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Water bill? Is this right?

Water bill? Is this right?

Old Jun 6th 2008, 2:06 am
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Default Water bill? Is this right?

Hello,

we have just got a water bill in and its $47 for a family of 6 (no pool).
Anyway this sounds really good. Its just average 4 bedroom house with garden.

But this is why I'm thinking what the h*ll! As we seam to have gone from one extreme to the other.
We moved at Christmas to a new town and so this bill sounds great. However we got a bill for the last house in January (different town). This was nearly $400 for the same period
We had the same people living in the house 6 of us, and again no pool.

So now hubby thinks we were ripped off with the $400 water bill when we moved. We just paid it as it we stupidly assumed this was normal bill.

Which bill sounds about right? Is $47 dollars too low?
Or is nearly $400 way too high for 4 bed house with no pool?
Both houses are almost identical and we are not doing anything different.

We pay our bills via education department should I contact them and query the previous high bill?

Gems
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Old Jun 6th 2008, 2:13 am
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Default Re: Water bill? Is this right?

What periods are the bills for? The new one might be for a short billing period - the previous one sounds normal.
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Old Jun 6th 2008, 2:20 am
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Default Re: Water bill? Is this right?

Is it a rental?

My understanding for our rental is that our water is included up to a certain amount (the amount I don't know and cannot find reference to). If we go over that amount, we have to pay the difference, but never have.

I wonder if your previous house had no water included, were as now you only pay the difference over a pre-set amount?
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Old Jun 6th 2008, 2:38 am
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Default Re: Water bill? Is this right?

Yes, its a rental. We get normal quarterly bills, but are from education department.

Both were for the same time,4months. But as we were new to OZ the big bill was our first full quarter so though everyone was paying nearly $400. It was just when we got this new quarter bill that we realised the last may be wrong.

Ive phoned Perth and they say I should appeal as the difference between the bills is huge. Perth thinks maybe the previous property had a leak or problem with retic etc something that we didnt realise.
Anyway they have advised me to complete a form to dispute last bill and explain houses are similar and usage is the same. Then they will decide if we can have some of the money back.

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Old Jun 6th 2008, 3:00 am
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Default Re: Water bill? Is this right?

Apparently too they dont read every quarter but make predictions on past usage and maybe read the meter only once a year so there may be an adjustment.

Both sound a tad extreme to me - and we have the most expensive water in Aus apparently. We recently had one of $323 but it turned out to be a dyslexic meter reader who misread a 2 as a 7 so we are waiting for an adjustment. I'd question the $400 one although that may be a bit late but say nothing about the other!!!
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Old Jun 6th 2008, 3:12 am
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Default Re: Water bill? Is this right?

Originally Posted by Gems
Hello,

we have just got a water bill in and its $47 for a family of 6 (no pool).
Anyway this sounds really good. Its just average 4 bedroom house with garden.

But this is why I'm thinking what the h*ll! As we seam to have gone from one extreme to the other.
We moved at Christmas to a new town and so this bill sounds great. However we got a bill for the last house in January (different town). This was nearly $400 for the same period
We had the same people living in the house 6 of us, and again no pool.

So now hubby thinks we were ripped off with the $400 water bill when we moved. We just paid it as it we stupidly assumed this was normal bill.

Which bill sounds about right? Is $47 dollars too low?
Or is nearly $400 way too high for 4 bed house with no pool?
Both houses are almost identical and we are not doing anything different.

We pay our bills via education department should I contact them and query the previous high bill?

Gems
Ours for the 6 months of summer was $239 but we do have retic, a pool, dishwasher. That is average for our suburb. Our winter 6 months bill is only about $60. There is an annual rates bill on top of that due soon but I forget how much. That might be covered if you have a rental.
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Old Jun 6th 2008, 3:19 am
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Default Re: Water bill? Is this right?

The only way of comparing like for like is of course by comparing the per unit charges. Mine are(For a four month period):

Water access charge $34.02
Water usage $66.96 for 54Kl
Sewage access charge $177.66
Sewage usage $nil - this charge now part of the access charge

Total $278.64

and, as I said on another thread, no pool, and the garden watering from a bore.
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Old Jun 6th 2008, 3:32 am
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Default Re: Water bill? Is this right?

We dont appear to get one - we must use less than is included in the rental amount!

Looks like I will be able to start taking a shower more than once a week.
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