Irish Water has said it will take up to three years to fully install water meters in homes.

This increases the expected water installation date late into 2015, an increase on the 2014 completion date indicated by Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan last April.

John Mullins - chief executive of Bord Gais Group, which is in charge of Irish Water - said: “It looks as if it’s going to take the best part of two-and-a-half to three years to fully install meters”.

The procurement notice for the water meters would go out to European tender next month, he told RTÉ Radio this morning.

“It is not just about physically about putting in the meters - we have to commission, we have to test, we have to integrate that with a billing system, it’s not as simple as just about putting in the physical meter,” he said.

Mr Mullins said the process would begin “in a number of weeks”.

On the introduction of a flat rate charge in 2014, before the metering is completed, he said the tariff would “depend on the Commission for Energy Regulation”

However, “if you look at the charges that are in place internationally, you could be looking at anything between €100 and €400, based on OECD numbers,” he said.