Documents from the IMF have revealed that families could be forced to pay out an average of €370 a year when water charges are introduced next year.
The water bills are set to be introduced as part of the government’s plan to raise €500m by charging for domestic water.
The move is expected to affect 1.35 million homeowners, which would equate to an average monthly bill of more than €30 per household or €370 a year.
The IMF expects charging to commence early next year but this may be delayed until after the Local Elections.
Ireland is one of the few countries in the OECD who do not charge for water usage. Average bills in Europe range between €100 and €450 a year, with bills in the UK around €400 per household.
Each household is expected to be given a ‘free’ water allowance to cover basic needs such as sanitation with charges applying after that.
