Why am I paying more for my water than my neighbours ?

Lord Riverside

I was the only one in my road to allow a water meter to be installed.
Since then, the local Irish water contractor has told my neighbours they will never be forced to accept installation of a water meter if they don't want one, and that he will only ever install one where there are no objections. He's even been quoted in the local papers, and a local press conference, saying this.
My neighbours (the ones that do pay for their water, but refused meter installation) now pay a nice low fixed rate and use as much water as they like ? I use less water than they do, but will have to pay far more for it ? How exactly is this situation fair and equatable ? This country is a joke.

TheChizler

There's a cap for the foreseeable future, or are you talking about in many years' time? There's no way you could be paying more unless they're single adult households and you're not.

Lord Riverside

How can a cap be measured for someone who does not have to have a meter in the first place, and can use and abuse as much water as they wish without any monitoring, and no meter whatsoever ? And why does everyone else on this road now not have to have any meter installed, but yet I was obliged to have one installed because I was away at work, paying my taxes ?

TheChizler

They just get charged the cap by default. I'd say you could probably disregard everything the installer said as well.

Lord Riverside

Exactly, with no monitoring whatsoever as to the water they use.
Why do you work for Irish water ? and if not, why are you answering my queries addressed to them ? Thousands of people have gone on the Irish water contractors word in this area, that no meter will be installed where a person objects to having one, and he's been all over the local papers and press representing Irish water. Does he get paid day works for being "prevented" from installing a meter I wonder ? Nice little earner this whole charade is turning out to be for certain people. While the people who agreed to getting a meter in are being shafted.

podge018

As you've been told there's a cap in place, so you're not paying more than your neighbours.

Irish Water: Amy A

Hi Lord Riverside,

Thanks for your query.

Lord Riverside wrote: »

My neighbours (the ones that do pay for their water, but refused meter installation) now pay a nice low fixed rate and use as much water as they like ? I use less water than they do, but will have to pay far more for it ? How exactly is this situation fair and equatable?

Customers will not pay more than 260EUR per year for water services, whether a meter has been installed at their property or not. This is due to the fact that there are capped charges in place for all Irish Water customers until 2018, as set out in a pricing plan by the CER.

Unmetered customers will be charged the assessed rate until such a time that a meter is installed at their property. Metered customers will be charged based on their water consumption, up to the point of the capped rate.

You can read more on the breakdown of water charges here.

Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything else that we can help you with.

Kind regards,
Amy.

dimo

Lord Riverside wrote: »

I was the only one in my road to allow a water meter to be installed.
Since then, the local Irish water contractor has told my neighbours they will never be forced to accept installation of a water meter if they don't want one, and that he will only ever install one where there are no objections. He's even been quoted in the local papers, and a local press conference, saying this.
My neighbours (the ones that do pay for their water, but refused meter installation) now pay a nice low fixed rate and use as much water as they like ? I use less water than they do, but will have to pay far more for it ? How exactly is this situation fair and equatable ? This country is a joke.

Yes, agree with  Lord Riverside "this country is a joke."
The currently introduced cap is to save the high volume consumers (or should I say the wasters). from to be penalized.
And also to save the rich men money!

Now I'm paying the same amount as the neighbour who is leaving in huge house with xx acres residential garden, which is watered everyday and his water consumption is n times more than mine.

Don't understand why most of the people were satisfied when the cap limit was introduced? This is an official government robbery, guess who is benefiting from this cap?

Much fair will be if any premise is charged the exact consumed amount of water (pay as you use), then everybody will be monitoring the water usage and if somebody wants to have a nice big garden- let him pay.  

And as I mentioned in my previous post, quite common practice is the residential estates with mainly small houses, to be left without water meters, this way forcing each household to pay the maximum "capped" fee.

Probably the next government decision will be to introduce cap on PAYE? :-)

Lord Riverside

Irish Water: Amy wrote: »

Hi Lord Riverside,

Thanks for your query.

Lord Riverside wrote: »

My neighbours (the ones that do pay for their water, but refused meter installation) now pay a nice low fixed rate and use as much water as they like ? I use less water than they do, but will have to pay far more for it ? How exactly is this situation fair and equatable?

Customers will not pay more than 260EUR per year for water services, whether a meter has been installed at their property or not. This is due to the fact that there are capped charges in place for all Irish Water customers until 2018, as set out in a pricing plan by the CER.

Unmetered customers will be charged the assessed rate until such a time that a meter is installed at their property. Metered customers will be charged based on their water consumption, up to the point of the capped rate.

Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything else that we can help you with.

Kind regards,
Amy.

That's not what I asked. Why did I have to have a meter installed, whereas my neighbours have all been told by the contractor he won't ever install one if they don't want it ? I'm now the only clown on my road with a metered water supply. In the future Ill have to pay the extortionate metered rate when the cap is lifted, and my water use can be monitored. All my neighbors can pay a flat fee, and leave their hoses and powerwashers on all day, with no way of ever monitoring them. What a joke. Who's property is now worth a lot more, the one with a metered water supply, or the one with an metered water supply ?

Lord Riverside

dimo wrote: »

Lord Riverside wrote: »

I was the only one in my road to allow a water meter to be installed.
Since then, the local Irish water contractor has told my neighbours they will never be forced to accept installation of a water meter if they don't want one, and that he will only ever install one where there are no objections. He's even been quoted in the local papers, and a local press conference, saying this.
My neighbours (the ones that do pay for their water, but refused meter installation) now pay a nice low fixed rate and use as much water as they like ? I use less water than they do, but will have to pay far more for it ? How exactly is this situation fair and equatable ? This country is a joke.

Yes, agree with  Lord Riverside "this country is a joke."
The currently introduced cap is to save the high volume consumers (or should I say the wasters). from to be penalized.
And also to save the rich men money!

Now I'm paying the same amount as the neighbour who is leaving in huge house with xx acres residential garden, which is watered everyday and his water consumption is n times more than mine.

Don't understand why most of the people were satisfied when the cap limit was introduced? This is an official government robbery, guess who is benefiting from this cap?

Much fair will be if any premise is charged the exact consumed amount of water (pay as you use), then everybody will be monitoring the water usage and if somebody wants to have a nice big garden- let him pay.  

And as I mentioned in my previous post, quite common practice is the residential estates with mainly small houses, to be left without water meters, this way forcing each household to pay the maximum "capped" fee.

Probably the next government decision will be to introduce cap on PAYE? :-)

I expect your post and points will be ignored and skirted around with some bshyte as well. They like to think we are stupid, that's their greatest mistake.

Irish Water: Niall

Hi Lord Riverside,

Apologies for the delay in responding. We were liaising with the relevant department regarding your query.

Lord Riverside wrote: »

That's not what I asked. Why did I have to have a meter installed, whereas my neighbours have all been told by the contractor he won't ever install one if they don't want it ? I'm now the only clown on my road with a metered water supply. In the future Ill have to pay the extortionate metered rate when the cap is lifted, and my water use can be monitored. All my neighbors can pay a flat fee, and leave their hoses and powerwashers on all day, with no way of ever monitoring them. What a joke. Who's property is now worth a lot more, the one with a metered water supply, or the one with an metered water supply ?

The Government passed the Water Services Act 2013, which enables Irish Water to charge for water services. We rolled out a national metering programme with the aim to meter as many homes as possible by 2016.

If a property is deemed suitable for metering, a meter will be installed. If its a case that a meter cannot be installed on the original date scheduled, the situation will be re-evaluated at a later date.

I hope you find this information helpful. Please feel free to contact us with any other queries you may have.

Kind regards,
Niall

Lord Riverside

"If a property is deemed suitable for metering, a meter will be installed. "


Is this the best fob off your PR department could come up with after so many days head scratching ?

Back in the real world, people in our area who didn't want a meter simply had none installed and have been allowed to keep their un metered connection by the local Irish water contractor, yet we were told by the government and their cronies these meters were compulsory.

Anyway folks lesson learned the hard way. The entire meter fiasco is a scam. Down the road, I want to pay the same unmetered flat fee for water as every other house on my road, so I'll be taking the meter out of my property, and putting myself on a level footing with everyone else in my area who now have un-metered connections. Ye can collect your meter, I'll be leaving the removed and now unneeded meter it at the side of the road.

And I'd advise anyone with any sense to refuse a metered connection. You can retain an unmetered connection. A much better deal in the long run, and a property with an unmetered connection will be worth a lot more than an idiot with a metered connection.

The lies you guys and the government told about the necessity of everyone having to have a meter makes my blood boil.

TheChizler

So instead of having the possibility of paying less than your neighbors you're ensuring that you'll pay the cap the same as them??

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the contractor wasn't bothered to deal with the residents who didn't want meters, and pushed the problem down the line to the next installer when they get to phase two of installation.

Lord Riverside

TheChizler wrote: »

So instead of having the possibility of paying less than your neighbors you're ensuring that you'll pay the cap the same as them??

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the contractor wasn't bothered to deal with the residents who didn't want meters, and pushed the problem down the line to the next installer when they get to phase two of installation.

Out on a limb is right.
Do you work for Irish water ? Why are you on this Irish water representatives thread issuing replies to regarding my account with Irish water ? How are you connected to the profiteering ?
You must also think we're stupid by pretending the temporary cap is permanent.
As for the Irish water contractor you're wrong again, he's the main Irish contractor for the whole region, and has attended meeting upon public meeting and been all over the local press saying that anyone that does not want a meter will have one installed. He probably makes a nice few pound on day works claims wherever he can't install a meter.

TheChizler

Lord Riverside wrote: »

Out on a limb is right.
Do you work for Irish water ? Why are you on this Irish water representatives thread issuing replies to regarding my account with Irish water ? How are you connected to the profiteering ?
You must also think we're stupid by pretending the temporary cap is permanent.
As for the Irish water contractor you're wrong again, he's the main Irish contractor for the whole region, and has attended meeting upon public meeting and been all over the local press saying that anyone that does not want a meter will have one installed. He probably makes a nice few pound on day works claims wherever he can't install a meter.

Now that's going out on a limb.

I have no connection to IW; you posted on a Saturday and they have no chance to respond until Monday so I thought I'd offer my opinion in the meantime. It's still a public forum, Boards would prevent anyone but the OP and the company involved from posting, or have a rule written somewhere, if it wasn't allowed.

I'm going to leave it there because that's all I have to contribute unless other unfair claims are made.

Lord Riverside

TheChizler wrote: »

Lord Riverside wrote: »

Out on a limb is right.
Do you work for Irish water ? Why are you on this Irish water representatives thread issuing replies to regarding my account with Irish water ? How are you connected to the profiteering ?
You must also think we're stupid by pretending the temporary cap is permanent.
As for the Irish water contractor you're wrong again, he's the main Irish contractor for the whole region, and has attended meeting upon public meeting and been all over the local press saying that anyone that does not want a meter will have one installed. He probably makes a nice few pound on day works claims wherever he can't install a meter.

Now that's going out on a limb.

I have no connection to IW; you posted on a Saturday and they have no chance to respond until Monday so I thought I'd offer my opinion in the meantime. It's still a public forum, Boards would prevent anyone but the OP and the company involved from posting, or have a rule written somewhere, if it wasn't allowed.

I'm going to leave it there because that's all I have to contribute unless other unfair claims are made.

This forum is for Irish water to address consumer queries, and this thread is an account query I have with Irish water, yet several times you thought you could dictate here, misrepresent and spin my customer query, while you represent Irish water. Now you're going to have to jog on and shill somewhere else, or log in as a official representative. I guess Irish water consumers are not as stupid as you'd like to believe.

Boards.ie: Niamh

Let's keep it civil here Lord Riverside.