Two-thirds of homes will not have meters installed when billing for domestic water begins today.
In 2012, then minister for the environment Phil Hogan said the €0.5 billion project to install meters would begin that year, and be completed by 2014.
However, the same year, a 900-page blueprint for Irish Water said the programme would take about 3½ years, beginning in July 2013 and running until the end of 2016.
The installation programme eventually began in August 2013, and in April this year Mr Hogan told the Dáil an “accelerated metering programme” was likely to be “ahead of the target” delivering completion in mid-2016 rather than at the end of 2016.
However, the Commission for Energy Regulation has said "the programme" referred to was the completion of metering for 80 per cent of households by 2016.
The figure of 80 per cent equates to a target of roughly 1.05 million households out of a total of 1.3 million. The 1.05 million households have been identified as the most accessible.
It is understood some older terraced houses, and apartment blocks that are served by a single connection, are included in the remaining 20 per cent.
A spokesman for the commission said 400,000 households will have meters installed by October 1st – less than one-third of the 1.3 million households.
The speed of installation of meters is, however, quite swift, running at 30,000 a month.
Chief executive of Irish Water John Tierney has compared the installation programme to that of Thames Water in the UK, pointing out the British utility was installing just 2,000 meters a month and would continue its programme up to 2030.
Capped
The regulator confirmed yesterday that Irish Water customers will have their metered charges capped at an assessed rate for the first nine months.
They also said that householders whose water supply is not fit for human consumption would not have to pay a water supply charge.
The free allowances remain at 30,000 litres per household and 21,000 litres per child annually, a level which Irish Water claims will enable children to go free.
Meanwhile, in response to a series of questions put by letting agents and owners of private rental properties in recent days, Irish Water has said every rental unit in the State is to get a pack addressed personally to the occupant.
Details
If Irish Water does not have details of a tenant, the pack will be addressed to “The Occupier”. It also said:
Packs will only be issued to individual rental properties in so far as Irish Water is aware of them, but landlords can advise Irish Water if they have let a property.
If information on the Irish Water mailing list is incorrect or out of date, landlords can contact Irish Water to have the information adjusted.
Irish Water will contact known landlords after the initial customer application campaign, to advise of properties for which no application has been received.
When a household is occupied the tenant is liable and when vacant the owner is liable. Either party may take a reading and provide it to Irish Water – alternatively, Irish Water will bill on average consumption, based on the date of change of tenancy.
