Residential waste collection costs remain stable in August

August 2020 data – The prices that waste collection firms charge for the collection of household waste remains largely unchanged from the previous month. This is the latest finding of the Price Monitoring Group which conducted its market analysis across several weeks in late-August.

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 August price validation process, firms were contacted both by phone and their websites were also consulted.

Pricing landscape for residential waste collection is complex

Similar to what has been identified in previous reports, a majority of residential waste collection firms offer multiple waste collection packages across the markets within which they are licensed to operate. However, a majority of firms have coalesced around a single one; Service Charge Including weight Allowance Plus Per KG Excess Charge Above Allowance.

In August, 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, this is the same number as was recorded in July. However, one firm exited a price plan (Service provider O) and one entered another (Service Provider J) resulting in no overall change in the total number of price plans verified. A full breakdown of all service offers is included in the data part of this report.

From a general customer service perspective, while there were no specific issues identified, some firms appear to have maintained a strong customer service approach compared to other firms. This resulted in an easier experience accessing price date over the phone or online.

July price variations are as follows:

• Service Provider A – Decreased both the waste and organic lift charges from €5.50 to €4 (Service charge plus charge per lift per bin)
• Service Provider C – Decreased the service charge from €15.00 to €11.00. An increase in the per KG charge from €0.21 to €0.33 was also noted. (Service charge plus per KG weight charge)
• Service Provider C – Increased the service charge from €10.50 to €13.50. (Service charge plus charge per lift per bin)
• Service Provider D – Decreased the service charge from €26.66 to €19.10 (Service charge (incl weight allowance) plus per kg charge for excess weight above allowance). It should be noted that this price change is largely an identical reversal of price changes the previous month.
• Service Provider F – Increased the annual service charge from €25.80 to €26.00 (Service Charge plus Weight Band Charge)
• Service Provider I – Decreased the waste lift charge from €13.50 to €13.00 (Service charge (incl weight allowance) plus per kg charge for excess weight above allowance)
• Service Provider K – Decreased the service charge from €26.67 to €26.14 (Service charge (incl weight allowance) plus per kg charge for excess weight above allowance)
• Service Provider O – Increased the waste lift charge from €9.05 to €9.35 (Service charge plus charge per lift per bin plus per KG excess charge)
• Service Provider U Decreased the service charge across all three offerings - €15.90 to €14.99, €18.90 to €17.99 and €25.90 to €23.99 (Service charge (incl weight allowance) plus per kg charge for excess weight above allowance)
• Service Provider X Increased the service charge from €21.50 to €21.99 (Service charge (incl weight allowance) plus per kg charge for excess weight above allowance)

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-three separate occasions: 13 September 2017, 11 October, 14 November, 12 December, 9 January 2018, 13 February, 13 March, 10 April, 14 May, 20 June, 17 July, August 14, September 11, October 16, November 14, December 11 2018, January 15 2019, February 12, March 14, April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, August 20, September 10, October 8, November 12, December 16 2019, January 22 2020, February 17, March 10, August 11 and September 8 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.