Overhaul of water charges for business to be deferred

Plans for a new system of water charges for businesses and other non-domestic users are being stalled because the existing system is irrational, according to the agency trying to make sense of it.

The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) told Irish Water and the Government earlier this year it would have to defer giving advice on any new tariffs for business and institutional users because information about the sector’s water use and existing charges was piecemeal.

Cathy Mannion, a senior executive with the CER, said efforts to gather the information so far had revealed some 500-600 different charging plans, depending on the location, size and nature of user.