Press release
Price Monitoring Group - January market review reveals broad price stability
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
Limited price fluctuations with most decreasing
January 2019 data - The Price Monitoring Group actively monitors 26 service providers from across the country. This comprises 19 individual companies with some operating in more than one area.
In keeping with established protocols, all price tracking and validation is completed using a mystery-shopping approach.
The pricing landscape continues to be complex. To date, no single or uniform price arrangement across all of the service providers has emerged, although there is an unquestionable migration towards one pricing plan in particular; Service Charge including a Weight Allowance Plus Per KG Charge for Excess Above Allowance.
Complex Pricing Packages
Many waste collection companies offer multiple waste collection packages; this adds to the complexity of the residential waste collection market. The total number of waste collection packages available across all the markets of the monitored firms now stands at 50, this represents a decrease of one from the December market analysis (a full breakdown of all service offers is included with this report).
During the January mystery calling campaign, there was no change in the total number of pricing packages compared to December; the total number continues to stand at 8. Examples of price packages include: Service charge plus per kg weight charge; E-tag and other options (the full list of all pricing models is incorporated with this report under the data analysis).
Where prices did change
Across the 50 price plans, price movements were as follows:
Communication of price data
The provision of accurate and up-to-date price information is central to fair market analysis. This allows users to compare prices and factor in waste collection costs to household budgets. During the monthly market analysis, the Price Monitoring Group continued to experience certain challenges. For example, some waste collection companies are less than helpful or forthcoming on the provision of price information, especially in cases where information is sought by phone call. Unfortunately, in such instances, there exists an unequal balance in respect to price data in favour of the service provider, which can put the householder at a disadvantage when they seek information to compare the market.
Why information is anonymised
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.
Composition of the PMG
The group comprises representatives from:
To date, the Price Monitoring Group has met on eighteen separate occasions: 13th September, 11th October, 14th November, 12th December, 9th January 2018, 13th February, 13th of March, 10th April, 14th, May, 20th June, 17th July, August 14th, September 11th , October 16th, November 14th, December 11th 2018, January 15th 2019 and February 12th 2019.
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.