Goulburn-Murray Water’s (GMW) Loddon Valley customers are set to benefit from a new payment approach that will see multiple accounts consolidated into a single account.
From July 1 2021, Service Fees will be replaced by a Customer Fee and the Water Register Fee on customers’ fixed charges account.
Customers currently pay a Service Fee for each service they receive from GMW, however the new Customer Fee will replace multiple Service Fees to consolidate their bill.
GMW Water Services Delivery Distribution Customer Service Manager West Peter Gilchrist said the consolidation of tariffs and bills into one account would align Loddon Valley customers with the rest of the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District (GMID) and give customers with multiple services a saving of $119 per year.
“In many cases, customers will be able to consolidate their water entitlements, reducing the number of records, and associated Water Register fees,” Mr Gilchrist said.
“The change to one single fee will also make a saving to GMW on paper billing and ongoing billing recovery.”
While the due date for Loddon Valley fixed charges accounts has been brought forward to December 16, 2021, to align with the rest of the GMID, Mr Gilchrist said customers would not be disadvantaged.
“We have made a commitment that no customer will be worse off,” Mr Gilchrist said.
“There are a range of payment methods and options that Loddon Valley customers can take advantage of, including flexible payment plans, payments in instalments, early payment with a discount, and monthly direct debit. We encourage Loddon Valley customers to touch base with us and take advantage of these options if it better suits their needs.”
If a customer is experiencing difficulty paying their account, they can phone the GMW Customer Contact Centre on 1800 013 357 to discuss alternative payment options.