Business charges
Uisce Éireann manages all aspects of business water accounts including billing for water services.
Important note on new charges
In line with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) decision on non-domestic tariffs a new set of national water and wastewater business charges came into effect on the 1 October 2021.
Why were the new charges implemented?
There were over 44 different business charging regimes with over 500 different price levels across the country. As a result, customers with similar water services paid different amounts depending on their location. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) held a number of consultations on the future water tariffs for business customers.
A final decision on the charges was published on 3 July 2019 by the CRU and it went live on 1 October 2021.
A fair charging framework
Uisce Éireann welcomed the final decision which sets out a national set of charges that will be transparent, cost reflective, and equitable for all businesses countrywide.
Key changes are:
- National charges as opposed to individual Local Authority charges
- Charges which reflect the actual costs of providing water services to the business sector
- Increases or decreases in charges for business customers depending on current charges
- Transitional arrangements to ensure bill changes are implemented fairly and with time to plan ahead
- Four separate tariff classes for metered connections: Bands 1 - 4
Who is affected
The new business charges will apply to both business customers and mixed-use customers who use water services for both business and domestic purposes. Public Group Water Schemes will move to the new business charges on 1 Oct 2022 and will benefit from the same transitional arrangements as all other Business Customers albeit for two years. Uisce Éireann will grant domestic allowances to bulk metered Public Group Water Schemes according to the number of dwellings connected to the scheme. For more information on group water schemes see here.
Managing the changes
Transitioning customers - changes came into effect on 1 October 2021, customers in transition will move to year two on 1 October 2022.
- Uisce Éireann to apply the new enduring tariffs to customers whose annual bill is expected to decrease or increase by no more than €250 from 1 October 2021.
- For customers that are estimated to face an increase of between €250 and €750 in their annual bill, Uisce Éireann will transition these connections to their enduring tariffs over three years from 1 October 2021.
- For customers that are estimated to face an increase of €750 or greater in their annual bill, Uisce Éireann is to automatically apply a 10% cap to the annual increase over three years starting from 1 October 2021. Customers can opt-out of receiving this cap.
- Charging arrangements for Public Group Water Schemes will also get the same transition mechanism as above but this will be for two rather than three years starting from 1 October 2022.
Further information
- Download our Changes to Business Charges booklet
- Review the full paper on the CRU website
- Download case study examples of the new charges
New tariff classes and rates
|
Tariff Class |
Annual Consumption (m³) |
|---|---|
| Band 1 | Less than 1,000m³ |
| Band 2 | Between 1,000m³ and 19,999m³ |
| Band 3 | Between 20,000 and 249,999m³ |
| Band 4 | Equal to or greater than 250,000m³ |
New metered enduring tariff rates
| Water Service Charges | Wastewater Service Charges | Combined Service Charges | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metered Tariffs |
Standing Charge (€/year) |
Volumetric Charge (€/m³) |
Standing Charge (€/year) |
Volumetric Charge (€/m³) |
Standing Charge (€/year) |
Volumetric Charge (€/m³) |
| Band 1 Class (<1,000m³) | 43.76 | 1.87 | 44.81 | 1.92 | 88.57 | 3.79 |
| Band 2 Class (1,000m³ - 19,999m³) |
113.31 |
1.30 | 135.79 | 1.82 | 249.10 | 3.12 |
| Band 3 Class (20,000m³ - 249,999m³ ) | 1,872.98 | 1.21 | 1,969.50 | 1.81 | 3,842.48 | 3.02 |
| Band 4 Class (>250,000m³) | 21,771.46 | 1.05 | 25,266.78 | 1.75 | 47,038.24 | 2.80 |
Unmetered tariffs
|
Water Service Charges |
Wastewater Service Charges |
Combined Service Charges |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Unmetered Tariffs |
(€/year) |
(€/year) | (€/year) |
|
Band 1* |
260.35 | 243.14 | 503.49 |
| Band 2 | 1,413.31 | 1955.79 | 3,369.10 |
| * 99% of unmetered customers will fall into Band 1, for more information please see our FAQs below |
VAT
The application of VAT and the timing of its introduction is a matter for the Government. Water supply and wastewater collection services are currently exempt from VAT with the exception of Tankered Waste, Sludge, and Leachate.
Previous water rates and charges
Prior to 1 October 2021, Uisce Éireann maintained the water charge rates of each Local Authority which were applied on 31 December 2013.
View your previous rates and charges
Enter the name of your Local Authority in the search box to view your previous water charges.
Annual Quantity for Non-Domestic Customers
An Annual Quantity (AQ) will be calculated once a year for every non-domestic metered connection
Tariff Application Rules Decision
The Tariff Applications Rules Decision, published by the CRU on 13 July, confirms an approach to tariff policy issues not covered by the CRU’s Framework decision, but which need to be addressed before it takes effect.
Business Charges
Eligibility for a Domestic Allowance depends on whether your premise is categorised as Mixed Use and whether your premises is metered – See here for further details on customer categorisation.