Home in Place has recently updated its water usage charges policy.

Under the new policy tenants pay either a percentage water charge or an actual water charge. Home in Place determines this according to whether:

• the property where the tenant lives has a separate or a shared water meter, and
• the local water authority provides Home in Place with sufficient usage information to determine the tenant’s water usage.

The “sufficient usage information” required by Home in Place is a separate assessment notice for an individual property. Where usage information for multiple properties is provided on a single assessment notice by the local water authority, a percentage water charge will be applied.

What is a ‘percentage water charge’ and how is it calculated?

A percentage water charge is calculated at 5% of a tenant’s rent, capped at a maximum of $7.50 per week.

For Example –

1. A single person on a single Aged Pension is paying $201.80 per week for rent. To calculate the percentage water usage charge –

$201.80 x 0.05 = $10.09 per week

Because this is more than the capped price, the weekly charge will be reduced to $7.50 per week.

2. A single person receiving Youth Allowance is paying $70.14 per week for rent. To calculate the percentage water usage charge –

$70.14 x 0.05 = $3.51 per week 

The applicable percentage and the price cap are reviewed annually.

Why have we made this change?

The change brings Home in Place’s water charging policy in line with the NSW Government’s Water Usage Charges Policy for social housing, and the NSW Guidelines for Community Housing Water Charging.

Will anything change for tenants in properties with separate water meters?

No. Tenants in separately metered properties where a separate water bill is issued by the water authority will continue to be invoiced for their usage in the same manner as before.

What about properties where meter reads were previously performed by Home in Place?

Some older properties have sub-flow meters installed which are not read by the water supply authority. A recent change to the Residential Tenancies Act means that for a property to be deemed “separately metered” a separate bill must be issued by the water supplier. According to the NSW Guidelines, properties with meters that do not generate an individual reading by the water authority should be treated as shared meter dwellings. For this reason, tenants who previously had meters read by Home in Place staff will be moved to the percentage water charge.

Does moving to a percentage charge mean a tenant will pay more for water usage?

Not necessarily.  Each quarter when Home in Place receives a bill from the water authority, we will complete a reconciliation to ensure the amount charged to tenants does not exceed the bill received from the water authority. Credits will be applied where any overpayment has occurred. Credits can be used to pay future water usage charges or refunded to you.

What about water used in common areas?

Common area water usage is not passed on to tenants. A sum equivalent to 5% of the total water bill for the complex will be deducted from the amount charged to tenants.

For example, if there are 39 units in a complex, and the water bill is $1,540.75 for the quarter.

Common Area – $1,540.75 x 0.05 = $77.04

Remaining Bill – $1,540.75 – $77.04 = $1,463.71

I have a medical condition or disability, what considerations can Home in Place make for my circumstances?

Home in Place will consider allowances to tenants in circumstances where a member of the household has a medical condition or disability that requires the use of more water than usual.