Families 'to fork out €42m for utilities'

The Labour Party yesterday published its critical analysis of the government's water and electricity rates, showing exactly, it said, by how much the bills would increase.

The document said the government seemed uneasy about declaring what the actual increases would be.

It insisted the new tariffs were equivalent to a surcharge of 194 per cent and an increase of between €3.30 and €6.75 per family per week.

As a result, families would be forking out a total of €42 million a year for water and electricity, so the government would be taking back the income tax reductions and increases in children's allowance it was giving.

Businesses, on the other hand, would have to fork out around €30 million more.

Labour said that, when the government came up with its final proposal, it failed to give the price of oil on which it had based its costing.