The Cost Of Personal Hygiene

Share a bath, cut expenses

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has been out and about, trying to ensure people that they will indeed be able to afford the new water charges once the scheme is fully in effect. What each household pays will depend, of course, on the number in that household. The more people, the higher the annual rate. And if you have several teenaged children residing in your abode, well, start thinking of ways to cut things out of your budget or you'll be getting your water cut off for lack of payment.

Once you have to pay for something, you become more aware of how much you're using and that is exactly what the government wants people to do. Pay attention. Don't waste water. There isn't enough to go around if it's just running down the drain.

What is it going to set you back every year, just to keep yourself clean?

Perfume to mask body odor is far more dear than the price of a daily shower, according to Mr. Hogan's rough estimates. A good quality scent, not something nausea-inducing, would set you back far more than four hundred euro per annum.

Using Mr. Hogan's figures on a per-litre basis, it's been estimated that your daily shower will cost you twenty-five cent.

A shallow bath could cut that figure down to eighteen cent, and look at that, you're saving money already.

Use that same water for everyone in your household and there's no telling how low your water charges could be. The old nuns used to do just this very thing, back in the industrial schools when the inmates were dunked once a week. Everyone in the same tub, and hope you're lucky enough to be the first one in. Sure there were all sorts of skin diseases spread, but you've got your medical card to deal with that issue. We're only concerned with water rates here.

When your new meter is installed and you have to start paying for something that used to be free, you will have to adjust your thinking and start conserving. No more handing out drinks of water to everyone who claims to be thirsty. It's 0.2 cent per litre, plus extra for water to wash the glass. Or would it cost less to use disposable cups? How much is the bin charge and what's the displacement of the cup?