Installation of water meters to begin next year

WATER CHARGES are to be introduced in 2014 for all householders with the installation of water meters expected to begin next year.

According to the Government’s National Recovery Plan, the introduction of water charges will start to reduce government investment in water services and lead to significant capital expenditure savings. In 2008, €590m was spent by the Exchequer on capital investment on the water network.

A Water Regulator is to be established to oversee the programme. The National Pensions Reserve Fund has agreed, subject to certain pre-conditions, to fund €550m towards the metre installation programme.

The monies generated from water charges will be used to fund investment in the water network, particularly in urban areas, and to ensure we comply with the EU Water Framework Directive. Major investment is to be made in the area of leaking pipes.

The Department of the Environment is arguing that the revenue from the water charges will cover the operational costs of providing water and that a certain amount will cover the capital costs of providing domestic water will also be recovered.

Levies will remain in place for waste infrastructure so that more sustainable methods of waste modernisation will be chosen and as a source of income to support waste policies.

According to the Recovery Plan, the Commission for Energy Regulation will continue to impose rigorous efficiency targets on the ESB, Bord Gáis and Eirgrid to drive efficiencies in the energy sector. It also says that any investment by these companies will be driven by infrastructural need and energy demand so they avoid unnecessary waste.

The Green Economy has once again been hailed as the saviour of our economy with the report promoting the energy export potential that will exist for this country, our potential to establish a Green Irish Financial Services Centre and our potential as a test location for trying out new forms of energy engineering.