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There's often a simple explanation, our checklist can help you find out why your bill is higher

1. Check the billing period

We read your water meter quarterly (i.e. every three months or about 90 days). The number of days between meter reads can differ due to the fact that we may not be able to read your meter on exactly the same dates in each quarter.

This can be due to various reasons, including bad weather, locked gates or a dog on your property. This means that the number of days you are charged for your water and sewerage services can vary (usually between 85-95 days), affecting the amount of your bill.

You can check the number of days you have been charged for by looking at the top right of your bill, under the 'Billing period' heading. Take a look to see if the number of days is different to previous bills, as this may explain the change in your bill amount.

Find out more about your bill

2. Check your water usage

The amount of water you use will affect your bill amount. You can check the average number of litres you’ve used during this billing period by checking your average daily usage graph on the front page of your bill.

When comparing your average daily usage to previous bills, it's best to compare it to the same time last year (e.g. compare a summer period with summer last year), as your water use may vary depending on the time of year.

Find out why your usage may be higher

Watch: how to read your meter

3. Check your meter

If you’ve checked steps 1 and 2, and you’re still not sure why your bill is higher, then we recommend checking your water meter. On rare occasions your water meter reading may have been recorded wrongly by the meter reader.

Check to see if the black and white numbers on your water meter are higher than the 'current reading' on your most recent bill. If the meter reading on your bill looks like it could be a mistake or you're not sure, please contact us.

If you don't know how to read your meter, please watch our short video to the left.

Plus, you can check out our meter reading FAQs to find out more.

4. Check for a leak

On occasions, an increase in your bill could be due to a water leak.

Leaks that are hidden in underground pipes or in faulty plumbing and fixtures (such as leaking toilets) can go undetected for a long time. Some leaks waste more than 2000 litres of water a day!

That’s why we recommend reading your meter and checking for leaks regularly.

Watch our 'checking for leaks' video

You can also use our handy online tool 'My Usage Tracker' available in My Account to help you detect leaks earlier. 

Managing leaks on a property is the owner’s responsibility but we can assist with our easy step-by-step guide to checking for leaks.

Follow our guide to check for leaks

My Usage Tracker

This handy online tool calculates your daily water usage, compares it to previous bills and helps you see usage spikes which could indicate a hidden leak.

To use My Usage Tracker:

  1. take a reading from your water meter (here's a video showing you how)

  2. write the reading down - black numbers (kilolitres) only

  3. log in or register for My Account

  4. go to the 'My Usage' page

  5. enter your meter reading

Please note: My Usage Tracker is available for properties with one water meter.

 

Go to My Usage Tracker in My Account

Why is your bill higher than your neighbour's?

There are a few things that could make your bill higher than your friend’s or neighbour’s:

  • they may receive the Pensioner Water Subsidy

  • they may have a regular payment arrangement, such as direct debit or Smoothpay, which means they make payments in advance so their bill is in credit.

  • they use less water than you because you may have more people living or visiting at your house, or you have a pool, larger garden, boat or irrigation system.

See other reasons your water usage may be higher
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