Households could be given more time to pay their first water bills when they arrive next year.

The energy regulator says bills will be delayed if Irish Water is granted an extension to the registration period.

The utility wants to extend registrations until the end of November - which would then mean a delay in bills being issued.

The regulator said customers would still have around two weeks to pay a bill after it arrives at home.

Paul McGowan told a Dáil committee says a decision on whether to delay the first bills will be made in the coming days.

"We hope to make a decision on that this week," he told the Environment committee.

"In the event that a decision was taken to extend the validation period, that would have a knock-on effect in terms of when the first bills would issue.

"In fact, it would probably mean that bills wouldn't begin to issue until the end of January."