Simon Coveney 'not happy' about Greyhound's opt-out pay-by-weight rule
Housing and Planning Minister Simon Coveney has said he is "not happy" that one waste collection company is telling customers that they must opt out of the pay-by-weight service.
Greyhound Waste has told customers they will automatically be transferred to the new system unless they notify the company of their preferred price plan by August 1.
Last week the Government came to an agreement with waste companies to freeze charges for 12 months and offer an opt-in to the pay-by-weight system by next January.
Simon Coveney said he would be speaking to Greyhound about this, adding: "I'm not happy about that.
"What Greyhound had been advocating for was for customers to be able to opt in to pay-by-weight, if that's what customers were looking for.
"I'm surprised Greyhound are effectively asking people to opt out of that switchover. That is not what was agreed and we'll be speaking to Greyhound in relation to that."
In a letter to customers dated June 27, Greyhound says householders have the option of remaining on their current price plan for 12 months from August 1, or paying by weight from the same date. Only customers who wish to remain on their current plan are obliged to contact the company.
The letter states: “If you wish to stay on the pay-by-weight plan communicated previously, you don’t need to do anything — our system will automatically transfer you to this plan on August 1.” Those who wish to stay with their existing plan must contact Greyhound.
The company, which collects refuse from 120,000 households in Dublin City and South Dublin, has a service charge of €59.95, set to increase to €169 a year under the pay-by-weight scheme, with fees of 35c per kg of black bin waste and 23c per kg of brown bin waste.
Greyhound said it agreed to a 12-month price freeze as per the recent agreement between the Government and waste industry and that, “following feedback” from customers, they now have a choice of staying with their existing plan, frozen for a year, or opting for pay by weight.
