In the last 12 months, Unitywater has helped more than 16,000 customers to stay on top of their water and wastewater bills – and the utility said that its suite of personalised support options has been key in helping locals navigate financial pressures.
Of these 16,000 customers, 13,088 entered into a short-term payment plan and an additional 3289 sought a seven-day extension on their bill due date.
Unitywater customer and North Lakes resident, Gary*, said going on a short-term payment plan helped alleviate the pressure to pay his bill in one lump sum.
“It was a pleasure to talk to a company that was so flexible and helpful. I didn’t know it would be so easy to spread my payments out to help me get through a tough spot,” he said.
Unitywater Executive Manager Customer Experience, Katherine Gee, said short-term payment plans enabled customers to pay off their bill in fortnightly or monthly instalments.
“We know it can be daunting to ask for help, but our team is trained to treat each interaction with respect and care. It’s best to let us know as soon as possible if you need support so we can help,” Ms Gee said.
“Short-term payment plans can be set up confidentially by reaching out to our local customer service team, or alternatively, we have seven-day extensions available for those looking to add just a little more time to their due date.
“Another option, called Smoothpay, is used by 11,000 of our customers across Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast and Noosa. It’s helpful for those looking to better budget for their bills – it splits them into smaller, more frequent payments.”
Unitywater customer and Caloundra resident, Hayley*, said she would recommend the Smoothpay payment option to anybody interested in budget assistance.
“I used to phone Unitywater every quarter to set up a payment plan, but when they told me about the benefits of Smoothpay – being able to set it up once and spread my bill payments over the whole year – I was sold,” she said.
“Now, my fortnightly payments are smaller, which makes it easier to manage our family budget. We were recently saving up for a family holiday and it was so much easier with Smoothpay, as the smaller, more frequent payments helped us stay on track without the stress of a larger amount.”
Unitywater also processes the State Government Pensioner Water Subsidy for eligible pensioners, which helps ease the cost of living.
In the past 12 months, 70,180 eligible customers accessed this support, saving $5.9 million on their water and wastewater bill.
*Surnames have been redacted for privacy reasons.
