer within 20 working days. After a new customer signs the contract for the Connection Service the VST, AB organises public procurement procedures for the works of the Connection Service, in the course of which a contractor that will perform the Connection Service works is selected. The design works with regard to the increase of the permissible power of the electric equipment belonging to a current customer classified as a household customer, change of the electricity supply reliability or replacement of the installed one-phase branch line with the three-phase branch line and connection of the electric equipment of a new customer classified as a household customer to the electricity networks of the VST, AB and the development of the electricity networks of the VST, AB till the ownership boundary between the VST, AB and the customer required for such connection are organised and coordinated by the VST, AB. In this case, the VST, AB draws up a contract for the Connection Service and submits it to the new customer classified as a household customer not later than within 20 working days from submission of the application for connection of the electric equipment of a customer to the electricity networks to the VST, AB. The design documentation for connection of the electric equipment of any other customers to the electricity networks of the VST, AB and temporary connection of the electric equipment of customers to the electricity networks of the VST, AB are drawn up and harmonized by the customers in accordance with the design conditions drawn up by the VST, AB.

IN CASE NO PERMIT OR DESIGN DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CONSTRUCTION WORKS:

A new customer submits an application for obtaining a description of technical specifications to the territorial division of the VST, AB, within the service territory of which the electric equipment to be connected is located. According to the received application, the VST, AB draws up a description of technical specifications and the contract for connection to the electricity networks for provision of the Connection Service and submits them to the new customer.

TEMPORARY CONNECTION OF THE ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OF THE CUSTOMERS

The equipment of new customers willing that their equipment would be connected to the electricity networks of the VST, AB intended for one-off events, the period of construction or other short-term (lasting not longer than 5 working days) purposes as well as the equipment of the new customers willing that their electric equipment available in a temporary structure would be connected to the electricity networks of the VST, AB is connected in accordance with the design conditions issued by the VST, AB and following the procedure and conditions concerning connection of the electric equipment of customers referred to in the Description of the Procedure and Conditions*.

The electric equipment of the customers willing that their electric equipment would be connected to the networks for the period longer than 5 working days is connected in accordance with the procedure set forth in the Law on Construction and the design conditions issued by the VST, AB only upon submission of a construction permit for the object to the VST, AB and conclusion of the contract for the Connection Service.

In case of temporary connection of the electric equipment to the electricity networks of the VST, AB, the permissible power is set on a mutual agreement between a customer and the VST, AB and a fixed-term contracts on purchase/sale of electricity and/or a contract for electricity transport service must be concluded.

PAYMENT FOR THE SERVICE

Payment for the Connection Service is governed by the Description of the Procedure and Conditions* and the Methodology** establishing clear criteria and methods of calculation of the fee for the Connection Service.

The fee for connecting the electric equipment of customers to the distribution electricity networks of the VST, AB is calculated according to the tariffs of the National Control Commission of Prices and Energy*** and pursuant to the procedure laid down in the Methodology**.

TARIFFS ON CONNECTING THE EQUIPMENT OF CUSTOMERS TO THE NETWORKS

The amount of the fee for the Connection Service to be paid by the customer is indicated in the contract concluded between the customer and the company.

After a customer pays for the Connection Service under the procedure established in the contract for the Connection Service the VST, AB begins to carry out the planned works of the Connection Service.

EXPIRATION OF THE CONNECTION SERVICE

The Connection Service is considered to be performed (accomplished) and the contract on purchase/sale of electricity is concluded with a new customer when the following conditions have been fulfilled:

- actual development of the electricity networks of the VST, AB required for the respective connection referred to in the contract for the Connection Service has been carried out till the ownership boundary between the VST, AB and a new customer, other works necessary for connection of the electric equipment of a customer to the electricity networks have been performed and a certificate on the acceptance of a part of the electricity networks of the VST, AB as serviceable (in the event of issue of a construction permit for a construction works) or a certificate of acceptance/transfer of the carried out works (when no construction permit for a construction works is required) have been drawn up (signed) under the procedure established by the law;

- a new customer has fulfilled the requirements referred to in the Description of the Procedure and Conditions, contract for the Connection Service and the design conditions and paid the full amount of the fee for the Connection Service under the procedure envisaged in the contract for the Connection Service;

- a new customer has performed internal electricity wiring and other electricity installation works with regard to the structure belonging to him/her till the ownership boundary with the electricity network of the VST, AB at own expenses in accordance with the General Rules of Electric Equipment Installation and Rules of Installation of Power Lines and Wirings and other legal acts;

- a new customer has drawn up the technical documentation necessary for the above works and submitted to the VST, AB a certificate of the State Energy Inspectorate under the Ministry of Energy concerning inspection of the technical condition of the electric equipment within the ownership of the customer.

It is to be noted that only specialised firms or separate employees possessing a license for the performance of such works are entitled to carry out internal electricity wiring and other electricity installation works.

* Description of the Procedure and Conditions for Connection of the Objects of Electricity (Electricity Networks, Electric Equipment, Systems) of Electricity Customers, Producers to the Objects (Networks, Equipment, Systems) of Operating Electricity Undertakings approved by approved by Order No 1-246 of 9 December 2009 of the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter in the text referred to as the “Description of the Procedure and Conditions”) (Official Gazette, 2009, No 149-6678);

** Resolution No O3-258 of 28 December 2009 of the National Control Commission for Prices and Energy on the Approval of Methodology for Setting the Tariffs on Connecting the Equipment of Electricity Customers to Electricity Networks (Official Gazette, 2009, No 156-7078);

*** Resolution No O3-259 of 28 December 2009 of the National Control Commission for Prices and Energy on Approval of Tariffs on Connecting the Equipment of Electricity Customers to Electricity Networks (Official Gazette, 2009, No 156-7079).

CONTACTS

For more information on connection of electric equipment and other related services provided by the company, please ask at the company’s customer service centres. For convenience of the customers, the customer service centres of the VST, AB in Kaunas, Klaipėda and Šiauliai are open from Monday to Friday from 7.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m., whereas other customer service centres of the VST, AB are open from Monday to Thursday from 7.30 a.m. to 15.15 p.m. Emergency services are open 24 hours a day.