From May to begin the new pricing policy

The new EYATH pricing policy has been approved by the Special Secretariat for Water, which provides for the first time reductions to 99.4% of households over the next two years. The new tariffs, which will take effect from the next four-month billing (May 2019), ensure the social nature of the water and the sustainability of the resource, along with the investments that Thessaloniki needs.

“EYATH is the first water supply and sewerage company in Greece to implement the relevant JMF 2017 (No. 135275), which is finally harmonizing our country with the European rules for the sustainability and improvement of the quality of our water resources.” notes the president and CEO of EYATH SA, Professor Yannis N. Krestenitis. “With our new pricing policy, we have sought, as an administration, to prevent the depletion of natural resources by ‘rewarding’ citizens and businesses that care about its viability. At the same time, we sought to ‘open up’ our social invoice based on solid social and income criteria by simplifying procedures and facilitating our consumers, ”he added. “It was time to look at the paper and strategically put the efficiency and the cyclicality of the water resource on paper. Social need dictates, but only social participation makes it possible. That is why our new pricing policy is a “call” to service users to pay attention to the amount of water they consume to ensure our aquatic future, ”concluded the EYATH president.

It is recalled that in home invoices, which make up about 68% of EHAT consumers, there is now a reduction in low and an increase in high consumption, in order to reinforce the rational use of water. Thus, consumers who spend up to 120 m.c. in a quadrimestre, 99.4% of the total, keeping their consumption constant, will see reductions in their bills. The same goes for business invoices, with 64% of low-consumption professionals benefiting, while for the vast majority of industries (83%) that spend up to 2,000 cubic feet, charges remain constant. The social invoice now incorporates the criteria for PPC or other electricity providers, and even without additional supporting documents, as the data are obtained directly from HIDA (Social Security Online Governance).

The new invoices will have an environmental charge levied on the Green Fund for the financing of water management projects. Sewerage fees, fixed charges and the Special Water Cycle Fees are maintained, while the new tariff ensures the cost recovery of water and sanitation services throughout its 5 – year implementation.

Finally, for the years 2021-2023 an increase of 2% is envisaged – excluding the first household scale with consumption of up to 10 cubic meters. This increase will enable the implementation of the company’s investment plan (extension of Thessaloniki Water Treatment Plant, maintenance of the Aravissos aqueduct, water supply and sewerage network improvement projects) and in any case is overrun by the 2019-2020 reductions.