Minister Hogan underestimating cost of water charges – Purchase.ie
Purchase.ie, the online store which specialise in products that save energy and conserve water, has estimated that households with five people are likely to pay close to 700 Euro a year in water charges, and not an annual bill of €450 as stated recently by Minister Phil Hogan.
The report (Water Charges Made Simple – What Will I Pay?) is based on calculating water costs at 0.0022 Euro per litre (€2.20 per 1,000 litres) and gives a thorough breakdown on the costs of everything from taking a shower (21 cent per use) using the washing machine (11 cent per cycle) and washing your car (66 cent per wash)
According to Colm Griffin of Purchase.ie “Until we get confirmation from the Commission of Energy Regulation on what the cost per litre will be these figures should be treated as guideline only but if anything the report leans on the side of conservative. For example, the report estimates that people flush an average of 11,000 litres down the toilet every year (€24 per person per annum) but this is based on a modern 6 litre toilet cistern. Older toilet cisterns output between 9 and 12 litres every time you flush them so in some households this figure could be double that.”
People shower on average for 8 minutes a day the report estimates and a shower typically has a water output of 12 litres per minute which means that each shower will cost about 21 cent. “Power showers generally have an water output of 17 litres a minute. An average 8 minute power shower would add 30 cent to your bill” Griffin warns
The reports estimates that one person household will pay about 125 Euro per annum in water charges, a two person household 265 Euro per year and that a household with 2 Adults and 3 Children under 18 will pay in the region €450. However a household of 5 adults over the age of 18 are likely to pay close to 700 Euro every year.
“Get used to five minute showers and don’t leave the tap running when brushing your teeth” Griffin advises. “For a quick return on investment I would strongly recommend people consider installing aerated shower heads which conserve water without compromising water pressure and aerated restrictors on all taps. In a household of 4 people a water saving shower head will save you at least €100 per annum on water charges and possibly a lot more when you consider the energy costs associated with heating the water in the first place“.
The full report “Water Charges Made Simple – What Will I Pay?” can be viewed on the Purchase.ie website at http://purchase.ie/media/
and a comprehensive range of water saving products can be found at
