The CRU has legislative responsibility for the regulation of electrical contractors and gas installers, with respect to Safety, in Ireland. The CRU fulfills this obligation through the Safe Electric scheme for electrical contractors and the Registered Gas Installer (RGI) scheme for gas installers (jointly, ‘the schemes’). Legislation provides for the CRU to appoint a person(s) to be a designated body, for the purpose of carrying out the day-to-day regulation of electrical contractors and gas installers, i.e. the Electrical and/or Gas Safety Supervisory Body (jointly, ‘the SSB’).

In 2021, the CRU initiated the SSB Designation 2023 Project (‘the Project’) to facilitate, through a competitive procurement process, the appointment of the SSB(s) who will operate the schemes on behalf of the CRU from 2023.

As part of the Project, the CRU reviews the arrangements implemented during the Second Designation (2016-2022) in order to identify and make improvements, where possible. This is being carried out in two review stages:

• Review Stage 1 – this has, via stakeholder communication and engagement performed in 2021-2022, focused on a review and improvement of the economic model and its associated performance management framework, which has, in turn, resulted in contract updates; and
  • Review Stage 2 – this will focus on a review of the operational and regulatory aspects of the schemes, as set out in the Criteria Documents, via a public consultation process that will be carried out in 2024.

Review stage 1
As part of Review Stage 1, the CRU published 12 July 2022 an Information Paper that sets out the CRU’s decision on the economic model and the performance management framework under which the newly appointed SSB will operate from 2023. The Paper also sets out the CRU’s decision to appoint a single SSB to operate both schemes.

The competitive procurement process aforementioned was completed in Summer 2022 and it has concluded in the appointment Safe Energy Ireland, fully owned by SGS Ireland, to perform the role of the SSB and to operate the Safe Electric and RGI schemes on behalf of the CRU from 2023.

The transition implementation phase initiated in September 2022 focused on ensuring that the required scheme arrangements were implemented and fully operational for Go-Live, in January 2023. The CRU worked closely with Safe Energy Ireland and the former SSBs (RECI and RGII) to ensure that to all requirements to operate the Safe Electric and RGI schemes were met by Safe Energy Ireland, and that the SSB services were not interrupted.
Since Tuesday 3 January, Safe Energy Ireland is operating both the Safe Electric and RGI schemes. Any query related to the SSB and to the schemes can now be addressed to the schemes’ operator at info@safeelectric.ie and gasinfo@rgi.ie.

Review Stage 2
The purpose of the public consultation element of review stage 2 of the project is to focus on the Electrical and Gas Criteria documents. The criteria documents set out the rules and procedures, and requirements placed on the ESSB and GSSB and the RECs /RGIs. The Criteria Documents cover a range of topics including for example, entry requirements, inspection requirements, and certification requirements. The CRU expects to undertake this element of the project in 2024.

If you wish to be kept up to date as the Project progresses, please email the Project team at SSBDes23@cru.ie.