Region's renters paying top dollar for water

RENTERS in the North East are paying the highest price for water in the state due to a tariff structure with a bias on consumption over service charges. North East customers’ typical tenant bill was the highest in the state last financial year at around $526, with bills increasing by 15 per cent, according to a the latest Water Performance Report 2023-24. In regional Victoria, tenants’ typical bills increased by $43 (14.1pc) to $349 in 2023-24. The statewide annual typical bill for tenants increased by $30 (7pc), from $428 in 2022-23 to $458 last year. Higher average tenant bills are primarily linked to North East Water’s tariff structure, with about 55pc of an average customer's bill made up of volumetric water charge and 45pc made up of water and wastewater fixed charges. In Victoria, tenants only pay for their water usage (volumetric charges), meaning their bills are directly influenced by how much water they use. This differs from owner-occupiers, who pay both fixed charges and usage charges. For owner occupier households, consumers in the North East had the fourth cheapest bills in the state. In regional Victoria, the typical owner occupier bill increased by $93, from $1124 in 2022-23 to $1217 in 2023-24 but the typical bill in the North East was about $1000 per annum. This is correlated with a 7.8pc increase in annual household consumption in regional areas and a 7pc increase in inflation. Owner occupier water bills in regional Victoria were across the board higher than metro areas with the regional average up 8.3pc to $1217 compared to the metro average up 4.5pc to $986 per annum. Water authorities urge customers to adopt water-efficient practices to reduce their water use and in turn lower their bills. As part of North East Water's current price submission process, customers will have the opportunity to deliberate on the billing structure and its suitability for the next price period beginning in 2026. Across the state just under a quarter or 24pc of all residential customers were on a concession which assists low-income households with water and sewerage bills. Instalment plans are alternative payment arrangements offered by water businesses to provide flexibility for customers in managing their bill payments and may assist those experiencing payment difficulties.

Region's renters paying top dollar for water

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