Greater Western Water (GWW) has proposed a compensation package worth more than $130m for customers affected by widespread billing problems that began in May 2024 following a merger of billing systems.
The water authority has submitted an enforceable undertaking to the Essential Services Commission (ESC), outlining how it intends to take responsibility for the issues, support affected customers, and improve billing practices over the next three years.
Under the proposal, GWW would waive about $75 million in unbilled charges for water usage in 2024 and provide around $55 million in customer credits.
The draft undertaking also includes:
- No charges for delayed bills: Residential and small business customers will not be required to pay for usage where bills were unissued or delayed beyond agreed timeframes. Debt collection will not occur for those amounts.
- Customer credits: Customers affected by delayed bills, including those on direct debit, may receive credits.
- Surplus distribution: Any surplus from these measures will be returned to customers, with priority given to those most affected or in vulnerable circumstances.
- Future improvements: GWW will implement a three-year compliance program to strengthen billing systems and prevent a repeat of the problems.
The proposal follows an independent review by Nous Group and forms part of GWW’s “return to service plan.”
The ESC is now consulting on the draft undertaking, which also proposes temporary changes to billing cycles. Customers can review the proposal and provide feedback until 5pm on Wednesday, 22 October 2025.
See our previous reports on GWW here.