Unitywater is encouraging customers to ensure their water meters are easily accessible and free from obstructions like gardens or dirt to ensure accurate billing.
The utility reports that about 30 properties daily have inaccessible meters, hindering meter readers from obtaining accurate readings. Unitywater Executive Manager Customer Experience, Katherine Gee, highlighted the scale of the task, with 320,665 meters read quarterly—approximately 6,400 daily.
“There are a number of reasons meters can’t be read, known as ‘skip reads,’” Ms. Gee explained. “Our meter readers can be faced with unrestrained dogs, locked premises, or instances where gardens or dirt obstruct the water meter.”
She noted that Maroochydore leads in skip rates across Moreton Bay, Noosa, and the Sunshine Coast, followed by Caboolture, Morayfield, Coolum Beach, and Buderim. In such cases, billing is based on estimated readings, adjusted once an accurate reading is obtained.
Unitywater also urges customers to check for leaks every two weeks. “Hidden leaks can lead to bill shock,” Ms. Gee warned, sharing an example of a customer whose bill soared from $250 to $8,800 due to a concealed leak.
For tips on detecting leaks, visit www.unitywater.com/leaks.
