RGI and Safe Electric

In order for an electrical contractor or a gas installer to work in Ireland, they must be registered as a:

Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) with the Safe Electric Scheme.
Registered Gas Installer (RGI) with the RGI Scheme.

These schemes are operated on behalf of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU).

Safety regulation of electrical contractors

Safe Electric is the legal regulatory scheme for electrical contractors.

It is run by the Electrical Safety Supervisory Body (ESSB) for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). The Electrical Safety Supervisory Body (ESSB) handles the following:

The day-to-day operation of the Safe Electric scheme.
The Electrical Safety Supervisory Criteria Document sets out the detailed rules and the obligations for participants operating within the Safe Electric scheme.
Processing registration applications from electrical contractors.
Assessing RECs to make sure they are working to national safety standards and the National Rules for Electrical Installations (ET 101).
Processing 'Distributing Completion Certificates' that a REC must give customers once the electrical works are complete.
Resolving queries and investigating complaints received from the public about RECs.

The CRU handles the following:

Policy decisions about electrical safety.
The overall operation of the Safe Electric scheme.
Enforcement actions such as prosecutions against unregistered electrical contractors.
Review of appeals from applicants about registration decisions by Safe Electric.
Review of appeals from people about Safe Electric's complaint handling.

For further information and to find a REC:

Illegal electrical works

Contact Safe Electric if you think that someone who is not a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) is:

carrying out electrical works on a domestic home
describing themselves in a way that suggests that they are a REC.

Report suspected illegal electrical works to Safe Electric.

Complain about a REC to Safe Electric.

Stakeholder groups

The following committees advise the Safe Electric scheme:

The Electrical Safety Committee raises awareness about electricity risks. It promotes measures to stop accidents due to electricity. The Committee is known as TC5 - Electrical safety and statistics for accidents and fires caused by electricity.
The Electrical Contractors Criteria Review Panel (ECCRP) advises the CRU on proposed modifications to the Electrical Safety Supervisory Criteria Document Version.
The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) Electro Technical Committees deliver the technical standardization work. NSAI maintains a network of Technical Committees (TC) covering many areas of electro-technology and has direct responsibility for the maintenance of the national system of electrical installation standards.

View NSAI Electrotechnical Standards Programme.

Safety regulation of gas installers

The Registered Gas Installer (RGI) scheme is the legal regulatory scheme for gas installers.

It is run by the Gas Safety Supervisory Body (GSSB) on behalf of the CRU. The GSSB and the CRU have different responsibilities.

The GSSB handles the following:

Day-to-day operation of the RGI scheme.
The Gas Safety Supervisory Criteria Document which sets out the detailed rules and the obligations for participants operating within the RGI scheme.
Processing registration applications from gas installers.
Assessing RGIs to make sure they are working to national safety standards.
Processing 'Declaration of Conformance Certificates' (Completion Certificates) that a RGI must give customers once the gas works are complete.
Resolving queries and investigating complaints received from the public about RGIs.

The CRU handles the following:

Policy decisions to do with gas safety.
The overall operation of the RGI scheme.
Enforcement actions such as prosecutions against unregistered gas installers.
Review of appeals from applicants about registration decisions by the GSSB.
Review of appeals from people about the GSSB's complaint handling.

For further information and to find a Registered Gas Installer:

Illegal gas works

You can contact the RGI Scheme /(GSSB) if you think that someone who is not an RGI is:

carrying out gas works
describing themselves in a way that suggests that they are an RGI.

Report suspected illegal gas works.

Complain about a RGI to the RGI Scheme/Gas Safety Supervisory Body (GSSB).

Stakeholder Groups

The following committees advise the RGI scheme:

The Installer Representative Panel is an industry forum which discusses modifications to the Gas Safety Supervisory Criteria Document. The IRP facilitates communications between Registered Gas Installers (RGIs), the Gas Safety Supervisory Body (GSSB) and CRU.
The Gas Safety Committee makes recommendations about the safe transmission, distribution and use of natural gas and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Ireland.
The Domestic Gas Assessment (DGA) Scheme Committee develops and updates criteria for the DGA.

RGI and Safe Electric Schemes