▲ With the Incheon Metropolitan City Government deciding to freeze public utility rates for the first half of the year, it says will be cutting sewage charges, which had already gone up earlier in the year, for the next six months.)

Incheon is cutting sewage charges, which had gone up earlier in the year, by 10% for the next six months. Residents will see the discount offer applied to their sewage charges from March to August this year.

Previously, on February 17, the City announced its decision to “freeze” seven of its city-wide public utilities (city gas, regular taxis, buses, subways, water and sewage, and garbage bags), including sewage charges, for the first half of 2023. The decision was made to alleviate the pressure on each household as they were expected to struggle with increasing gas prices and other inflationary pressures.

However, prior to this decision to freeze public utility rates in the first half of this year, Incheon reached a separate agreement to adjust the standard unit price for sewage usage applied to different types of businesses in accordance with its plan to bring sewage fees to a viable level. Thus, the City decided to increase sewage rates by an average of 10% over a three-year span from 2021 to 2023. This meant that the rates for household sewage as of January 1, 2023 (based on meter readings on the inspection date), went from KRW 380 to KRW 410 per cubic meter.

Fortunately, the Incheon Metropolitan City Government says will be cutting sewage charges, which had already gone up earlier in the year, for the next six months to align its sewage policy with the freezing of other public utilities for the first half of 2023.

Since sewage bills for the month of January (payable in February) had already been sent out prior to the City’s decision, households will be eligible for a 10% discount on their sewage bills for the next six months from their sewage bill for the month of February (payable in March) to July (payable in August).