SHOCK, HORROR AS BILL GOES DOWN!
It’s not often we get to report this but a bill is going down for a change. Unfortunately it’s only for Sydney members at the moment.
NSW’s pricing regulator IPART announced that Sydney households will see their water bills slashed by about $100 each year.
The price is now significantly lower in Sydney than in Melbourne, which is bad news for our Victorian members.
A typical household consuming 220 kilolitre each year will see a $100 drop in its annual water bill, while a typical apartment consuming 160kL will notice an $83 reduction.
IPART chairman Dr Peter Boxall said "This final determination strikes a good balance between increasing Sydney Water's efficiency to enable savings to be passed on to customers, while maintaining the revenue required to meet its required service levels."
NSW Minister for Water Niall Blair said this is the first time households in Greater Sydney will experience a water bill reduction, adding “I am proud we have the world’s best drinking water and we are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver that quality while ensuring we can deliver lower water bills for Sydney families.”
Under Sydney Water's original proposal, a typical household would have seen a $70 reduction, and a typical apartment, a $55 drop, instead of the $100 in potential annual savings announced today.
The price is now significantly lower in Sydney than in Melbourne, where a household is charged $2.40 per kL for the first 440 litres.
The Melbourne water usage price then jumps to $2.82 per kL for usage above 440 litres per day, and $4.15 per kL for usage above 880 litres per day, according to City West Water's website.
Sydney Water has also been given the go-ahead to introduce a 'late payment' fee of more than $12 and a 'dishonoured or declined' fee of more than $4.
IPART said the new fees were reasonable, simple to understand, and below that charged by other service providers.
"Customers who impose additional costs should pay for them, rather than all customers (including vulnerable customers) bearing additional costs."
In the event the Sydney Desalination Plant is required to operate, IPART has also decided to include an explicit amount in the water usage charge to reflect the additional costs of water in times of low dam levels.
Also from July 1, large non-residential customers will be able to negotiate prices with Sydney Water for the first time.
