ongrid water bills?

[stevo]

One thing that gets me, for the water bills in SEQ, ... i just got a bill.

actual bill figures:
water access: $85.32
sewage: $183.67
Council rebate: $61.20
my usage charge $1.58

my issues is, my water usage charge is $1.58 ... i have no way of reducing my overall bill since it's all fixed charges! I reckon i could half my water usage but i have no incentive to! .. apart from tree hugger status.

I think they should make fixed charges less and raise the water usage charges, so people hae incentive to useless.

anyways, another friday night rumbo

 

[Mark]

This is the new age way of ensuring utilities are protected against people tightening their belts or finding better solutions. I remember a few years ago Origin Gas introduced a "maintenance fee" for the gas bottles and promised it would be nominal but it goes up every year and my gas delivery man reckons it's a sham and so do I!

Electricity is the same. The big electricity coys have been spooked by just how good people are at reducing their consumption and the last few years saw a significant drop in their revenue as people use less electricity and also buy into solar. The govt and lecky coys have been softening up the public for years now by trying to convince us our access and maintenance fees are needed to keep the grid operating. That's why (IMHO) utilities are moving to lock in connection and access fees so they can give shareholders certainty of earnings and annual profit rises. The last drought here in QLD taught the population to conserve water now ironically SE has water everywhere but our bills are more. The money will be in "not what we use" but what they charge us to use it...

I can see a day when people will be paying more for access to all household services per month than the actual commodities and that's just greedy.

 

[stevo]

yer it's probably a complicated issue, they did spend a lot of money building the pipeline when we had a drought, that's fair enough because we/they had to do something, but there's soo much waste with government spending. I always think the government and big companies need to charge heaps because they waste a lot of money on extravigant spending. Yeah it annoys me how the comnpanies always say that they have to keep the shareholders happy, or the shareholders are the most important thing? Shouldn't the customers be first priority, not the shareholders? ohwell, we probably can't change it, but a whinge every now and then helps a bit.

 

[Mark]

oh well, we probably can't change it, but a whinge every now and then helps a bit.

I love a whinge mate we all need an ear to vent our frustrations sometimes... it keeps us sane!

 

[stevo]

ahh and heaps of people have water tanks now which only happened in the last 5 - 10 years? So more people are concious about water usage like you commented on. People are good at finding ways to get out of bills and the companies and government will always try to prevent that! ...

ohwell.. the weekend is close, more projects!

 

[Tim C]

It's a big subject on talkback radio at the moment in SA. Our utilities are the dearest in Australia. Yes, nearly all access and service fees. Our lovely State government just raised the Emergency Services Levy. Bills for this have gone up between 200 and 1000% !!! And the dirty grubs aren't spending ANY of it on Ambos or Firies-their funding has been cut! Country volunteer firies are running raffles to buy equipment, now they're really jacking up and threatening to quit! Bloody guvment parasites. Too many levels of administration in duplicate and triplicate. Too many shiny-bummed do-gooders sponging all the money. Our wind power here now means we export more power interstate than we use- but the bills keep going up. Is it any wonder I have been a cynic for years? A bloody good cleanout is whats needed. Send 'em all to Manus Island for a lesson in human rights, I say!

 

[bearded1]

Although I also get somewhat incensed by what you're saying, I have the huge advantage of paying nothing to any utility co. We have our own power, our own water and we don't even have a garbage collection. I really like the stand alone power system that we have. It's a great feeling to be at work on a hot sunny day, knowing that the sun is keeping your beer really cold at home. Really feel for the rest of you blokes though. I have a mate at the blokes group I go to and he only has 3 people in his home; -3 fridges, a pool, elec. stove, no aircon. His power bill per quarter...wait for it, you may not believe it... $2000.00, yep, you heard right two thousand dollars. I don't know what he is doing, but whatever it is, he needs to stop it.

 

[Mark]

We have our own power, our own water and we don't even have a garbage collection. I really like the stand alone power system that we have. It's a great feeling to be at work on a hot sunny day, knowing that the sun is keeping your beer really cold at home.

That's awesome The sun keeping my beer cold... I'll have to remember that one

I suppose for many people living in regional areas off grid living will only improve with the progress in solar. Taking your own rubbish to the tip once a week after loading it in the trailer or ute is something most of us who has lived anywhere slightly remote can relate to and the same for water...

Rates and utility prices in general seem to be terrible value for money these days. We all understand the concept of paying for services and the upkeep of roads, parks, infrastructure, etc but it's difficult to justify high rego, rates, mortgage, electricity, separate water, internet, mobiles, and more especially when these services are substandard and you don't see a heck of a lot improvements happening particularly outside of the major capitals.

I totally get why people move off grid.

 

[stevo]

another quick rant because I've had a couple beers.

Friggen water bill is up $20 and I've used less water than the last bill, not real impressed with that.

 

[Tim C]

Flamin' corporate criminals Stevo. What about the ATO FOI data hey? 60 of the 300 biggest companies didn't even pay ANY tax!!! And Turncoat wants to take money out of health and raise the GST. I don't think so Malcolm! He/ they need to come down hard on the corporates.
The F(ed)eral justice minister yesterday gobbing off about drug dealers and ice- the only reasons there's so much ice is because the guvment illegalised less harmful drugs, now the whole lot are super-profitable for crims. And talk about crims, the pharmacos are the biggest crims of the lot, apart from the corporate tax avoiders! And they have all been facilitated by the money wasting corporate puppets in Canberra.
They're the biggest criminal element of all. Sting 'em all up, I say.
If the guvment can compulsorily acquire land for CSG and dirty mines, then instead they should compulsorily re-acquire banking, essential and major services, so those enormous profits are put back into the public coffers, rather than offshore bank accounts. The coporates have already had their pound of flesh, and deserve no further recompense.
The guvment should be making solar panels and storage battery plants here to replace the prematurely whored industries like car manufacturing. Electric cars should have been made here since the 80's, especially for city use. Did you know electric cars pre-date the internal combustion engine? It was only the capitalist profit to be realised from oil that forced them off the roads-and look what good that's done us- fried the planet. Bloody rotten capitalist mongrels. The Seppos have a lot to answer for, and our DH leaders blindly follow them.
The Global Ponzi Scheme will see the next Great Depression be even "greater".
Bring back tariffs and subsidies and turf the Free Trade Agreement. Free trade isn't Fair Trade.
I really do hope China or America drop a bloody big bomb on Canberra sooner than later.

 

[Mark]

Turncoat

Hahaha... "Malcolm Turncoat" that made me laugh

Did you know electric cars pre-date the internal combustion engine?

No I didn't - is that really true? If so, imagine how far ahead batteries and solar powered engines would be if we stayed with developing electric cars instead of gas!

 

[Codger]

I have no water sewerage or drainage services available but Southern Water charge me rates just for being in their area. In the 20 years I have been here I have never paid it on principle. They keep threatening to cut my water off. Must have better connections than I have.

 

[stevo]

yeah I saw a show once where they showed the first car was electric, and maybe one of the car manufacturers bought it out or something, can't remember.

Codger, that sounds like a classic situation... you're in the system as "connected" and it's too hard to change

 

[Mark]

That's bureaucracy we're all fed up with when they even try charging for a service you don't have

There was talk some time back about putting meters on bores but there's no way property owners would ever allow it and the government knew they were opening up a can of worms.

Our bore saves us a pretty penny on our overall water bill especially through the dry periods. Either tank or bore water makes food growing at home definitely better value than just using town.

 

[Tynan]

No I didn't - is that really true? If so, imagine how far ahead batteries and solar powered engines would be if we stayed with developing electric cars instead of gas!

They do indeed, the history is all rather shady though to be quite honest with you. A lot of what Tim says is quite profound, a bit of frustration mixed in for good measure, but profound none the less. I'd like for him to make an appearance again, has anyone had contact with him?

The same is true for hydrogen power depending on what you read, it all makes sense but has the negative connotation to it, "Conspiracy theory". Not hard to believe when you look at the Middle East though, seems certain demographics like oil and thrive on control.

 

[DarrenP]

@Tynan, who do you think used to buy all the patents for the early electric car technology? The oil and car industries.

Indeed, it's the fees and charges on most bills that are annoying. That's the reason we ditched the landline phone; the connection fee was higher than our call costs, and that was even with long distance calls. And you need to be a rocket scientist to understand the bill structure of the electricity bills these days.

 

[Tynan]

who do you think used to buy all the patents for the early electric car technology? The oil and car industries.

Absolutely, and having been in the automotive industry for eight years with Jaguar Land Rover, I honestly would not be surprised if technology is being withheld from consumers and released slowly to ensure new models are 'worth' purchasing.

It's all upside down at the moment, I was looking to establish my own business as a mobile RWC technician, just don't want to work for the man anymore. So I need a fixed inspection station as part of the business, which is no biggy, it's approx. a 6 x 3 metre area. A garage is perfect, so I called the council to get the application underway (Ipswich Council) and was informed that there is a strong chance I would have been denied due to living in a highly residential area, within a golf course. I was then informed that should I wish to continue with the application, I would need to front up a fee of six thousand dollars, and this would be non-refundable pending the outcome...

The world is in shambles, people are being prevented from speaking out, from standing on their own two feet and providing for themselves. And for those poor souls not fortunate enough to live within the Western world, starvation and bombing seems to be their fate. We've failed as far as I'm concerned and it's going to get much worse before it gets much better.

Hard times create strong men,
Strong men create good times,
Good times create weak men,
Weak men create hard times.

Ciao,

 

[ClissAT]

The world is in shambles, people are being prevented from speaking out, from standing on their own two feet and providing for themselves. And for those poor souls not fortunate enough to live within the Western world, starvation and bombing seems to be their fate. We've failed as far as I'm concerned and it's going to get much worse before it gets much better.

While we keep breeding at the current rate & over populating everywhere that shouldn't have so many people living in that space, humans will act like rabbits & fight amongst themselves for superiority. Those who get stood on or knocked over in the fight will succumb.

Hard times create strong men,
Strong men create good times,
Good times create weak men,
Weak men create hard times.

Ciao,

Very well said Tynan, is that a Churchill saying? Sounds like it might be.

 

[ClissAT]

Just getting back the original topic of this thread....on-grid water bills.

Over the last several years, the various Sunshine Coast councils have conspired with the northern Brisbane councils to link those 2 areas via large pipes to move water around so Brisbane can always have enough water to keep their lawns green.

This project was never supposed to impact the rate payers of SSC.
Well how times change & how short peoples memories are!
From the next rate period, all rate payers of SSC shires will have to cough up another amount levied & called 'increased water charges'.

Apparently someone down Brisbane way decided we on SSC needed to pay more for water (including those who don't have reticulated water like me) so that those down Briz way don't have to bear the cost of getting our water to them for their lawns.

I don't understand why they cant/dont have tanks like I have to have. No-one subsidises my tanks or pumps.
I'm just in the process of getting 4 new tanks, 2x 25000lt for rain run-off from new shed roof plus 2x6000lt settling tanks so I can use my dam water. All tanks get new pumps & a spaghetti junction of poly pipe will interconnect existing tanks with new tanks, transfer pumps, irrigation pumps & bilge pump in settling tank.
All this is costing me a fair amount of money so I can water my lawns & gardens while those on reticulated water down Briz way get theirs basically for free & pretty much unlimited volume, whereas I am still subject to what the weather provides.

 

[Tynan]

Very well said Tynan, is that a Churchill saying? Sounds like it might be.

I'm not sure to be honest, I hope not however lol. Never been a big fan of Churchill, Sir Oswald Mosley was more my cup of tea. Had more men like him been leading the countries of the world, the second world war likely never would of happened. More on the quote though, I don't think that it's too original as one of the old Greek chaps had something similar; "Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyranny".

Apparently someone down Brisbane way decided we on SSC needed to pay more for water (including those who don't have reticulated water like me) so that those down Briz way don't have to bear the cost of getting our water to them for their lawns.

Sounds about right, want me to go over the road and spray some roundup on one of the snobby neighbour's lawns? It's nice living in Brookwater, but god their are some noses here that appear to be short on Vitamin D.

I don't understand why they cant/dont have tanks like I have to have. No-one subsidises my tanks or pumps.
I'm just in the process of getting 4 new tanks, 2x 25000lt for rain run-off from new shed roof plus 2x6000lt settling tanks so I can use my dam water.

This is a very interesting point, why do we subsidise solar and not water? With all the drama about water restrictions and then the opposite with flooding, I figure water would be a bigger priority for the Government. We've got quite a large tank at the new place, however it came at a cost; the previous owners Grandson was autistic, thus the pool needed to be covered and re-purposed.