Urban Utilities announces reduction in water charges for Ipswich, Scenic Rim, Somerset regions
While we will pay less for water after October 1, we will still be paying more than Brisbane residents
Ipswich
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IPSWICH residents are set to save on average about $30 on their water bill from October this year following an adjustment to Urban Utilities charges.
The water and sewerage authority says the price adjustments across southeast Queensland aimed to make water costs more consistent across the regions.
Ipswich will receive a 10.9 per cent reduction on the Urban Utilities component of the bill, which is separate to the bulk water charge which is controlled by the state government.
Costs will increase slightly in Brisbane and the Lockyer Valley, while also decreasing significantly in the Scenic Rim, where residents will pay about 9.6 per cent less from October this year.
The net result is that all regions apart from Brisbane will pay the same amount on the average water bill, $355.44 (based on average household usage of 150 kilolitres per year), after October 1.
Even after the significant decrease, Ipswich residents will still pay an average of about $6 more per quarter than their Brisbane counterparts after October 1.
Ipswich mum and real estate agent Bliss Grayson said she looked forward to seeing a drop in her water bill.
“As a family of four who’ve only recently built our home, we always want to keep our day to day bills down as much as we can,” Mrs Grayson said.
“We also try to save water where we can and try to teach the kids good habits.
“I was a property manager across different parts of the southeast for a long time as well so the fact prices are becoming more uniform is a great thing to see.”
Urban Utilities spokeswoman Michelle Cull said Ipswich residents had also had a freeze in the Urban Utilities component of their water bills for the past three years.
“This is part of several important changes we’re making to our prices and tariffs next financial year to make them more consistent across our service region and easier for customers to understand,” she said.
“Since we were formed, we’ve been making gradual changes to our prices and tariffs to be more consistent and this is a significant step to achieve that.”
The 2021/22 prices and tariffs come into effect on October 1, 2021.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding also welcomed the announcement, saying residents had been through tough times economically and were in need of financial relief.
“I am certain everyone will be pleased to see almost $30 a quarter coming off the average residential water and sewerage bill,” Cr Harding said.
“Urban Utilities has done a great job in helping our community cope as many other bills and charges increase every day, week and month.”
Cr Harding said that while attending Urban Utilities shareholder’s meetings in her first year in the role she had fought hard to bring about a better deal for the Ipswich community.
Ms Cull said Urban Utilities was also introducing a simpler, more efficient meter reading and billing schedule.
“By shortening the time between when a customer’s meter is read and their bill arrives, our new simpler bills will make it easier to track household water usage,” she said.
“It will also help customers detect concealed underground leaks earlier, to save water and avoid an unexpected bill if a leak goes undiscovered for long periods.”
Customers are encouraged to contact Urban Utilities if they have questions about the changes.
The full list of pricing can be viewed here.
Key Urban Utilities pricing changes
Ipswich
Current price: $384.71
October 1 price: $355.44
Brisbane
Current price: $345.84
October 1 price: $348.90
Scenic Rim
Current price: $380.69
October 1 price: $355.44
Lockyer Valley
Current price: $350.04
October 1 price: $355.44
Somerset (Esk area)
Current price: $363.75
October 1 price: $355.44
Originally published as Urban Utilities announces reduction in water charges for Ipswich, Scenic Rim, Somerset regions
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