Ireland Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) Supplier Rates Guide

Key Takeaways

• The Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) scheme remunerates customers for electricity exported from microgeneration systems in Ireland.
• Eligibility requires registering your microgeneration system with ESB Networks using an NC6 or NC7 form.
• Export tariffs are set competitively by individual electricity suppliers, with a current range of 16c/kWh to 25c/kWh.
• Payments are based on either smart meter data, which records exports every 30 minutes, or a calculated "deemed" export quantity.

What is the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) in Ireland?

The Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) is a regulatory framework in Ireland established by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). Its purpose is to remunerate customers for their exported electricity from microgeneration systems. Interim CEG arrangements have been in operation since 2022, with more than 90,000 customers now participating.

How are CEG Export Tariffs Determined and Applied?

Under the CEG scheme, a competitive approach is maintained, whereby suppliers set their own competitive export tariffs. The CRU has decided to retain a regulated zero-floor price for the CEG export tariff. Export tariffs currently range from 16c/kWh to 25c/kWh. Each supplier can choose to offer flat-rate tariffs, time-of-export tariffs, or dynamic export price tariffs. For example, Bord Gáis Energy offers an export rate of 18.5 cent per kWh for excess electricity microgenerating and exporting to the grid under their Microgen Export Plan.

Key Parameters of the Clean Export Guarantee Scheme

Metering and Payment for Exported Electricity

Payments for exported electricity are primarily based on exports recorded by a customer’s smart meter. Over 2 million smart meters have now been installed in homes and businesses across Ireland. These smart meters collect data on your electricity use and export every 30 minutes, enabling precise remuneration. For customers whose legacy meter has not yet been upgraded to a smart meter, remuneration is based on a calculated "deemed" export quantity. This is an estimation based on a formula, which the CRU has decided to retain with its existing parameter values.

Regarding payment frequency, the CRU mandates more regular payments to customers for the electricity they export to the grid, with an obligation on suppliers to implement these measures from 1 January 2025. For example, Bord Gáis Energy makes payments four times per year as a credit to your electricity bill, once you have exported for at least three months. Suppliers are currently settled financially for their customers’ exported electricity approximately 13 months (M+13) after export, but these arrangements are expected to move to an M+4 settlement timeframe by 1 January 2025.

To participate in microgeneration, you must inform ESB Networks of your system. This is done by your registered installer filling in either an NC6 or NC7 form. The NC6 form is for systems less than 6kW for single-phase electricity or less than 11kW for three-phase. The NC7 form is for systems greater than 6kW (single-phase) or 11kW (three-phase) but not more than 50kW.

Income from microgeneration may be eligible for tax exemption. Section 216D of the Taxes Consolidation Act (TCA) 1997 provides for an exemption from income tax, Universal Social Charge (USC), and Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) for certain profits. This applies to profits up to €400 per year for the years of assessment 2024 to 2028. For the tax years 2022 and 2023, the exemption applied to profits of up to €200. To be eligible, the individual must generate electricity at their sole or main residence for their own consumption and be named on the electricity bill. There is no requirement to declare profits up to the limit of the exemption in an income tax return. However, any amounts in excess of the exempt amount must be declared as income.

What the published sources do not tell you

While the CRU provides a range for export tariffs (16c/kWh to 25c/kWh), a comprehensive comparison of specific rates from all major suppliers beyond Bord Gáis Energy is not detailed. The exact formula and specific parameter values for calculating deemed export quantities are not provided, only that the existing formula is retained. Furthermore, while the CRU has decided to enable customers to contract with separate suppliers for imports and exports, the specific implementation timeline for this change is not yet detailed. The precise minimum frequency for "more regular payments" required across all suppliers from 1 January 2025 is not specified beyond examples like Bord Gáis Energy's quarterly payments.