What Are You Paying for Water in Adelaide?
What Are You Paying for Water in Adelaide?
On average, each person in Australia uses about 340 L of water per day. People that live inland in drier areas use closer to 800 L. This can create quite a water bill each quarter, and unfortunately, the cost of water is not going to go down. Since hydrating less is not a good answer for bringing down the water bill, you have to look at some other areas where you can cut back on your water consumption. What are you paying for water in Adelaide?
Average Water Costs and What Makes Up the Cost
The average quarterly water bill in South Australia is $324, slightly less if you have a smaller household. These costs are often higher in the summer months and lower in the winter. This bill is made up of two separate charges. The first is a fixed charge for the water supply, at $271.40 per year. If you are not using the infrastructure, and do not have water coming in, an abuttal charge applies, because you have access to have the water now or in the future.
The second part is the variable charge that is based on your actual water consumption. If you average less than the .3836 kL daily threshold in your household, you get charged Tier 1 pricing of $1.945/kL. If your household is over that, any overages get charged the Tier 2 rate of $2.775/kL. Tier 3 charges of $3.007/kL kick in at the daily threshold above 1.4247 kL.
Tips for Reducing Your Bill and Saving Money
We’re all familiar with the simple ideas to conserve water, like taking a short shower, or turning off the water while brushing your teeth. Let’s look at a few unique ideas that will save you some money on that water bill.
Collect rainwater
You can use this water later when you are watering your garden or washing your car.
Pick up a broom
Instead of using the garden hose to clean off the sidewalks and driveway, grab a broom. Not only does sweeping not use any water, but it can also be a good exercise if you have a lot of space to sweep.
Start a compost pile
Garbage disposal needs a lot of water to function properly. You need to leave the tap running the whole time you are using it. Consider starting a compost pile instead for your food scraps. And the best part is, you can then use the compost on your lawn or garden.
Steam your veggies
Steaming food uses much less water than boiling your food.
Plant drought-resistance trees
There are many species of trees and shrubs that do well in dry climates. Consider planting some of these in your yard, and you’ll save money on watering.
Wasting water is never a good idea, but with the cost of water continuing to go up, now more than ever is the time to save.
