Wannon Water commits to affordable pricing in 2017/18
03 July 2017
Wannon Water is committed to affordable pricing across its service region in 2017/18.
Customers in Hamilton system towns, as well as Casterton and Coleraine, will once again benefit from reduced water and sewerage prices for the fourth year in a row. Prices in the Warrnambool, Corangamite, Portland and Heywood districts will rise at less than the inflation rate.
The typical customer using 155 kilolitres a year will see the following changes:
• Hamilton home owner-occupiers will save up to $21 and residential tenants up to $16. A small business with a trade waste service can expect to save about $24 on their yearly bill.
• In Casteron or Coleraine, the savings will be up to $3 for home owner-occupiers or up to $8 for residential tenants.
• Warrnambool and Corangamite customers will see their quarterly bills rise by a maximum of $3 or 1.7 per cent. A small business with a trade waste service can expect their quarterly bills to rise by a maximum of $6 or 1.4%.
• In Portland and Heywood, the figure is a quarterly increase of $5 or 1.7% for residential customers and $7 or 1.7% for small businesses with a trade waste service.
Wannon Water will also be providing its residential water customers with a $70 Government Efficiency Rebate. The rebate has provided total savings of $280 to residential water customers for the past four years.
Managing Director Andrew Jeffers said affordable pricing is a high priority for Wannon Water and reflected in its corporate vision of going ‘beyond water for strong communities’.
“As an example of this, we are one of 30 organisations across Australia that has recently committed to supporting those in need by developing a Financial Inclusion Action Plan to address inequality and increase financial resilience in our community.”
In the 2015/16 financial year, Wannon Water financially supported more than 500 customers and provided allowances and rebates of more than $172,000 through programs such as its customer hardship program, flexible payment plans and financial assistance incentives.
“We are committed to minimising cost-of-living pressures and delivering long-term value for our customers by implementing business efficiencies without compromising service standards,” Mr Jeffers said.
“This will continue into the future with an enhanced focus on community and customer engagement for our next pricing cycle, which has to be approved by the Essential Services Commission.
“Over the past 12 months, we have been asking for feedback on our services, priorities and prices, with nearly 2,500 customers and stakeholders providing input.
“The information gathered is helping us to set our service standards, capital and operating expenditure and the required prices we need to charge customers for water and sewerage services for the five-year period from 2018-2023,” Mr Jeffers said.
