Stu Ward

We have just received our first water bill in our rented propertyand we have an excess water charge.

I've not seen the bill yet, missus just told me.

Do you know how much you have to use before you get charged, and how often do you get billed as we have been in the property for coming up to 5 months

Thanks

Stu

Letspretend....

Hi in QLD the first 250kl is part of the council rates, everything over that is billed directly to the property owner.

Generally landlords will pro rata the 250kl and bill you the excess. Worth checking with your local water company, there may be other factors, leaks topping up your pool etc etc,

Did you take an inital meter reading?

Kooky.

Our LL sends us a copy of the bill once a quarter; it's usually about $70. NSW, 2 of us in a small house.

Stu Ward

The bill was posted to us
Excess made out to us
Standard charges made out to our Landlord

Its around $28 for us
$160 for the landlord

So its no big deal, i was just wondering on the frequency and the amount you has to use before you hit the excess.

We use rainwater collection for watering the garden and washing the car.

Piped water is only for standard home use, cooking, cleaning, showers etc

Stu

Letspretend....

take a reading at begining of the week and then on the same day the week after. That will give you your weekly avergae. you can then estimate for the rest of the year.

Bills normally quarterly, though not 100% on that depends where you live I guess.

Geelong Gent

Any one with knowledge of Victoria?

We pay the whole bill as we have an account with water company (either yarra valley or south east water).

Property has auto drip feed which comes on at 2am either daily 40 mins or I think they now changed it to 2 or 3 times a week for 2 hours at a time.

My question is focused on should we have too incur the cost of this water consumption to keep the garden green and alive (or should we cut the feed let the plants die and face the wrath of the landlord?).

During the winter our household consumption was about 400 per day with the water drip on over spring it sprung up to 800 per day

ABCDiamond

Not in my part of Queensland.
Different councils do things differently, even in the same State.

Pollyana

Sounds like what we have here (Brisbane). Being only two of us we have never hit the level of having to pay, but then we have no pool or spa or anything.

SillyOldBag

.... and don't forget the critical factor - we're poms and don't therefore wash!!

Stu Ward

So to clarify

In NSW is it right that the landlord pays the service charges and the tenant pays the water usage, regardless of the amount ?

Seems from the bill that we have used 18KL total, it does not state that we have used 18KL over a capped level

Thanks

Stu

ABCDiamond

That's my thinking, as a Landlord with NSW property.

Our NSW Council rates bill does not include any water use, as the water is billed from a separate water company.

My last NSW water bill was:
Fixed Charges:
Water Service $18.92
Sewage Service $120.07
Usage Charge:
Water Consumtion $182.96 for 112kLs for 3 months

Total $321.95

I could only pass only the $182.96.

Gems

Watch your water bills.

On our first rental here, we were ripped off with huge bills. Stupidly thought thats what everyone was paying. It was only when I moved 6months later to almost identical size property that I realised the other house water bills were way off.

Ive recently got credit to my water account for the overcharge.

So my opinion check around before you pay if you think its excessive. Sometimes its a fault or from last tenant.

Gems

ABCDiamond

It is well worth checking the meter readings when you move in, and again after you get the first bill, and check the figures.

As a tenant, it is worth ringing the supplier with your own readings, and asking them to check them against their records, it also ensures that you are recorded as the tenant from the right date, and reading.

If you purchase a property, you should get a copy of the utility bills with readings, and a statement from the conveyancer with adjustments as at the time of changeover.