Topic: Response to interview on 7September
Financial Hardship
-See Podcast below.
Unitywater understands that some customers may at times experience financial difficulties. We offer a range of payment plans and encourage customers experiencing financial difficulties to contact us as soon as possible – prior to the due date on the account - to make a mutually acceptable arrangement.
Those in genuine hardship are eligible for an interest free instalment plan under our Financial Hardship Policy.
If customers have ongoing long term difficulties in paying their account, we encourage them to seek free financial counselling via organisations such as Lifeline Financial First Aid on 1800 007 007.
Unitywater is aware of the account concerns of “Donna from Caboolture”, discussed on your program (7 September), and a member of our Customer Relations Team visited Donna in August to address her concerns.
For privacy reasons and out of courtesy for our customers, we cannot discuss a customer’s account with a third party. We encourage customers to contact us directly so we can liaise with them personally to address any issues.
Unitywater encourages customers experiencing genuine severe financial hardship to contact Customer Service on 1300 0 UNITY (1300 086 489), prior to the due date on the account.
Fixed Access Charges
Unitywater’s intention is to move towards a user pays pricing system and we were pursuing price reform that would have resulted in a reduction in the fixed water access charge for Unitywater’s residential customers in Moreton Bay in 2011/2012.
These planned reforms were deferred following recent changes to State Government legislation which capped distributor-retailers’ price rises at CPI (3.6%) and directed us to determine prices in 'council areas'. This means pricing was largely determined by the value of the water and sewerage assets in each council area.
Because more than $400 million has been invested in water and sewerage infrastructure in the Moreton Bay area since 2008, the value of assets in the Moreton Bay region is much higher than that of Sunshine Coast assets, even though customer numbers in the two areas are similar.
These planned reforms were deferred following recent changes to State Government legislation which capped distributor-retailers’ price rises at CPI (3.6%) and directed us to determine prices in 'council areas'. This means pricing was largely determined by the value of the water and sewerage assets in each council area.
Because more than $400 million has been invested in water and sewerage infrastructure in the Moreton Bay area since 2008, the value of assets in the Moreton Bay region is much higher than that of Sunshine Coast assets, even though customer numbers in the two areas are similar.
