Water Corporation, 629 Newcastle St, Leederville WA 6007
Water Corporation has announced that it is adjusting more than 36,000 utility bills due to inaccuracies in meter readings, resulting in significant overcharging and undercharging of customers. Since July 1, 2023, the utility has issued 36,779 adjustment notices, a figure that is anticipated to exceed the total of 76,551 notices sent out in the previous financial year. The adjustments have affected nearly $4 million in billing discrepancies.
In the current financial year, Water Corporation has refunded $1.86 million to customers after overcharging them, which slightly surpasses the $1.82 million in undercharges during the same period. Specifically, of the total amount overcharged, $422,738 was attributed to misread meters affecting 2,752 bills. In contrast, only one instance of undercharging due to a misread meter occurred, amounting to a mere $39.90.
Factors Contributing to Billing Errors
A spokesperson for Water Corporation clarified that misread meters account for only a small percentage of total billing errors. “We read more than six million water meters a year. Incorrect reads requiring a bill adjustment represent around 0.1 percent of total meter reads in a given year,” the spokesperson noted.
Several factors contribute to these discrepancies. They include instances when the utility cannot access a meter and must rely on estimated readings, changes to property boundaries, retrospective rebates for concession card holders, faults with meters, and human error.
When an overcharge is detected, Water Corporation credits the amount to the customer’s next water bill. Unlike the more severe overcharging issue faced by Synergy earlier this year—where the power supplier acknowledged receiving approximately $40 million in erroneous bills from 174,000 customers over a span of 15 years—Water Corporation maintains that the discrepancies it encounters are manageable and expected.
Established Processes for Billing Adjustments
Water Corporation has assured customers that they have established processes to rectify billing discrepancies swiftly. “In the event we are unable to physically read a meter, an estimated read will be noted on the customer’s bill with any discrepancy automatically adjusted once we have a physical meter read,” they explained.
For service charges, the corporation employs daily reporting to identify errors that require bill adjustments. Similarly, their verification process flags unusually high meter reads, allowing for corrections before bills are issued. To further enhance accuracy, daily reports are generated, prompting staff to investigate any potential causes of discrepancies.
The current year’s total for adjustments is on track to match the previous twelve months, during which Water Corporation was compelled to return $3.87 million from overcharges while recovering $3.94 million in undercharges.
Water Minister Don Punch was contacted for comment regarding the ongoing situation, but no statement has been released as of yet.
