EEOS for Obligated Parties

Under the Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS), large suppliers and distributors of energy must achieve annual energy efficiency targets. These companies are called Obligated Parties.

Who are Obligated Parties?

Energy suppliers and distributors that sell more than 400GWh of energy per year are Obligated Parties under the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme. All Obligated Parties are set annual targets based on their sales volumes.

Each Obligated Parties' target is divided into three sectors:

  • 85% for cross-sector
  • 10% for residential
  • 5% for energy poverty

Any companies which expect to exceed the 400 GWh obligation threshold within the next couple of years should contact SEAI for an opportunity to learn more about the scheme before they become an Obligated Party.

For 2023, there are 17 Obligated Parties operating across the main energy markets in Ireland - liquid fuel, natural gas, electricity, and solid fuel markets.

View all Obligated Parties

Achieving annual targets

Obligated Parties have specific annual targets allocated to them based on their market share in the energy industry. For every unit of energy saved, Obligated Parties earn energy credits that contribute to their overall targets.

What are energy credits?

Energy savings submitted by an Obligated Party become energy credits when they are validated by SEAI and counted towards an Obligated Parties' target.

The value of the energy credits from a project is based on the actual final energy savings achieved, where 1 kWh equals 1 energy credit.

Claiming energy credits

Energy credits can only be claimed by Obligated Parties. They cannot be claimed by individuals or other suppliers. Obligated Parties need to provide signed statements from the beneficiaries of the projects they support. These statements must confirm that the OP has supported the project and can count the energy savings achieved towards their targets.

Where Obligated Parties provide financial support to a project, the value of the support per kWh (or per energy credit) is driven by supply and demand and is not set by SEAI.

​Guidance on authenticating and claiming energy credits

This guidance document provides guidance on SEAI requirements for authenticating and claiming energy savings credits associated with energy efficiency projects under the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS).

Guidance for Obligated Parties

As EEOS scheme administrator, SEAI has developed this guidance document as a form of operating manual for the programme. It is intended to give clarity to Obligated Parties on how SEAI will administer the programme in accordance with the requirements of the 2022 Regulations. It also is intended to make the scheme processes, procedures and requirements as transparent as possible for Obligated Parties and all other stakeholders.

This document provides guidance to Obligated Parties on how to calculate and submit Residential and Energy Poverty energy savings to the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme.

This document sets out the programme-specific requirements of Contractor's practices in carrying out works supported by the Better Energy Home Programme.

This document sets out the general competence, standards and specifications that Contractors should possess, and adhere to, in carrying out dwelling energy upgrade works supported by SEAI Programmes. Homeowners may also need to refer to this document when works are being carried out.

This document sets out the eligible domestic energy efficiency measures and their associated energy credits under the EEOS scheme.

This document provides guidance to relevant parties on the SEAI requirements for preparation of a measurement and verification (M&V) report required under the SEAI's Community Energies Grant (CEG), Excellence in Energy Efficient Design (EXEED) Grant, Pathfinders Program, and Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS).

The impact of EEOS

The Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme has been designed to achieve 60% of Ireland's energy efficiency target for 2030 under Article 8 of the Energy Efficiency Directive. This equates to a delivery of 36,424 GWh in cumulative final energy savings between 1st January 2021 and 31st December 2030.

Learn more about EEOS

Related documents

EEOS Policy

Public consultations

  1. Public consultation on the implementation of the Clean Energy Package (2019)
  2. Public consultation on the redesign of Ireland's EEOS (2021)
    Summary of responses to public consultation and policy decisions on scheme design (2021)

Have questions about EEOS?

Reach out to a member of our team to learn more about the scheme.

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