Statement on tenant tariffs
13 December 2024
North East Water has traditionally had one of the lowest average residential water bills in Victoria for many years.
Our tariff structure was supported by our customers when we set our 8-year price plan in 2018.
Approximately 55% of a customer’s bill is for water usage and 45% for fixed and sewer charges.
This mix of water usage and service charges, encourages water conservation and provides customers with greater control over the size of their bill.
In Victoria, as tenants only pay for their water usage, their bills are directly influenced by how much water they use. This differs from owner-occupiers, who pay both fixed charges and usage charges.
In the north east, our hot dry climate means customers, including tenants, consume on average more water than those in most other Victorian water corporations.
These two factors combined, do mean that the average tenant bill for North East Water is higher than tenants living in other regions.
We encourage all customers to consider how they can save water and in doing so, have greater control over their bill each quarter.
We are currently engaging for our next price period that commences July 1 2026. As part of this, customers participating in our deliberative forum will provide advice to North East Water on what they consider the right mix between fixed and variable (water usage) charges should be going forward.
We understand the pressures of rising costs and encourage tenants to explore our water-saving tips and customer support program to help manage their bills.
For more information visit www.waterwise.tips and www.newater.com.au/help.