Residential waste collection charges stable in July

July 2020 data – There has been little change in the prices waste collection firms are charging for the collection of residential waste. This is the latest finding of the Price Monitoring Group which conducted its market analysis across several weeks in late July.

The format for verifying price data in July was unchanged from that used in previous series. The data is based on analysis conducted across a selection of licensed residential waste collection firms. This comprises 19 individual companies, with some firms operating in more than one area. In total, 26 markets are monitored.

During the July mystery-shopping campaign, firms were contacted both by phone call and their websites were also checked.

Pricing landscape for residential waste collection is complex. As with previous months, a majority of residential waste collection firms offer multiple waste collection packages although many have now coalesced around a single one; Service Charge including weight allowance plus per KG excess charge above allowance.

In July, there was no change in the total number of price packages which still stands at 8. Examples of price packages include: Service charge plus per kg weight charge; E-tag and other options. The total number of waste collection price packages across all of the monitored firms is 48, a decrease of one from February (there was no price monitoring activity in March, April, May or June). A full breakdown of all service offers is included in the data part of this report.

July price variations are as follows:

• Service Provider A – Increased the service charge from €10.50 to €11.00. (Service charge plus per KG weight charge)
• Service Provider B – Decreased the service charge from €12.50 to €11.00. (Service charge plus per KG weight charge). This is a reversal of price adjustments recorded in February
• Service Provider D – Increased the service charge from €19.08 to €26.66. (Service charge (incl weight allowance) plus per kg charge for excess weight above allowance)
• Service Provider D – Increased the service charge from €12 to €17 (Service Charge plus Per KG Weight Charge)
• Service Provider F – Increased the annual service charge from €24.13 to €26.80 (Service Charge plus Weight Band Charge). In the case of this provider, its prices rise and fall every month and this price maintains it within an average charge band
• Service Provider J – Decreased the service charge from €18.50 to €16.50 (Service charge (incl weight allowance) plus per kg charge for excess weight above allowance)
• Service Provider M – Introduced a compost charge of €2 (e-tag)

The purpose of the Price Monitoring Group is to establish and track whether the prices householders pay for the collection of household waste fluctuates and if so, by how much. It does this by using a mystery-shopping approach to a proportion of licensed waste collection firms. However, since price monitoring is not carried out on a whole-of-market basis, it is not in a position to publish names of those firms that are actively monitored.

The group comprises representatives from:

• Waste Policy & Resource Efficiency Division
• An economist from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
• A statistician from the Central Statistics Office
• Shelfwatch – an independent price monitoring group
• Frank Conway, (MoneyWhizz) – independent consumer expert

To date, the Price Monitoring Group has met on thirty-two separate occasions: 13 September 2017, 11 October, 14 November, 12 December, 9 January 2018, 13 February, 13 of March, 10 April, 14 May, 20 June, 17 July, 14 August, 11 September, 16 October, 14 November, 11 December 2018, 15 January 2019, 12 February, 14 March, 9 April, 14 May, 11 June, 9 July, 20 August, 10 September, 8 October, 12 November, 16 December 2019, 22 January 2020, 17 February, 10 March and 11 August 2020 (there was a 4-month break in price monitoring as a result of the outbreak of Covid-19).

ENDS

Submissions to: pricemonitoringgroup@dccae.gov.ie

Please note this email has been put in place to facilitate the submission of relevant price information to the Group. The Group will consider all submission that can help inform it in respect to prices residential users pay for the collection of residential waste. Unfortunately, the Group is not in a position to respond to individual submissions at this time.