Irish Water’s short, but certainly colorful history takes a new twist today with the revelation that the utility will sometimes resort to asking customers what is the color of their front door, so the right bill can be delivered to them.
And they will also need to ask questions like which side of the road the house is on, and the colour of their gate.
These somewhat bizarre details emerged after a rural customer asked the company how they were sure the correct meter had been connected to their home. Irish Water responded by saying that they asked for the color of their home and door. Ironclad certainty, so.
An Irish Water confirmed that they will occasionally ask for such extra details because Ireland has 40% non-unique addresses, and this information can be used for customer service reasons too.
The spokesperson said that the details will allow Irish Water staff find properties.
He said Ā āObviously we want the correct metered bill to be sent to the correct customer. But equally, if a burst occurs or there is another service issue at a customers home we also need to know the exact location of that home to help us identify and solve the cause of the problem.
āLocal knowledge, specific descriptions of a house or entrance, and clear directions to a customers property help us to find that home without delay if a problem occurs.ā