First electricity, then gas, now water
SLOPPY SOLUTION: Warnbro mum Lucy Devenish saves on water bills by getting sons Jake, 2, and Dylan, 4, to share a bath. Picture: Daniel Wilkins. Source: PerthNow
WATER bills will rise by an average of almost $70 per household from January as a wave of utility price hikes continues to swamp West Australians.
Instead of the 8.5 per cent rise in water costs revealed by Finance Minister Christian Porter during Budget discussions, Water Corporation figures reveal the average family using 270kl a year will be hit with 22.7 per cent in extra costs from next year.
The increases mean the average family water bill will jump $67, on top of big jumps in electricity, gas and council rates.
Despite the increased water tariffs, WA's water prices which have risen 47 per cent over the past three Budgets are still the lowest in the country.
But Opposition water spokesman Fran Logan said residents had a right to feel duped.
Mr Logan said the Government tried to fool customers into believing that per-kilolitre price increases would be minimal by averaging them out over all of the Water Corporation's services.
"If you look at the figures ... the first 150kl of water we use will increase in January 2012 by 21 per cent and the next 151-500kl will go up by 24 per cent," he said.
He said Mr Porter "hoodwinked" West Australians by saying the full range of services including drainage, sewerage, fixed water charge and water use tariffs would increase by just 8.5 per cent in 2011/12.
Despite the price rises, the good news is WA will remain the cheapest state in 2011/12 at $363 for the average household water consumption of 270kl, with a $186.60 service charge.
But Mr Logan said WA may not remain the cheapest if the water price increases recommended by the Economic Regulation Authority which the Water Corporation website says were "broadly" used to set the prices for this Budget's increases were followed again.
It has recommended another 17.5 per cent rise by 2014.
Acting Water Minister John Day would not confirm the price hikes but said there were no plans to charge the same as other states.He said water prices reflected the cost of developing future supply sources.
"Higher consumption charges encourage customers to use less water and provides customers with greater control over the size of their water bill," he said.
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