Less well off face 25% increase in bin charges

bmaxi

Unemployed and pensioners face an increase of 25% in their bin charges with the decision of Wexford Co. Council to sell off it's refuse collection business.
The new operator, AES say the current waiver system for low income families will be discontinued from 2013, an example being the 80ltr bin, favoured by pensioners, to increase in price from €160 to €200.
Again, those supporters of the household charge evident on another forum on Boards will say, "only a Euro a week" but it's the cumulative effect of all these "euros a week" that take their toll.

juan.kerr

Does this only affect the less well off?

bmaxi

juan.kerr wrote: »

Does this only affect the less well off?

The waiver only applies to low income households.

Cantona's Collars

This scenario was expected and some councillors spoke up against the selling off of the refuse collection service despite it being a loss making exercise.

The dogs in the street knew that as soon as it was privatised,prices would rise.

AES did a lot of door to door selling of their service promising cheaper prices trying to price everybody else out of the market-they didn't tell customers that after the first year the price would rise dramatically.Looks like they got their way,undercutting the opposition until one(Wexford Co.Co.) sold up then hoovering up their customers.They also forced the likes of Wastepal into a corner also with the prices they initially offered.Nobody read the small print when signing up and look what's happened.

Similar happened with Fingal Co.Co. They sold up and a price increase was announced by the new operators.Lack of competition leaves us public with little choice but cough up for the service offered and we get hit in the pocket as a result.

allthedoyles

The only consolation is that Bord Na Mona are creating 91 jobs in Kildare mainly in administration , to implement this among other things

davidschoolbag

So this is a service right and now its private and its my waste...... If no one pays up front then they woudl have to change their operation.

But a more pertinant question. When the houshold charge is paid what is it for, not for rubbish collection thats for sure? They say local services but will all of the monies raised in say Cork go to Cork and Wexford to wexford and so on or more likely into the gift of a minister to disperse to buy votes.

TheChevron

I was approached at the door by AES offering me a serious reduction on my Wastepal bill.

I rang Wastepal and told them I was thinking of switching and they matched the AES price fro me.

It saved me nearly 20% on what I was paying them.

When I was looking at a bin service the Council was more expensive than Wastepal and Greenstar. Hopefully the competition between the 3 now will keep the prices down.

Cantona's Collars

TheChevron wrote: »

I was approached at the door by AES offering me a serious reduction on my Wastepal bill.

I rang Wastepal and told them I was thinking of switching and they matched the AES price fro me.

It saved me nearly 20% on what I was paying them.

When I was looking at a bin service the Council was more expensive than Wastepal and Greenstar. Hopefully the competition between the 3 now will keep the prices down.

Problem with AES was that they never told anybody that the cheap rate was for the first year only,you can't blame folk for jumping at the price and not looking at the fine print.
The thing with Wastepal and Greenstar having to match this price is that it reduces the money they make and could force them out of business thus leaving a monopoly in the market,then we are all stuck with one main player and have to pay whatever they decide to charge.
AES are backed by Bord Na Mona and can afford to take this hit in their profits for the first year or so in order to get a strong foothold in the market

I agree competition is good but imo AES are going all out to be the only waste service in the county and taking control of the Council's bin rounds hands them a massive advantage in the fight with the other providers for our business.They gained a lot of customers in one fell swoop.

TheChevron

That's a bit sneaky alright. Hopefully when people realise that their deal has run out, and they are being shafted, they will shop around. There is an opportunity here for the other two companies to gain some new custom if they play things right.

Your right that a monopoly would be good for no one but is this a realistic scenario? Can AES wipe out two large players? I hope the answer is no.

Cantona's Collars

TheChevron wrote: »

That's a bit sneaky alright. Hopefully when people realise that their deal has run out, and they are being shafted, they will shop around. There is an opportunity here for the other two companies to gain some new custom if they play things right.

Your right that a monopoly would be good for no one but is this a realistic scenario? Can AES wipe out two large players? I hope the answer is no.

So do I, in other counties there is only one waste collection company and some of the prices are horrendous.

Funny thing was that the Council could offer reduced rates like you got from Wastepal but left it too late and missed the bus.I know some people who signed up with AES and when they rang the Council to cancel their service they were told that the Council would do a price match.They should have advertised the fact that they were prepared to price match and maybe they wouldn't have lost so many customers and still be able to offer a service rather than having to sell it off.

vicwatson

This scenario was expected and some councillors spoke up against the selling off of the refuse collection service despite it being a loss making exercise.

Driving licences are also soon to be no longer the problem of Wexford Co Co - they are being taken over by a private company (I think they said RSA(?)) and you can be sure the prices will only be going one way and that is UP !:mad:

jd

RSA is the Road Safety Authority, a public body.

vicwatson

jd wrote: »

RSA is the Road Safety Authority, a public body.

Perhaps they meant to say outsourced as opposed to privatised. I'd say that's what they meant.

TheChevron

A new player in the game. He seems cheaper than the rest too.

http://raywhelanltd.com/

vicwatson

Covers very little of Wexford by the looks of it. Can't see the prices on the website??

Cantona's Collars

TheChevron wrote: »

A new player in the game. He seems cheaper than the rest too.

http://raywhelanltd.com/

Got that leaflet in the door today, €20 a month for 240l waste bin & 240l recycling or €17 pm for 140l waste & 240l recycling collected fortnightly, ie waste one week and recycling the next.
They have a bin tag system which could be handy for those that don't have a lot of waste that would justify up to €20 a month.

As TheChevron said earlier competition is good for us consumers.