Gas Company to Take Over Irish Water Supply
Ireland’s gas company, Bord Gais, is set to take over the provision and supply of water in Ireland under a spin-off company, to be named Irish Water. Irish Water will eventually take over the tasks relating to water provision and supply that local authorities have been responsible for up until now. Irish Water will be an independent company, owned by the Irish State.
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of this change is that the Government, along with the gas company giant, will be rolling out domestic water metering across Ireland. As one can imagine, this is not going down particularly well with consumers, who, up until now, have not had to pay separate water charges.
Supporters of the gas company takeover of water services argue that the changes will be of benefit to customers and to the Irish economy. They argue that bringing these services together under the Bord Gais umbrella will make services such as billing easier and more efficient for all. The Bord Gais gas company have an excellent track record when it comes to customer service, and supporters believe that Irish Water will achieve the same high level of satisfaction.
Where many are concerned about the implementation of universal water metering, the Irish Government insist that metering is the fairest way to charge households for water, and that metering will be a good incentive for customers to be aware of, and reduce, their consumption – an important step towards a greener world. While many rightly believe that a flat rate for water would be cheaper for some, it provides no motivation to limit their water consumption to a reasonable level.
Additionally, the Government predict that some 2000 jobs per year will be created as a result of the universal metering programme.
Many are worried that this move is the first step towards privatising water supply in Ireland. However, consumers are being reassured that there is no intention to privatise water services, and that there is legislation in place to prevent that from happening.
Additionally, many believe that Bord Gais, as a gas company, should be focusing their efforts on the core of the company – the provision and supply of natural gas in Ireland. We have witnessed phenomenal growth in the company over the past few years, and many are worried that they are more concerned with growth and profit than with providing an excellent service to the consumer.
Gas Services LTD is an independent company that is focused entirely on boiler servicing and repair. They have permanent staff on their books, rather than subcontracted service engineers. This is far preferable in terms of quality control and accountability, which is why many customers choose Gas Services LTD over larger companies who, like Bord Gais, have their fingers in many different pies.