Barwon Water a leader in supporting customers experiencing payment difficulties

Barwon Water issued more hardship grants to customers experiencing payment difficulties than any other water business in the state during 2019-20, a new report shows.

BARWON Water issued more hardship grants to customers experiencing payment difficulties than any other water business in the state during 2019-20, a new report shows.

Data released by Essential Services Commission shows the local provider recorded the highest rate of hardship grants with 1.57 grants per 100 customers, followed closely by Yarra Valley Water with 1.56 per 100 customers.

The average value of the grants given by Barwon Water also increased from $75 in 2018-19 to $186 in 2019-20.

An additional 698 grants were also approved to Barwon Water’s residential customers as part of a State Government funded utility grant scheme, with an average value of $481 each.

The ESC’s annual water report, which covers 16 Victorian water businesses, shows that the demand for grants skyrocketed in the last financial year, as did their value.

The commission’s pricing director Marcus Crudden says appropriate action was taken to ensure customers who had difficulty paying bills were supported through a challenging year.

“Water businesses increased access to financial support, and paused debt recovery action, meaning fewer customers faced supply restrictions or legal action for an overdue bill,” he said.

The report also shows Victorians used less water on average this year, and bills remained steady overall.

Due to the lower average water use, household water bills were generally slightly lower than 2019.

The typical bill in regional Victoria decreased by $24 to $1118, though metropolitan bills rose by $3 to $1,003 with the reduction in usage offset by inflation.

In total, 1243 customers received hardship grants across the state to help pay their water bills in 2019-20.

Barwon Water also has cemented itself as one of the highest rated businesses, placing either first, second or third for its 2020 average score across areas of customer satisfaction.

Barwon Water services 165,804 customers, stretching from Little River and the Bellarine to Colac, and from Meredith and Cressy to Apollo Bay.

The City of Greater Geelong, Borough of Queenscliffe, Surf Coast and Colac Otway shires and part of Golden Plains Shire are incorporated into Barwon Water’s service area.

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Originally published as Barwon Water a leader in supporting customers experiencing payment difficulties