Price Controls 190 · On-demand course
A recorded case study from MCC Economics on how Ireland's Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) structures price reviews, embeds consumer engagement and applies performance incentives within a CPI-X framework, including how PR5 builds in climate goals, flexibility and innovation.
Price Controls 190 is delivered by practitioners who work on price controls for regulators, governments and utilities, including on the island of Ireland.
Course lead
Director, MCC Economics
PJ has worked on price controls from the regulator's side and for regulated companies, including RIIO-2 work with Ofgem and the Utility Regulator for Northern Ireland.
I heartily recommend PJ to anyone seeking input on the financial parameters that underpin different regulatory models.
Price Controls 190 is a recorded case study of how Ireland regulates its energy networks. It covers the role and legal basis of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, how it applies CPI-X with performance incentives, risk mechanisms and consumer protections, and how the PR5 price review balances cost efficiency with service quality, investment and climate goals.
You will be able to explain how an Irish network price review works and how it balances competing goals. The course is built around three outcomes.
The lecture sets out Ireland's regulatory framework and then shows how its price controls are applied.
These are the terms the course uses most, in plain English.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) | Ireland's independent regulator for energy and water, which sets price controls for the electricity networks. |
| PR5 | The fifth price review for Ireland's electricity transmission and distribution networks, covering 2021 to 2025. |
| CPI-X | A price control that lets revenue rise each year by Consumer Prices Index inflation minus an efficiency factor, X. |
| Revenue at risk | The share of allowed revenue a company can gain or lose depending on its performance against targets. |
| Output metrics | Measures of what customers receive, such as reliability and connection times, used to judge performance. |
| Risk mechanisms | Rules that adjust allowances when costs outside the company's control change, sharing risk with customers. |
| Totex | Total expenditure: capital and operating spending assessed together as one figure. |
| Consumer engagement | Involving customers and stakeholders through consultation when the price control is designed. |
It suits anyone who wants lessons from a mature and evolving regulatory regime.
Price Controls 190 applies the courses on CPI-X, incentives and totex to a real European regime, alongside the case studies from the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Browse every title on the MCC Economics courses page.
MCC Economics advises regulators, government bodies and utilities on price controls in the United Kingdom and the Gulf, and its clients include the Utility Regulator in Northern Ireland. The firm was founded in London in 2017. Its regulatory economics work covers energy, water, aviation and infrastructure. You can read the team's background on the people page.
MCC Economics has helped us better understand the most important issues for our stakeholders, including: charges, shareholder returns, debt payments and inflation impacts.
See the instructor profiles near the top of this page for the current teaching team and their experience.
No. Price Controls 190 is recorded course material only, so there is no meeting to attend. You get immediate access to the materials once you register.
A video lecture, slides, a transcript and a quiz.
PR5 is the Commission for Regulation of Utilities' fifth price review for Ireland's electricity transmission and distribution networks, covering 2021 to 2025. The course looks at how it builds in climate goals, flexibility and innovation.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities applies a CPI-X framework adapted with performance incentives, output metrics and risk mechanisms. Price Controls 110 explains CPI-X in general.
It is not required, but Price Controls 160 and Price Controls 170 cover incentives and totex, both of which feature in the Irish model.
Contact MCC Economics through the consultation page to discuss access for a team or training tailored to your organisation.
Page last reviewed October 2026.
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