Readers like you keep news free for everyone.
More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.
For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.
# Irish Water
How do our water charges compare with the rest of Europe?
Pretty well, actually.
YOU MAY HAVE heard some news yesterday about water charges.
But, with the news that single adult homes will pay €60 and homes with more adults paying €160, where does that put us in relation to the rest of Europe?
Because most of Europe operates on a metered basis, Ireland will have the cheapest water rates in the continent, at least for the next three years.
Based on the average price per cubic metre, Irish families will pay much less than our European counterparts.
Inclusive of taxes and allowances, English market analysts Global Water Intelligence (GWI) estimate that some European countries pay up to eight times what Irish families will pay.
GWI estimates that the average family of two adults and two children will use 180,000 litres of water a year when waste water and drinking water are factored in.
If these figures were held out, it would see only Bulgaria paying as little as Ireland, with Danes paying over eight times as much.
Officially, the cost of water in Ireland will be €3.70 per cubic metre, which will put us slightly above the UK before allowances are factored in.
Water charges in Ireland will also be the most affordable in Europe, accounting for just 0.5% of the average income.
Poll: Will you pay your water charges?
Read: How safe is the government after its water charges u-turn?
