Environment Minister Alan Kelly has announced the new water charges regime.
New capped annual charges:
Cost to single adult households will be €60 and for other households it will be no more than €160.
There will be specific legislative provision to allow for capped charges to continue to be set from 2019 onwards.
€100 grant:
All eligible households will receive a Water Conservation Grant of €100 per year; This means that the net cost to single adult households will be €60; For other households it will be no more than €160.
Pay half if only getting water in or out:
Households with either a water supply only or sewage only service will pay 50pc of the new rates;
Metered usage:
Metered usage can bring charges below the relevant cap. The children’s allowance remains at 21,000 litres per annum and will apply to all persons resident in a property aged under 18 irrespective of whether the child qualifies for Child Benefit, meaning children will continue to go free;
Metered Bills:
For metered bills, the charge for water in/out is reduced to €3.70 per 1,000 litres – almost 25% lower than the previous subsidised rate;
Self-declaration:
The system is based on self-declaration and appropriate audit.
PPS numbers:
PPS Numbers will not be required for registration.
Billing starts:
The starting date for domestic water charging is being pushed back to 1 January 2015, with first bills to issue from April 2015;
Unfit water:
In cases where water is unfit for human consumption, the affected customers will receive a 100% discount on the costs of their drinking water supply for the duration of the restriction. Therefore, customers will only be required to pay for the sewage treatment.
So, will today’s announcement change your mind on water charges? Will you now pay, after initially deciding not to?
Highland Radio News asked some people in Letterkenny these very questions:
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