Water is essential, but that doesn’t mean it comes for free. And while it seems logical that increased water use leads to higher water bills, it might surprise you to learn just what you’re paying for every year.

Understanding your water bill will not only help you learn how to reduce costs, but it can also help you know more about protecting our finite natural resources. Here are the basics you need to know about the cost of water in Newcastle.

Water Cost Components

Newcastle residents receive water bills three times per year, each one covering four months’ worth of water usage. These bills have four components.

Water Usage

This covers the cost of the previous four months’ water usage. The average Newcastle household consumes approximately 172 kilolitres (kL) every year or about 57 kL each billing cycle. It’s important to note that the price of water usage can be affected by seasons of drought.

Water Service

This is a flat fee that does not change depending on water usage. The water service fee covers your next four months of water usage, which means that if you neglect to pay your water bill, you may find your water services shut off.

Sewer Service

The price of this component may vary depending on where you live (flats and apartments will pay less than single-family homes), though it is always a flat rate that pays for the upcoming four months of sewer service.

Environmental Improvements

As of July 2020, the price of environmental improvements has lowered drastically. This cost covers things like stormwater naturalisation projects and pays for recycling water to irrigate parks and gardens.

Average Water Costs

The average water cost for a Newcastle household will be approximately $1,115 per annum ($385 per bill) for a single-family home or around $1029 per annum ($343 per bill) for a flat or apartment.

This total is based on the following:

• The average water usage charge of $2.34 per kL, multiplied by the average water use of 172 kL per year = $403 per annum

• A base water service charge = $75.01 per annum

• A base sewer service charge = $635.85 per annum for single-family homes or $508.57 per annum for flats and apartments

• An environmental cost of $40.46 per year.

Tips to Reduce Your Water Bills

Conserving water not only benefits the environment, but it can also help decrease your water bill. Here are some tips to reduce water waste.

1. Use trigger nozzles, which have a more powerful and efficient flow to make your job faster and less wasteful.

2. Water the lawn when it’s cool, either before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

3. Hire a professional plumber to look for leaks or other problems that may be driving your cost of water up.

4. Find small ways to save, such as turning off the tap when you brush your teeth, taking shorter showers, or even investing in energy-efficient appliances. Sometimes, the smallest changes help the most.

Change Your Habits, Change Your Bills, Change the Planet

Understanding the components of your water bill can help you better understand how to save water — and when we all work to conserve our resources, everyone wins. Try out our easy tips today and watch how they help you save on your water bill.