Water bills were being compared to natural gas bills: Statement from İSKİ

In its statement, İSKİ said, "Comparing two different bills—where the costs of obtaining, treating, and distributing natural gas and water, the determination of unit prices, seasonal consumption, consumption volumes, and areas of use are completely different—is an exercise in futility."

"NOT AT THE SAME LEVEL"

The following statements were used in İSKİ's announcement:

"In recent days, some media outlets and social media accounts have been sharing water and natural gas bills received on the same date, claiming that the consumption amounts used in the bills are the same, and that the water bill is 5 times higher due to the price difference between the two bills.

As is known, natural gas services and the services of obtaining, treating, and distributing water are two separate sectors that are different from each other and cannot be compared. Due to the summer season, water consumption and natural gas consumption are not at the same level.

Natural gas consumption increases or decreases monthly according to seasonal variables. Natural gas consumption increases in the winter season, and consequently, there is an increase in the bills generated. Since natural gas consumption is low in the summer season, the bill decreases accordingly.

"COMPARISON IS AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY"

Comparing two different bills—where the costs of obtaining, treating, and distributing natural gas and water, the determination of unit prices, seasonal consumption, consumption volumes, and areas of use are completely different—is an exercise in futility.

In addition to the cost of obtaining, treating, and distributing water, water bills also include charges for the collection of wastewater, the collection, treatment, and discharge of urban wastewater, and services to protect the environment against the negative effects of wastewater discharge originating from certain industrial sectors.

Furthermore, it has been shared with the public by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources that natural gas bills are subsidized and supported by the state. Our Administration, which offers 3 cubic meters of free 'Humanitarian Water Right' to all residences in Istanbul every month, has made only a 36% adjustment to the 1st Tier water tariff used by 85% of our residential subscribers during the General Assembly held in May 2024, despite all cost increases. With the Humanitarian Water Right application, the cost of 1 cubic meter of water is reflected to our residential subscribers as 27.98 TL.

While the globally accepted affordability criterion for water bills is at the level of 3-5% of the total monthly household income, the affordability level for 85% of our subscribers in Istanbul who benefit from the 1st Tier residential rate is 2.47% relative to the minimum wage."

News Source: 12punto