How to read your water bill video transcript

[Background music]

[Voiceover]: Every 2 months, we send you a water bill for your water usage and service charges for the past billing period.

To help you understand your bill and what you’re being charged for, let’s go through each section in more detail.

At the top of your bill is a quick summary of your account.

It tells you what you’re being charged for;

How much you need to pay;

And when these charges are due to be paid.

Your account summary lists your total charges to date, including any concessions, payment arrangements, deferred service charges or other charges.

If something on your bill needs to be adjusted, we will send you a separate Advice of Adjustment notice.  
 
This could be due to a leak allowance, a refund, a concession on your account, or other changes to your property.

Your Advice of Adjustment will explain what’s changed, and your new, adjusted charges.

If you receive your water supply from us, your bill will include information about your water use.

This graph shows how many litres of water you’ve used each day on average, compared to your last bill and the same time last year.

In the ‘Water use pricing’ section, you’ll see that we have a tiered pricing system. The more water you use, the higher the price you pay per kilolitre of water.

Your total water use for your bill year is shown on this graph.

There are 6 billing periods in a bill year. Your bill year starts with the first meter reading of the reading cycle for your property, which can be any time from March to October, depending on where you live.

Your bill will tell you which water use pricing tier you are currently in, as well as when your bill year ends and when you will reset to Tier 1.

At the bottom of the front page of your bill, we may include an important notice about your water supply or account.

For example, we may notify you about a potential leak at your property, or include important information about your water quality.

On the back of your bill at the top is information about your meter reading.

Here, you’ll find your meter number; the meter reading from your previous bill; and your reading that was used to calculate your latest charges.

When we read your meter, we measure and bill your usage in kilolitres.

One kilolitre is equal to one thousand litres.

If we can’t read your meter due to an obstruction or other issue preventing us from reading it, we may estimate your water use based on your average use for the same period last year.

If your water use has been estimated, we will note this on your bill.

Your new charges are shown on the back of your bill.

Your water use charges are calculated by multiplying the amount of water you’ve used in kilolitres by your current tier’s pricing. Two tier prices may apply if you have moved up one tier during the billing period.

Your service charges, or ‘water rates’, are fixed annual charges for the services that are available to your property. They can include water, sewerage, and drainage depending on where you live.

Sewerage and drainage service charges are calculated based on your property’s Gross Rental Value, multiplied by the rate in the dollar we charge for each service in your area.

Even if your property isn’t connected to these services, you still need to pay for them, as we maintain the pipes and infrastructure that are available to you and your community.

These charges also go towards our work in securing our water sources and ensuring you have a clean and reliable water supply.

Because your annual service charges are divided across your bills for the year, the amount you pay on each bill will depend on the number of days in each billing period.

If you are a business customer, you will also have sewer volume charges, which are based on the water used and returned as wastewater to the sewer.

At the end of your bill, you’ll find a summary of your payment options.

Our contact details are also available on the right.

If you need more time or support to pay your bill, we’re here to help.

Our website explains the range of short and long-term support options we offer to make managing your payments easier.

You may also be eligible to apply for a concession on your water use and service charges. You can find information about this and apply on our website.

If you’d like to keep track of all your bills in one place, you can register for an online account, where you can easily view and download copies of your current and past bills. 

To register, go to watercorporation.com.au/register

Your bill can look different depending on the property you live in, your billing arrangement, and if you’re a business customer.

If you have questions about your bill, we’re here to help.

Get in touch with us or visit watercorporation.com.au/charges for more information.