Irish Water to introduce new charging system for businesses in May
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A new system of charges for non-domestic water users will come into effect from next May.
The regulator of Irish Water has announced May 1, 2021, as the start date for the new charging system after it was postponed in March due to the uncertainty created among customers by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their businesses.
However, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) said any further delay beyond next May would be considered “inequitable” as nearly half of all non-domestic customers will see a reduction in their water bills.
The CRU said the new tariffs to be set by Irish Water would be simpler, fairer and more transparent for the company’s 183,500 business customers and replace a “complex, out-of-date and unfair system.” At present, there are over 500 separate charges for the provision of water and wastewater services to non-domestic users.
“Similar business customers are charged different rates for the same service depending on where they are located,” the CRU said.
The regulator - with Irish Water and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage - decided in March to defer the new charging system on the basis that restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 had caused considerable uncertainty among business owners.
The CRU said it recognised the challenges which businesses were currently facing and had decided on an extended implementation period for the new charges to allow Irish Water customers to plan accordingly.
“This means that non-domestic customers will not see any changes to their Irish Water bills until May 2021 or later depending on their billing cycle,” the CRU said.
The regulator said it felt any further delay beyond next May would limit the positive benefit to small businesses who will experience a reduction in their bills under the new charging regime.