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2. Debt Management Code of Practice
Watercare Services Limited’s Code of practice for debt management explains the process we undertake if you do not pay your bill by the due date. It also details how we can help if you are having difficulty paying your bill.
Our debt management practices contribute to our goal of sound financial management – to meet business objectives at lowest cost and our goal of satisfied customers and
stakeholders – providing great service and great value.
We want to help customers facing financial difficulty to manage their ongoing payment commitments so they can maintain full access to water supply and avoid paying additional collection costs. We explain how we can help customers in financial difficulty in section 4 of this document.
We encourage customers to read this code of practice to understand their responsibility to pay their bills on time and the consequences should they fail to meet this responsibility. The actions Watercare will take if customers do not pay on time are set out in section 5 of this document.
3. Why it matters that we get paid
At times some customers have asked us why it matters if they pay or not. We are a large company and can surely afford to write off some debts. Unfortunately we cannot and there are a number of reasons why this is the case.
We provide our services at the lowest possible cost; if some people don’t pay that means other customers have to compensate for that loss, or we have to sacrifice some aspects of our steady and reliable services. It is unfair to the customers who do pay; they have to either pay more or accept the risk of the supply being unreliable.
4. Paying your water bill
Watercare requires that all invoices are paid within 21 days of the invoice date. Watercare also requires that you communicate promptly if you believe your bill is incorrect or you have other issues with your account which means you will not be paying on the due date. We attempt to make paying your bill as easy as possible and have a number of payment channels available to you. These include:
Self-Service on Watercare website
Register for self-service at www.watercare.co.nz by clicking on “Sign in to your account”. Direct debit and internet phone Banking
Set up a direct debit from your bank account, or phone us to set it up for you, and we’ll withdraw the amount owing on the due date. It’s the easiest way to pay your bill.
Alternatively, you can call your bank or log into its website each month to pay the amount owing.
Credit card
Set up a recurring credit card payment and we’ll take the amount owing from your credit card on the due date. You can also make a one-off credit card payment on our website or by phoning us.
Auto-Payment
You can pay a fixed amount each week, fortnight or month. If there is still an amount owing when you receive your bill, you can adjust your next payment to cover the shortfall by the due date.
Cheque/In person
You can also make a cheque out to ‘Watercare Services Limited’ and post it with your payment slip or pay in person by taking your bill to any PostShop or BNZ branch.
5. Assisting you to pay your water account
If you are having difficulty in paying your bill by the due date you should contact us as soon as possible, preferably before it becomes overdue. Our contact details are: phone (09) 442 2222, email [email protected].
We will discuss your account with you to understand your individual circumstances. As a result of these discussions we may recommend you take one of the following actions:
Organise a payment arrangement to repay the amount due over a period of up to three months. In certain circumstances payment arrangements may be granted for longer periods.
If you are a residential customer and meet certain other conditions you may apply to the Water Utility Consumer Assistance Trust for financial support. You can contact the Trust directly on (09) 625 8176 or email [email protected]. If your account is $400 or less at the time of application you will not need to seek budgeting advice; however if it is greater than that amount you will be required to seek
budgeting advice as part of the application process.
The Water Utility Consumer Assistance Trust will review your financial position and will ask you to agree a payment arrangement that is affordable and in return may approve a partial forgiveness of the amount owed to Watercare. If you have used a budget advisor the trust will expect the budget advisor to endorse the payment plan.
If you do register with the Water Utility Assistance Trust you will be exempt from Watercare’s debt collection process.
Some customer’s situations may be such that they are entitled to assistance from Work and Income, part of the Ministry of Social Development. They can be contacted on phone: 0800 559 009.
6. If you don’t pay your bill
If you do not pay your dues on time your account will be placed into Watercare’s debt management process.
Your account will remain in Watercare’s debt management process until: You pay your overdue account in full.
You agree an acceptable payment arrangement with Watercare.
You register for hardship assistance with the Water Utility Consumer Assistance Trust. (Only residential customers may apply).
If your account remains unpaid for reasons other than hardship we will continue to pursue you for the unpaid debt. The debt management process we follow if your account remains unpaid is summarised below:
You will initially receive a reminder notice and a phone call advising that your account is overdue and payment is required urgently.
If the account remains unpaid you will be charged an administration fee which contributes to the costs of collection for Watercare. This administration fee will be charged every month until your account is settled up to date.
You will receive a further reminder notice advising that the water supply at your property may be restricted. This will be followed up by a further phone call warning of the impending restriction.
If we do not believe that water restriction is appropriate for your property we will send a letter warning of possible debt collection action.
We may send one of our experienced credit services staff to your property to discuss the reasons why your account remains overdue.
We will leave a final warning card at your property advising that water restriction will be actioned in 48 hours.
If we do forward your account onto a debt collection agency this will add further costs to your account which we will ultimately recover from you.
If all of the above actions do not lead to payment there are a variety of legal remedies which Watercare can pursue. Legal action will add further costs to your account which we will ultimately recover from you.
While your account remains unpaid we will continue to contact you requesting payment of your overdue bill.
7. Water Restrictions
As noted in the outline of our debt management process, restricting water until either your account is paid or a payment arrangement is agreed is an option Watercare will pursue.
If your water is restricted your supply of water will reduce from 1 litre per second to 1 litre per minute which is enough to maintain sanitary conditions.
We do not restrict on situations that would cause unsafe conditions or extreme hardship. However, we will continue to pursue payment of your debt.
8. Contact us
If you have any questions or issues with our debt management processes please contact us on (09) 442 2222 or email us at [email protected].
Appendix One – Related Information
If your water account is higher than you expected it may be due to a number of factors. We encourage you to investigate the causes quickly, while continuing to pay your water bills on time. Some questions to ask are:
Have you had more people staying in your home than usual?
Have you undertaken building, renovations or redecoration in the past month? Have you been using your washing machine or dishwasher more frequently? Have you been watering your garden more frequently?
Have you filled up a swimming pool or even child play pool recently?
Have you got a leak? Please refer to our website for information on how to check for leaks.
If none of these situations apply to you, it is also possible an error has been made; if you think the bill is in error please call or email the contact centre.
In instances where you have received an unusually high water bill due to a water leak, you may be able to apply to Watercare for a partial rebate of the charges. It is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain the plumbing and fittings within their private property and Watercare has no obligation to pay for water losses within private properties.
However, we have a policy to assist our customers with a rebate if they have had the leak repaired and have not made a previous request within the last two years. Applications for a leak rebate need to be submitted in writing to Watercare using the Leak Allowance Rebate Declaration Form.
How else can Watercare help you?
If you find you don’t have a leak but your water use is increasing, Watercare has some other ways to help you.
Saving water is good for the environment and for your budget as well. BeWaterwise, our water efficiency handbook provides a wide range of tips and ideas to help you save water in your household, outdoors and your business.
Would you like more assistance?
Watercare provides a free water audit service to households in Auckland, the Waterwise Advice Line. This is delivered in partnership with EcoMatters Environment Trust. To get in touch with the Trust, please call (09) 442 2222, or email [email protected]
All you need to do is spend around 30 minutes on the phone with an expert and explain your exact situation. You will then receive a customised recommendation report. Over the
following 12 months, EcoMatters will track your water consumption and update you on your progress.
