As an Accredited Certificate Provider (ACP), you may work with others to implement energy savings activities, including:

  • Householders and businesses
  • Installers, consultants and suppliers
  • Lighting or water heater equipment providers.

When you become an ACP, you take on the responsibility of ensuring that any others that you work with comply with the requirements of the ESS.

Working with householders and other business

ACPs may work with householders and businesses to undertake energy savings projects and help them reach their energy efficiency goals.

Typically, this involves the business or householder transferring the rights to you as the ACP to create energy savings certificates (ESCs) on their behalf, in return for a discount off the cost of the energy savings activity. Under the legislation, the process of transferring these rights is termed “nomination”.

This nomination must be made by the person defined as the “original energy saver” under the ESS Rule, which is generally the person who is funding the energy savings project – i.e., the householder or business. The person to whom the rights are transferred is termed the “nominated energy saver” – i.e., the ACP.

Nominating an energy saver is typical in:

  • Residential settings where it is not viable for the householder to be accredited to create ESCs
  • Commercial and industrial settings where an ACP or an energy service company is contracted to create ESCs on behalf of the original energy saver.

You can access your mandatory templates for nomination forms via Templates to carry out your operations.

Using installers, consultants and suppliers

ACPs may use installers, consultants and suppliers to deliver energy savings activities. Activities performed by these third parties can range from promoting your services, undertaking administrative tasks on your behalf to supplying or installing equipment.

As the ACP, you are responsible for ensuring that any person who performs any aspect of the energy saving activity for which you are accredited, complies with the requirements of the ESS. For example, this includes (but is not limited to):

  • Maintaining and storing records of your energy savings activities
  • Ensuring original energy savers understand the function of the nomination form and its legal status, and
  • Maintaining appropriate customer service.

As an ACP, you or your representatives must not identify yourselves as a representative of the Energy Savings Scheme, IPART or the NSW Government. To do so is a breach of your conditions of accreditation.

For more information on your obligations when working with third parties, see Minimum Requirements.

Working with lighting or water heater equipment suppliers

If your activity involves a lighting or water heater upgrade, you will also need to work closely with providers to ensure that any equipment you use meets the requirements of the ESS.

This includes ensuring that any products accepted by us for use in the ESS. More information can be found under Product acceptance.