$1300 water bill!!!! What to do?? SOS

prabh on 06/03/2014 - 18:24
Last edited 06/03/2014 - 21:19

Hi all,

Long story short:

  • Received a water bill of 1300$ from the water company today.
  • Bill is from November 2012 till date. We didn't realize (or wishful thinking may be) that we were not receiving any water bills.
  • Little google research has been disapointing, as the department of Human Services only offers Utility Relief Grant to people who have a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or a DVA Gold Card - we have none of those..

I am the sole bread winner of the household with a baby and a wife to support. A bill this big is a huge blow to my finances… looking for advice please guys!

What can i do to:
* Effectively manage the bill amount?
* Any more assistance schemes I am unaware of? Must mention (need to do this as I am being misunderstood by some fellow OzB'ers), I am not a dole payment client, have never and will try my best to never be on any centrelink payments etc.

Thanks in advance for your time!

General Discussion

Comments

  • mini2 on 06/03/2014 - 18:31
    +14

    Sort out a payment plan with them.

    • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 18:43

      Thanks for your reply mini2. Yeah would call them tomorrow.

      Hope they can split the payments to a small chunk every month. May sound ridiculous, but I am talking 100 dollars a month..

      You reckon I have the right to blame the company for not sending bills and may be ask for credit on those grounds?

      • lisss on 06/03/2014 - 19:00
        +6

        They will allow you a payment plan, I think they're obligated to do that if you are suffering financial hardship or will if you had to pay the bill in one go. Take some responsibility though, they didn't send bills but surely you knew you weren't receiving and paying for them?? I wonder what's up when my electricity bill is only a week late, and log in online to check…

      • nephilim on 06/03/2014 - 20:27

        My last housemate owed a power company like 2000 dollars despite myself always paying my % every 3 months we got bills, was insane how he wasn't paying his share. They are pretty allowing of debt.

        • summit on 08/03/2014 - 11:11
          +2

          I was pretty lucky a few years back. I was living in a share house and we didn't get a power bill for 9 months so we called them up. Apparently the guy whose name the power was under (who had moved out of our place) transferred it to his new place and somehow they had no record of us, but didn't get disconnected, so we got 9 months for nothing

        • ankor on 08/03/2014 - 15:47

          This happens all the time. Their systems are useless.

        • NosDan on 10/03/2014 - 14:52

          so we got 9 months for nothing

          ditto but 24 months here :)
          i was pretty ecstatic at the time.

          @op

          Take some responsibility though, they didn't send bills but surely you knew you weren't receiving and paying for them??

          yup that. afaik its your responsibility to know you have responsibility's. tho the water company will let you break it down into smaller manageable payments you will still have to pay it all. should all be fairly painless in the end

      • [Deactivated] on 06/03/2014 - 21:39
        +7

        Make sure that you've done your numbers before you ring up - so that you know what you'd realistically be able to pay and what you legitimately couldn't manage. If I were in your position I'd work out what I could afford each month then subtract $20 or so and offer to pay that amount. Gives you a buffer and lets you stick the $20 a month aside for other unexpected bills or to pay a lump sum at a later date and get this big bill off your back.

        Just don't offer to pay an amount you aren't going to be able to manage if you have a bad month - because missing a payment on a payment plan isn't going to reflect well on you. There's a new credit system coming in where late payments or missed payments is going to start counting against you, so you want to have breathing room.

        Remember too that you'll have regular water bills to pay as well as this backdated one this year, when working out your budget.

        • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 22:50

          Thanks YTW. Appreciate your insight. I would take care before committing to a monthly payment

        • NosDan on 10/03/2014 - 14:55
          +1

          because missing a payment on a payment plan isn't going to reflect well on you.

          if this is going to happen (usually you will know ifyour going to come up short one payment etc before its overdue) call them as soon as you realise your going to be short a payment. most of the time, specially if you have been paying on time etc, if you let them know whats going on tehy will be happy to put off one payment as long as its not something that happens all the time.

          tl;dr communicate with them and they will usually be cool

  • qwerty on 06/03/2014 - 18:50
    +2

    I think there's something that stops bills older than 12 months like electricity /gas

    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2209452

    you may save a couple months

    Call the ombudsman

    • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 21:10

      Thanks qwerty, yes may contact the ombudsman

      • halfnhalf71 on 07/03/2014 - 09:45
        +2

        If you don't try and sort it out with the water company first the Ombudsman will send you away to talk with them first. It's only after you have tried and had your issue escalated that they will help.
        They can't charge you for bills not provided that are over 12 months old. Or more precisely the usage charge can't go beyond 12 months which will most likely mean your bill will be about 9 months old.
        They will help you with a payment plan. If you tell them you are in financial hardship they have several programs that can help you out, it'll just come down to the discussion you have with them because they would rather get some money than have you default, go to a collection agency and pay them a a fee and if they can't sort it out, it comes back to them and they may never recover it.
        As an FYI, the water companies don't have to bill quarterly, they are only obliged to bill once a year.

  • pork chop on 06/03/2014 - 18:57
    +14

    Have you ever wonder why every household is paying their water bill and you don't for the past 12 months..?? C'mon mate, you knew about it and you were probably hoping that it's a free ride so PAY UP!!

    • mini2 on 06/03/2014 - 19:24
      +3

      +1 and in addition to Stevo, well if $1300 blows your budget apart, have you got any spare dosh sitting around just in case something else blows up? Guess not.

      • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 20:32
        +3

        Hey mini2,

        Yeah i so wish I had the money. Unfortunately, there are people like me struggling too badly.

        • arcticmonkey on 09/03/2014 - 22:06

          And thanks to Tony Abbott, you've lost some child support payments too.

          Don't expect a helping hand with Abbott in office. He lets his rich mates get off with tax avoidance and boards his luxury tax payer flights while taking the little support hard working families can get.

    • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 20:28
      +10

      Hey Stevo,

      Thanks for your insight mate, but I would appreciate if you don't judge me like that :)

      I have already said in the original post that it was wishful thinking (and I know I should have saved money aside for it.)

      Year 2013 had been one of the worst ones for me and a few missing bills were only helping a bit. I never said I don't want to pay for it, neither was I seeking advice to get away with it.

      So relax and please don't hate me so much :)

      And yeah, I don't believe in freebies mate, I have common sense..

        • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 21:01
          +14

          Please read my post mate, I did the research only AFTER i got the bills..

          This is a public forum so i won't delve deep into it, but given the financial hardship I have recently faced, I am proud to have never got a single cent of aid from centrelink etc. So please, as I said don't jump the gun and try and answer my request for advice, instead of passing judgements.

          P.S. I don't think it's polite of you to even mention the word "bankrupt" here. Take it easy mate. Have some empathy.

        • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 21:45
          +2

          Yeah to combat unsolicited ninjas trying kung-fu in vain.. wink wink. Peace and No thanks

  • boonanza on 06/03/2014 - 19:47

    About 15 years ago the gas meter at our place we were living in the gauge stopped working and we didn't receive a bill for the last 3 years we were there.

  • scrimshaw on 06/03/2014 - 20:25
    +6

    This is way you have rainy day funds. Time for YNAB!

    • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 20:40
      +2

      Thanks mate, this is helpful

    • Untameable on 08/03/2014 - 02:08

      I also thoroughly support YNAB.

  • BuyoTheCat on 06/03/2014 - 20:47
    +5

    I dig a bit of digging (google search) and it seems that backdating for water can go back indefinately, but power and gas only for 9-12 months.

    Definitely check with the ombudsman.

    I had a case with a power company where I billed for the wrong meter for over 18 months. I was given a refund but they will also only refund for 9 months.

    Your water company will arrange some kind of payment plan for you. Hope the money isnt going to come out of the budget for diapers. Good luck buddy.

    • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 21:06
      +1

      Thanks mate. Appreciate your effort there..

  • Cheeper on 06/03/2014 - 22:42
    +2

    I would at least query why you were not billed for so long?
    Did you change the account over to your name when you occupied the property?
    If no, then that may be why the big bill now?
    If the late billing was nothing to do with anything wrong on your part then it might be worth trying for a discount because of their negligence?

    • prabh on 06/03/2014 - 22:46
      +1

      Thanks mate, makes sense

    • danyool on 07/03/2014 - 00:51

      Rentl property or own property? If rental, it should have been specified in the lease who was going to be paying water. If your own property, then yeah, you should have expected it at some stage.

      As to not wanting to take anything from Centrelink, it's there as a back-up to be used, and if you've been working and paying taxes, then you should see it as return on that! Also, you may be eligible for family payments, child care and who knows what if you havn't checked.

      • danyool on 07/03/2014 - 12:31
        +1

        I am the sole bread winner of the household with a baby and a wife to support. A bill this big is a huge blow to my finances… looking for advice please guys!

        I am not a dole payment client, have never and will try my best to never be on any centrelink payments etc

        While adimirable, if he needs help, i was just pointing this out that if is not currently getting what he is ENTITLED to get on Centrelink with family payments etc that could be an avenue to explore.

  • orrinxu on 07/03/2014 - 00:34

    Utility companies can only back bill up to 9 months

  • w12ard on 07/03/2014 - 00:46
    +6

    Well.. I once had to pay $538 for 3 months. I learned from my mistake. Don't buy an inflatable pool for just one season.

    • zeomega on 07/03/2014 - 23:51

      Rain water ftw?

      • ankor on 08/03/2014 - 15:50

        If this person is in Brisbane, it rains like once every 2 months or less.

    • spacebanana on 08/03/2014 - 12:12
      +1

      Would a pool really make that much difference?
      We have a pool that we put up every summer and it hold about 6500 litres, doesnt seem to make a difference to the water bill. I think water in our area is only a $1.40 per thousand litres

  • PJC on 07/03/2014 - 00:49
    +2

    Try The Samaritans? Their local Emergency Relief team may offer you a voucher or two for part-payment, and probably help negotiate a payment plan for you. My Missus used to do that as a volunteer.

  • mousie on 07/03/2014 - 02:35
    +1

    Second job

  • bargdebarg on 07/03/2014 - 05:27
    -1

    They can back bill you for a maximum of 12 months for late billing
    . Sounds like they have exceeded this
    this. Also if you require it and ask for it they have to give you equal time to pay. Call them up and tell them this. An entry level operator may not know these rules and if so, ask to talk to a manager. Due to the delay and error in billing over the allowed 12 months request a credit (on top of their bill adjustment) I'd say $200. If this fails, ombudsman.

  • Lucky13 on 07/03/2014 - 06:00

    Sounds like a very expensive water bill. Maybe you should first query it. Maybe get someone to come out and check that the readings correct. Then also consider that maybe youve got a leak or something. Are your bills usually high? If its abnormal Id definitely look into it further

    Edit: Sorry just read the part that the bills from Nov 2012. So theyve been rolling the bills over into each other and this is the end result then. Yeah I dont know you could ask to pay on a payment plan or say youre going to have trouble paying it and they might be able to sort out a financial hardship payment plan with repayments you can afford. Probably just give them a call and explain your situation and see what they can do.

  • CSR on 07/03/2014 - 07:58
    +1

    You shouldn't have a problem working out a payment plan with your water retailer. As they are regulated by the government I believe is it compulsory that they offer financial hardship services.

    If you believe you have a leak you can apply for a leak allowance but looking at your bill it looks pretty reasonable. $1300 for 5-6 quarters is around the $250/quarter mark which is pretty standard I would say.

    • prabh on 07/03/2014 - 22:00

      Yeah CSR,

      The amount looks OK to me to be honest, just the term of the bill that's the problem..

  • isuserselva on 07/03/2014 - 10:49
    +2

    Work out a plan with the retailer. Sounds like this is water and sewerage bill.

    As this is for last one year, you might be charged approx interest rate of $50-$100 in the bill.

    If you explain to them that you did not get any past bills and all of a sudden one huge bill, and request to waive interest rate, they will do it.

    Try it, this might save few dollars.

  • goosegog on 07/03/2014 - 16:34
    +1

    Don't know which state you live in - but in W.A. sewerage is included with your rates bill ( which is also horrendous ) We live in a large house but there are only 2 of us + 2 dogs. Our water bills which also involve topping up the pool when needed ( & yes we do have a cover for it ) Unfortunately living up in the hills here has to take in the easterly winds which can still lose water even with a cover. Even so bills are around $80.00 twice a year +the yearly service charge - ( PAID FOR BY DIRECT DEBIT ) so all is needed is to set up the account with them,keep an eye on your ingoings & outgoinge to ensure money is in your nominated account to cover the bills. This can also be done with electricity & gas in W.A. monthly ( obviously don't know about other states ) This helps you to streamline your yearly outgoings to alleviate a shock when the postman arrives & think " How the **** am I going to pay this " Good Luck for the future.

  • sendoor on 07/03/2014 - 19:01
    +3

    Exactly same scenario but from agl. We dint receive the bill for more than a year. We were calling them for that, and they said some technical issue. They will fix and send the bill. We stopped asking after 5th times. Later we got a bill around $2000. We asked for a non interest repayment in 10 installment. Initially they refused. Then we spoke with a manager and you know, they waved the whole amount. (We said we are going to end the contact and dispute at ombudsmen as not receiving the bill is not customer's problem )

    Try for a luck.

    • prabh on 07/03/2014 - 21:57

      WOW! You certainly got a very understanding manager there :) Happy for you mate

    • mintysaurus on 08/03/2014 - 14:43

      That gives me hope! Changed providers start of last year…called many times requesting bill. Every time I call they say they're just having some issues and will send out my bill/welcome package. I'm terrified of ending up with a huge bill

  • aussieaubs on 07/03/2014 - 20:44
    +2

    call ACCC - the most they can bill you for is 9 months.. ACCC will help you fix it up

    and because its an ELECTION YEAR! - contact your local state MP - Im sure they will assist…. 99.9999%

    • prabh on 07/03/2014 - 21:56
      -1

      Nice Idea mate, might go down the MP path if nothing else works out. I work 12 hours days and it's kind of hard to meet people in person.

  • Risser on 07/03/2014 - 20:59
    +4

    I have a friend who can't manage his money that well, so he makes monthly payments on his rates, water etc., thus reducing any surprisingly large bills showing up. They send credit notices since he's "ahead" till the next quarterly bill rocks in less the payments he's been making monthly.

    For those of us who run a budget, I know when bills are falling due even before I receive them. This allows me to plan my cash flow for the week/month/year with no real surprises.

    My suggestion, run a budget! Takes like 20mins a month to throw something together that will save you a lot of potential heartache down the track. Banks are even starting to allow online budgeting within their systems/website.

    • prabh on 07/03/2014 - 21:55

      Thanks Risser,

      Looking for some free online tools for monthly budgeting.. can you recommend any at all?

      • zeomega on 08/03/2014 - 21:52
        +1

        Simple Excel spreadsheet does wonders. And you can customise to your hearts content that suits your family lifestyle.

  • voiletmay on 07/03/2014 - 21:24
    +1

    We had this happen last year (and got an $2000 electricity bill at the same time). Just paid them both off in installments.

    What caused our water bill blowout was 2 x leaky toilets and 1 x leaky hot water system.

    The electricity was caused by the hot water system problem (thermostat) and also had to buy completely new fridges.

    So there might be something wrong in your house that needs fixing and is causing the leak. If you talk to them they will help you try and work out if there is a leak.

    Yep, it is pretty horrible when you get huge bills.

    • prabh on 07/03/2014 - 21:54

      Yeah mate, I know the feeling now

  • ThisJustin on 07/03/2014 - 21:33
    +2

    Bill is from November 2012 till date. We didn't realize (or wishful thinking may be) that we were not receiving any water bills.

    Kind of hard to believe, especially considering you threw in the wishful thinking part. Then again, I am the over-organising type so perhaps others might not pay that much attention to bills until they arrive. I get anxious if I think bills are a few days late because I like to stay on top of them.

    Other's have offered sound advice: ombudsman, your supplier etc. If you can't catch a break you might be able to work out a payment plan if you explain your financial situation.

    I guess the lesson is don't just let things go and hope for the best. It is their responsibility to send you the bills but we all know how hopeless some companies and organisations can be.

    Good luck.

    • prabh on 07/03/2014 - 21:54

      Thanks Justin,

      Yeah mate, should have not slept over it I guess… A call to the company may have helped.

      Time to make some amends!

  • lplau on 07/03/2014 - 23:29
    +1

    No free lunch.
    Just pay it off.

    Call them up speak to them about their hardship policy or payment plans.
    Maybe they will be nice enough to write some of it off, but still expect to pay 80% or more of it.

  • [Deactivated] on 08/03/2014 - 09:56

    I don't think I've ever gotten a bill over $60 for a quarter and I've got 5 kids plus animals. The kids take BIG showers too. TBH I have no idea how water bills work, I just pay them when they get sent from real estate, maybe my landlord pays "average usage" and I pay the extra?

    • PVA on 08/03/2014 - 13:58
      +1

      $60 a quarter for water - what Council is that?
      On the Gold Coast ours is around $700 per half and out of that at least half is waste water, meaning even if we used zero water it would still be $400.

      • just re-read, you are renting, yes the owner pays these bills and anything excessive you pay.
  • Musing Outloud on 08/03/2014 - 13:04
    +5

    There have been some very helpful suggestions here, but I'd also like to suggest you think about how you could get a little more money coming into your family's budget. It doesn't have to be much either to make a big difference.

    Depending on your current work, you might be able to get a small part-time job at your local supermarket or a similar service business. The main problem being you would have tax removed at ~40-50% (I could be wrong on the % but it could be the highest marginal rate because it is a second job - other posters can correct me), but you'd have to submit a return at years end, then get a net lump sum back representative of your lesser marginal rate. This means you are out of pocket until you get a refund from Mr ATO.

    An alternative is for your partner to pick up a small part-time job. She would likely pay no tax at all, (Tax commences at $18,200 http://www.ato.gov.au/Rates/Tax-tables/), so her income would be 100% available for bills, and hopefully for you both - some savings.

    It could be as short and simple as one evening a week and a Saturday or Sunday. Obviously if she works you take on child care, some cleaning and dinner duties.

    The point is any small amount of extra income would create a safety buffer for you three. And I am assuming here your child and your wife are at a point where short hours are doable.

    And I wish you the best of luck waving goodbye to what sounds like a tough 2013!

  • t_c on 08/03/2014 - 14:43
    +6

    Tell them you would like to return the water for a refund as you have it stored in tanks in your backyard and they are welcome to pick it up anytime.

    • wtfnodeal on 08/03/2014 - 23:23

      LOL. They might argue the quality of the water they supplied was much better than the rain you save in your tank. Or they can charge you pickup fee which is $1300.

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