We are reviewing the prices to apply for Barwon Water customers from 1 July 2023.
Barwon Water price review 2023
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Guidance paper26 October 2021
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Barwon Water price submission30 September 2022
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Consultation closes1 December 2022
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Draft decisionDecember 2022 to March 2023
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Final decisionMay to June 2023
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New prices apply1 July 2023
Overview
We are reviewing the prices to apply for Barwon Water customers from 1 July 2023.
Barwon Water submitted its proposed prices on 30 September 2022. We provided guidance for its price submission in October 2021 and the business has been engaging with customers in the months since.
We are assessing the proposal against a legal framework established by the Victorian Government and set out in the Water Industry Regulatory Order, and the commission’s PREMO pricing framework.
PREMO includes incentives for Victoria's water businesses to put forward their best offer to customers and deliver the outcomes its customers value most.
Following consultation, we issue a determination that sets the maximum prices that Barwon Water may charge customers.
We are seeking feedback from customers and stakeholders at multiple points throughout the price review process to inform our decision-making process.
Feedback on Barwon Water's proposals
We consulted on Barwon Water's price submission until 1 December 2022. Submissions can be viewed in the resources tab of this page.
We will undertake further consultation upon release of our draft decision.
Barwon Water's price submission
Key facts about Barwon Water's price submission
Bills are proposed to decrease (excluding inflation) for owner occupiers
Typical annual residential owner occupier water bills will decrease from $1,076 in 2022-23 to $1,061 in 2023-24 and will continue to decrease by approximately $15 per year to $1,003 in 2027-28. This excludes inflation, which is added to bills each year.
Tariffs reductions are proposed
Barwon Water will reduce its service and usage water charges and sewerage charges by 1.4 per cent per year (before inflation) from 2023-24.
Four outcome commitments
Barwon Water worked with its customers to develop four outcomes, with targets to track its performance. Barwon Water’s outcome commitments to its customers are:
- 'Safe, secure, sustainable water'
- 'Innovative, reliable services'
- 'Healthier environment'
- 'Trust, value and affordability'.
Proposed typical bills 2022–23 to 2027–28
Prices and tariffs are only part of the bill. Your actual bill depends on factors such as the amount of water and services you use. Barwon Water provided us with typical bills for different customer groups and water volumes.
Residential customers
Typical water and sewerage bills 2022–23 to 2027–28, excluding inflation.
| 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner occupier | 1076 | 1061 | 1046 | 1032 | 1017 | 1003 |
| Tenants | 314 | 309 | 314 | 320 | 326 | 332 |
Non-residential customers
Typical water and sewerage bills 2022–23 to 2027–28, excluding inflation.
| 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small non-residential | 1723 | 1699 | 1675 | 1652 | 1629 | 1606 |
| Medium non-residential | 12827 | 12649 | 12473 | 12300 | 12129 | 11960 |
| Large non-residential | 206130 | 203265 | 200440 | 197654 | 194907 | 192198 |
Next steps
Once we have reviewed stakeholder submissions on Barwon Water's price submission, we will prepare a draft decision on prices to apply from 1 July 2023.
Our draft decisions for the 14 water businesses are scheduled to be released in March 2023. High quality price submissions, however, may be fast-tracked through our assessment process and released in December 2022.
Find out more
Read about how we regulate the water sector or contact us for more information.
Resources
Barwon Water's price submission
Feedback on Barwon Water price submission
We consulted on Barwon Water's price submission until 1 December 2022 mostly via Engage Victoria. We received 19 submissions including two confidential submissions.
Feedback from customers covered a range of topics including Barwon Water's proposed outcomes, proposed prices, and Barwon Water's proposed wastewater upgrade for Forrest.
We consider each submission in our draft decision on Barwon Water's proposals. See our Submissions Policy for how we approach anonymous and confidential submissions.
Guidance
Our guidance to Barwon Water on preparing its price submission.