Why your water usage may be higher

If the water usage on your bill is higher than expected, there's usually some common reasons for the increase.
Our handy checklist below can help you find out why your usage may be high.

1. Seasonal variations

The way we use water and the amount we consume usually varies depending on the the time of year.

Traditionally, we use more water during the Spring/Summer months than during Autumn/Winter.

When it’s warmer, we tend to do more of the activities that use water, such as watering gardens, filling pools and washing down surfaces or equipment.

If you're looking for ways to reduce your water use during the warmer months, we've got plenty of water efficiency tips for you:

Check out our water efficiency tips

Woman watering plants in commercial garden nursery

Business people in meeting room with jug of water

2. Busier than normal?

Has your business been busier than normal lately? Have you had more people working for you? Have you had more customers, orders, trade or turnover? Have you welcomed extra tenants?

All of these things can lead to higher water usage.

How to manage your costs and be water efficient

3. Concealed leaks

On occasions, an increase in your water use could be due to a hidden (concealed) leak.

Leaks that are hidden underground in pipes or in faulty plumbing and fixtures (such as leaking toilets or taps) can go undetected for a long time.

Some leaks waste more than 2000 litres of water a day!

Find out how to check for leaks

Plumber fixing water leak in pipe under ground

High pressure water hose cleaning cement path

4. High water use activities

Some other reasons your water use might be high include:

irrigation system and tank top-ups from town water supply
high-pressure cleaning of surfaces, stock or equipment
installation of new appliances or devices that may use more water.

Find out about water-efficient devices

My Usage Tracker

This handy online tool calculates your daily water usage, compares it to previous bills and helps you see usage spikes which could indicate a hidden leak.

To use My Usage Tracker:

take a reading from your water meter (here's a video showing you how)
write the reading down - black numbers (kilolitres) only
log in or register for My Account
go to the 'My Usage' page
enter your meter reading

Please note: My Usage Tracker is available for properties with one water meter.

Go to My Usage Tracker in My Account

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