Business charges

Following a public consultation the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has published a decision on updated non-domestic tariffs. A new set of national water and wastewater business charges will come into effect on 1st October 2024.

Charges are being updated because the tariffs approved under the CRU’s 2019 decision on the Non-Domestic Tariff Framework (the Framework) expire on 30th September 2024.

The Framework was established in 2019 and created a national set of harmonised charging arrangements for the supply of water to a non-domestic premises and for removing wastewater from their premises. The new harmonised non-domestic water and wastewater tariffs were introduced and applied to customers’ bills on 1st October 2021. The new tariffs were fixed for 3 years to provide price certainty and stability to customers and allowed customers to gradually transition from their old tariff rates to the new enduring tariff rates. The 3-year transition period expires on 30th September 2024.

Following public consultation, the CRU has decided on new water and wastewater tariffs to apply from 1st October 2024 until 30th September 2025.

What are the key changes?

For clarity, the CRU’s decision provides for the following changes:

• new non-domestic water and wastewater tariffs to apply to Uisce Éireann’s non- domestic customers on 1st October 2024; and
• new national harmonised trade effluent charging arrangements to apply to Uisce Éireann’s trade effluent customers on 1st October 2026.

The following CRU decisions on updates to the Framework have allowed Uisce Éireann to generate new water and wastewater tariff rates and also new trade effluent charging arrangements.

• Updated revenue and customer data: Uisce Éireann has updated tariff rates to reflect 2024 allowable revenue, as determined by Revenue Control 3; existing tariffs reflect Uisce Éireann’s allowed revenue amount for 2019. Uisce Éireann has also updated the tariff rates to reflect 2021 customer data. The existing tariffs were generated using 2017 data.
• Introduce a 5th water customer class: The CRU’s decision introduces a fifth water customer class 'Tariff Band’ for water users that consume a volume of water equal to or greater than 2,300,000m3 per annum.
• Bill capping arrangements for 1st October 2024: The CRU’s decision provides for a new bill capping arrangement applicable from 1st October 2024 replacing the three year transition which expires on 30th September 2024. From 1st October 2024 if a customer is facing an annual bill increase of €750 or more, a 75% cap (if required) will automatically apply to the increase in the annual bill.
• Introduce new national harmonised charging arrangements for trade effluent customers: The CRU’s decision provides for the integration of harmonised national trade effluent charging arrangements into the Framework. Trade effluent tariffs will not come into effect until 1st October 2026. This is to provide customers with sufficient time to plan for the change and to enable Uisce Éireann make the necessary system and operational change to implement national trade effluent charging arrangements. As part of a future consultation, new trade effluent tariffs will be set and will apply from 1st October 2026. Uisce Éireann will maintain the existing Local Authority (LA) trade effluent charging arrangements until this date.

For further information visit the CRU's website:

• Non-Domestic and Trade Effluent charging framework decision consultation 2024

Who will be affected by the new charges?

The new water and wastewater tariffs effective from 1st October 2024 will apply to both business customers and mixed-use customers who use water services for both business and domestic purposes including public Group Water Schemes. Please visit for more information on group water schemes.

New trade effluent charges will not come into effect until 1st October 2026 and a further consultation will be required in advance of this date to set trade effluent tariff levels.

A fair charging Framework

Uisce Éireann welcomes the CRU’s 2024 decision which continues to set out a national set of water and wastewater charges that will be transparent, cost reflective, and equitable for all businesses countrywide. The Framework delivers:

• An equitable set of charges which ensures that customers using the same volume of water are charged the same;
• Charges which reflect the actual costs of providing water services to the business sector; and
• Charges that promote conservation by maintaining a relatively low fixed standing charges. This also provides more scope for customers to reduce their water and wastewater bills.

For further information on the new water and wastewater charges please see links and table below

• Download our Customer Information Paper which summarises the CRU’s decision, considers overall customer impact and includes case study examples of the new charges (see section 5).
• Download the Water Charges Plan which outlines the manner and method by which Uisce Éireann charges its customers

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.