Over the next four years, there will be a drastic increase in water and sewage fees. This is shown by a study conducted in the largest municipalities in the country. Water and sewage fees increase by an average of 60%. proc. – we read on the website of the Huseierne organization.
Over the next four years, there will be a drastic increase in water and sewage fees. This is shown by a study conducted in the largest municipalities in the country. Water and sewage fees increase by an average of 60%.
– This is no longer possible. Now local governments must intensify their actions and the state must step in. Households alone cannot bear the bill for many years of neglect and constantly new demands, says Secretary General Morten Andreas Meyer at Huseierne.
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Many Huseierne members are concerned about water and sewerage bills. Several people contacted us this spring regarding large increases last year.
To find out what it will be like continue to develop, analytical community Socio-economic analysis (SøA) commissioned by the homeowners' organization has mapped changes in municipal fees for water, sewage and garbage collection for the years 2024-2027. The 120 largest municipalities in the country were contacted. This represents 85 percent of the country's population.
Mapping shows:
- A sharp increase in municipal fees.
- Water fees in the years 2023-2027 will increase on average by as much as 60%.
- Sewage discharge fees will increase by an average of 57 percent between 2023 and 2027.
- Renovation fees will increase by an average of 20 percent over the same period.
- In total, this gives an increase in these municipal fees by 46 percent.
- The commune of Stord in Vestland will have the highest fees for water, sewage and garbage collection - over NOK 35 in 000.
- The municipality of Sula in Møre og Romsdal will have the second highest water, sewage and garbage collection fee of NOK 32 in 000.
Households under pressure due to council tax increases
Norwegian household finances are under serious pressure due to high interest rates, high electricity prices and increased municipal taxes.
Water and sewage fees are becoming a cost bomb
The water and wastewater sector has a huge backlog of maintenance and investment needs. Violently rising fees water and sewage bills are becoming a cost bomb for ordinary households, and the fees will increase in the future.
At the same time, the state earns large sums from the goods and services tax, which is 25 percent for these services. In 2023 alone, state revenues from VAT on water and sewage fees for households amounted to almost NOK 4,5 billion. Money that goes straight to the state treasury.
– At Huseierne we believe it is important to continue to tell politicians and authorities that the financial situation of many homeowners is serious. Fees will soon rise to levels that will put a heavy burden on homeowners, says general secretary Morten Andreas Meyer at Huseierne.
The fees become so high that the state has to contribute
– It is also necessary for municipalities to take action. There is high inefficiency and low levels of innovation in the water and sewage sector. This makes services much more expensive than necessary. Local authorities need to do something about it immediately, says Meyer.
The revised Wastewater Directive was adopted by the EU Parliament on April 11, 2024.
This means that new requirements will appear in the country. In many municipalities, sewage treatment plants must be rebuilt to meet new treatment requirements. The interest group Norsk Vann believes that at least 250 sewage treatment plants should be built along the coast. This will mean much higher fees in many places.
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Source: Huseierne organization, Photo: Wojtek Sobieski
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