- How are data collected?
- Why do you have a separate procedure for obtaining permits for crossing a road although it is done by the electrical contractor or a design firm as part of the connection works or the design?
- Do the getting electricity indicators record the de jure (the law) or de facto (the practice) situation?
- What measures were added in 2015 to capture the reliability of electricity supply?
- How are new data on outages collected?
- Why is the tariff data requested for January only?
- What types of outage are included in SAIDI and SAIFI?
- How does an economy get a score for regulatory monitoring of outages?
Data are collected from the electricity distribution utility, then completed and verified by electricity regulatory agencies and independent professionals such as electrical engineers, electrical contractors and construction companies. The electricity distribution utility surveyed is the one serving the area (or areas) where warehouses are located. If there is a choice of distribution utilities, the one serving the largest number of customers is selected.
Why do you have a separate procedure for obtaining permits for crossing a road although it is done by the electrical contractor or a design firm as part of the connection works or concurrence of the design?
In some economies, respondents have stressed that the external connection works take a long time because approvals such as excavation permits have to be obtained. Also, excavation permits were identified as a major source of delays in conducting the external connection works. For this reason, by including a separate procedure on excavation permits, the getting electricity indicators illustrate the burden on the customer when the customer or the contractor has to obtain an excavation permit. Also, the indicators highlight whether interactions between the utility and public agencies are streamlined when the utility obtains the excavation permit by recording the time and cost associated with this step but not a separate procedure.
Does the getting electricity indicators record the de jure (the law) or de facto (the practice) situation?
The getting electricity indicators record both the de jure and the de facto situation in an economy. Every procedure that is either required by law or usually necessary in practice is included, whether it must be completed by customers or their contractors.
What measures were added in 2015 to capture the reliability of electricity supply?
To offer a more complete view of the electricity sector, Doing Business broadened the scope of the getting electricity indicators in 2015 to include two new measures: the reliability of supply and transparency of tariffs index and the price of electricity. The reliability of supply and transparency of tariffs index encompasses quantitative data on the duration and frequency of power outages as well as qualitative information on the mechanisms put in place by the utility for reporting power outages and restoring power supply; the reporting relationship between the utility and the regulator for power outages; the transparency and accessibility of tariffs; and whether the utility faces a financial deterrent aimed at limiting outages (such as a requirement to compensate customers or pay fines when outages exceed a certain cap). Although collected for all economies, the price of electricity is not included in the calculation of the aggregate score for getting electricity and the ease of doing business ranking.
How are new data on outages collected?
Collecting data on outages can be challenging. Utility companies often record these data; the availability and quality of the data depend on the utilities’ ability to collect the information. Utility input can be cross-checked using World Bank Enterprise Survey data, utility performance reports and input from national regulators. The private sector is another useful local source of information regarding personal experiences of power outages.
Why is the tariff data requested for January only?
Doing Business aims at collecting the most up-to-date information during each data collection cycle. Since data are typically collected for the period ranging from June to May – and questionnaires are distributed in January of each year - the month of January is realistically the latest month for which the team can obtain quality information. January also falls close to the middle of the data collection cycle.
What types of outage are included in SAIDI and SAIFI?
All planned interruptions are included. For unplanned outages, the outage is deemed to have started from the time at which the utility was made aware of the interruption, either by phone or by a system used to monitor outages. An outage is an event of interrupted power supply affecting more than one customer. Load-shedding is also included. Momentary power interruptions, which are commonly defined as outages lasting less than five minutes, are typically not included in the calculations of the SAIDI and SAIFI indexes. However, if the minimum outage time to compute SAIDI/SAIFI is over five minutes, economies are not eligible to score on the reliability of supply and transparency of tariff index.
How does an economy get a score for regulatory monitoring of outages?
An economy scores 1 point on the measure of regulatory monitoring of outages if an independent regulatory body—that is, an entity separate from the utility—monitors data on power outages, either through real-time monitoring or through periodic reviews of the utility's performance.
