Water charges could increase significantly in the coming years as utility companies invest in improving ageing pipeline networks.
Open image viewer
Costly repairs will lead to an increase in water bills. File photo. Image: Tina Lundan / Yle
Water prices in Finland are too low, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and consumers can expect prices to rise in coming years.
The Water Services Act, which came into force at the start of this year, requires water utility companies to improve operational reliability and ensure the supply of good quality water.
The impact of this legislative requirement is expected to lead to costly repairs, which will be funded through higher water charges.
Comparison figures compiled by the Finnish Environment Institute show major regional differences in water and wastewater fees. For example, in the case of a single-family homeowner’s water and wastewater bill, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive annual bills can range from several hundred to more than a thousand euros.
Despite those differences, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry noted in a statement that water remains relatively cheap in Finland.
“Water fees must inevitably increase so that we can maintain the quality of water supply,” wrote the ministry’s negotiating official Reetta Kuronen in the press release.
Kuronen added that water is also affordable in Finland relative to average household income and cheaper than in many parts of Europe.
“One could even say that water is unsustainably cheap, because in many places the price of water has not included the investments that would need to be made,” Kuronen said.