Roundwood businesses in stand-off with Irish Water over bills
BUSINESSES IN ROUNDWOOD RECEIVED HUGE WATER BILLS
A NUMBER of businesses in Roundwood are locked in a dispute with Irish Water over excessive bill charges.
Keith Grant Master Butchers and The Green Room Flowers and Gifts are refusing to pay individual quarterly bills issued to both business a year and a half ago which far surpass previous and subsequent bills. Keith Grant Master Butchers were billed for €2,000, while The Green Room Flowers and Gifts owned by Ciara Quigley received a bill for €1,505.
The two businesses argued that there must have been some sort of ‘ leak’ taking place at the time the charges were issued, as none of the other quarterly Irish Water bills they have received since have exceeded €15.
Keith Grant Master Butchers received a major shock 18 months ago when he opened up his first bill from Irish Water after setting up his master butcher business in Roundwood.
Aishling Barrett, Keith’s partner, said ‘We felt a bill for
€2,000 seemed extremely high so we asked our landlord what sort of bills were the former tenants getting from Irish Water. Their bills averaged around €15 each month. They were also a butcher so we are talking like for like. We queried the bill and told Irish Water we can’t pay a bill that high. They asked us to send in a metre reading but we aren’t sure where the water metre is and we can’t access it anyway. An Irish Water engineer came out and said maybe there is a leak, but that’s all we have heard. We talked to other traders and they experienced the same thing. Their bill just rocketed all of a sudden and no on seems to know what caused it, including Irish Water.’
Aishling maintains that she has tried to engage with Irish
Water but they refuse to budge over the €2,000 bill, despite issuing subsequent bills that are only a fraction of that figure.
‘We are refusing to pay the bill for €2,000 and have received other quarterly bills since then and none of them have been above €15. Irish Water still expect us to pay even though it is quite clear that something is wrong. We got a plumber into check things and they found nothing. We also fitted new pipes internally just to make sure. This has been hanging over our heads for far too long now.’
At the same time Keith was issued with such a large bill, Ciara Quigley of The Green Room Flowers and Gifts also received a huge bill.
‘My first reaction, after I stopped crying, was there must be a leak. I got onto my landlord but we couldn’t find anything. Then I was issued with a warning letter from a solicitor representing Irish Water, which scared the life out of me. I contacted them and explained that something had to be really wrong for me to be charged €1,505, when previous Irish Water bills were usually between €14 and €19. I have been on to Irish Water since and they said they will get back to me but I have heard nothing.’
At the time Ciara thought she was the only business owner from Roundwood in dispute over huge Irish Water bills, until she recently found out that Keith and other business owners in the area had suffered similar problems, all dating back to a year and a half ago.
‘I have had other bills issued by Irish Water since then and they are for around €15 each quarter. Unfortunately, you can’t pay individual bills with Irish Water so it is all building up. I have no issue in paying the smaller bills but not the one for over €1,500.’
A spokesperson for Irish Water said the situation will be investigated and if it turns out to be leak problem, there is a leak allowance policy that will be enacted.
This has occurred in other locations where business owners were not charged for water they did not use.