Billing updates
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We’re returning to regular billing
We started sending delayed bills in January so we can get all our customers back to a regular billing cycle. This process will take a few months. Here’s what to expect as we send delayed bills:
- You’ll hear from us before we start to send your delayed bills and tell you how many to expect. Once all your delayed bills have been sent, we’ll let you know, so you can be confident everything is covered.
- You may receive multiple bills, which will arrive closer together than your bills usually would.
- Delayed bills will have an extended due date. You will have 4 months to pay from each bill’s issue date.
- If you are eligible for a credit or waiver, these will be automatically applied to your bill. You will see them listed under “adjustments” on the second page of your bill.
- Each bill covers its own billing period so you can clearly see your usage.
There are flexible payment options available to support you. For information about these options, visit our financial support page.
Everyone’s situation is different. If you have questions about your bills, you can get in touch to talk through your account with us.
Billing rules
We acknowledge there's some confusion and questions about delayed bills. We want to clarify the rules we are following.
We are following the rules set by our regulator, the Essential Services Commission. We have also been granted some exemptions to these rules.
We are required by the Essential Services Commission to send bills on a quarterly cycle. This means sending bills once every three months.
Under the Essential Services Commission's Water Industry Standards, delayed and backdated billing is covered under Clause 6.7.
The clause sets a 4 month limit on how far back we can recover charges, from the date we notify you of the delay. This means we can recover undercharged amounts, for up to 4 months before we first contact you about them.
Exemptions to the usual rules
On 31 October 2025, the Essential Services Commission approved temporary billing rules for charges from 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2026.
We are exempt from the quarterly billing cycle rule until June 2026 for:
- Charges from January to March 2025, if bills are issued within 12 months of the quarterly usage period.
- Charges from April 2025 to June 2026, if bills are issued within 12 months of the quarterly usage period and we've let you know about the delay.
This means:
- we are allowed to bill for some charges that are older than 4 months
- we are allowed to send bills more frequently than once a quarter.
For all delayed bills:
- we have extended the due date to 4 months from the bill’s issue date
- there are payment options available, including payment plans.
- any amounts from previous quarters are clearly listed separately on your bill.
To provide feedback or make a complaint fill in our form or call us on 13 44 99. You can also contact the Energy and Water Ombudsman to assist with your complaint at ewov.com.au
You can learn more about the exemptions at Billing exception approval for Greater Western Water.
How to read your bill
Your first delayed bill will include charges for that quarter plus any previous unpaid amounts. You will have 4 months to pay each delayed bill from its issue date.
If a bill isn’t paid before the next one arrives, that amount will be added to the total (under ‘amount to pay’ on your bill).
The ‘pay by’ date on your most recent bill is the due date of your charges.
You’ll find these details on the first page of your bill. For more information on how to read your bill, visit our bill explainer page.
If you’ve received a credit to your bill or if we’ve waived charges, you’ll find these on the second page of your bill:
Where to find these adjustments on your bill:
Reasons for credits and what the description will be on your bill:
| Description on the bill | Reason for credit | Credit value |
|---|---|---|
| Billing delay rebate | 1-2 late bills | $80 |
| Billing disruption rebate | 3 late bills | $160 |
| Extended billing delay rebate | 4 late bills | $240 |
| Delayed bill adjustment | Waived usage and service charges | Usage and service charges |
| Direct debit delay rebate | Direct debit in full pause | $80 |
To learn more, check if you’re eligible for a credit or waiver and read our frequently asked questions, visit the billing enforceable undertaking page.
Latest improvements
Shorter wait times
Most days our average call wait times are just a few minutes. If you tried to call us when we had high wait times, we encourage you to try again so we can help.
While calls during peak times may still take a little longer to answer, by extending our call centre hours and bringing more team members on board, we can now answer your enquiries faster. We also offer a call back option, so you don’t have to wait on hold.
More in-person support and extended contact hours
To make it easier to get support when it works for you, we’ve extended our call centre hours. You can now call us from 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday (closed public holidays).
Or you can:
- Start a webchat 9am to 5pm weekdays (closed public holidays)
- SMS 0480 015 200 9am to 5pm weekdays (closed public holidays)
- We’re holding customer care days across our region. Visit Customer care days to find out how you can book a time or drop in to chat with us.
- You can also visit us Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm at:
- Footscray office: 1 McNab Avenue
- Sunbury office: 36 Macedon Street
Billing delays
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Your bill is late due to a technical error with our new billing system.
If you still haven’t got your bill, we’re sending them out as soon as we can. We’re sorry for the delay in receiving your bill.
No, we won’t disconnect your water because of a delayed bill. The only time we would ever need to switch off your water is during maintenance or repairs.
You will have four months to pay each delayed bill, from the bill’s issue date.
Depending on your situation, we may apply bill credits or waive some previously unbilled water and sewer charges.
Please reach out if you’re worried or having trouble paying your bill.
You can also pay small amounts any time, you don’t need to pay it all at once.
Just remember, any remaining balance is still due by its due date.
You might have heard from us a little more than usual recently. That’s because we’re working hard to keep you informed and supported.
We’ve been contacting customers affected by delays or technical issues with our billing system. If your account is impacted, we’ll let you know directly.
We’ve sent a few different letters, including:
- A letter notifying you that your bill is delayed
- A letter with information about your delayed bills arriving soon
- A letter with your delayed bills, as they start to arrive
- A letter letting you know once all your delayed bills have been sent
Not sure if a message is really from us? Here’s how to check:
- Our emails will always end in @gww.com.au
- Our text messages will come from GWW
- You can call us on 13 44 99 if you’re still unsure – we’re here to help.
No, we won’t be charging any penalties or late fees for delayed bills.
If you're moving house and need to close your account, visit our Moving page. When you contact us, you’ll be asked for an address so we can arrange to get your final bill to you. If you’re overseas, we can send you an email with your final bill.
Reading your bill
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Have a look at our handy bill explainer for information on how to read your bill. If you’d like more support you can:
- Give us a call on 13 44 99
- Visit us in person at our Footscray or Sunbury offices
Come to one of our customer care days, happening around our service area.
Regular meter readings help us bill you accurately. Sometimes we may need to estimate your water usage, for example if we can’t safely access your water meter. We’ll use an estimate reading based on your past water usage.
We’ll show this on your bill with an ‘E’ next to the reading.
If you’ve received an estimated bill, you can contact us with your meter reading. Learn more on our reading your meter page.
Credits and waivers
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We’re applying waivers and credits for eligible customers as part of our enforceable undertaking – our commitment to making things right.
If you’re a former customer, you may be eligible for a credit or waiver. We'll try to contact you using the details we have on file so we can help you receive a refund.
If we don’t have your forwarding contact details, we’ll soon provide an update on how you can easily request this. There is nothing you need to do now. We’ll provide an update here as soon as it is available.
For eligible customers, we’re waiving some usage and service charges. If you're a property owner, some charges on your bill are set by the Victorian Government and Melbourne Water. We collect these on their behalf, so we’re not able to waive them. These include:
- Parks charge: helps maintain Victoria's parks, gardens, trails, zoos and waterways.
- Drainage and waterways charge: helps Melbourne Water manage stormwater, reduce flood risk and care for local rivers and creeks.
This means your bill may still include these set charges even when your usage and service charges are waived.
For more details about pricing and what your bills pay for, visit Prices and charges explained.
Payment support
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We can help. Please contact us and we can:
- set up a payment plan
- offer an extension on your bill’s due date
- connect you with financial counselling or support.
We’re here to help. We’ll never disconnect your water because of a delayed bill. The only time we would ever need to switch off your water is during maintenance or repairs.
We understand sometimes waiting can be stressful. You can call us today and we’ll talk you through what to expect and connect you with financial or wellbeing support if you need it, including confidential counselling for people experiencing domestic and family violence.
As we send out delayed bills, the amount on your bills may be higher than usual. Your quarterly charges won’t increase because of billing delays. If a bill hasn’t been paid before the next bill is sent, the amount will roll over and be included on the next bill. Your bills may cover charges for more than one billing period, but the charges are the same.
Your first delayed bill will include new charges plus any previous unpaid amounts.
Some reasons for higher than usual bills include:
- higher water use (for example, in warmer weather, water usage might be higher from watering your garden.)
- you could have a leak. Learn how to check for leaks.
While our billing delays have meant we haven't provided the customer service you expect, the water services you rely on have continued as normal. In addition to the reliable and safe water and sewerage services for your home or business, your bill helps fund 24/7 repairs, network maintenance and upgrades, cybersecurity, sustainable technology, community programs, and local parks and green spaces. Learn more about our prices and charges.
Yes, we've extended the due date on delayed bills to 4 months from the date the bill is issued. We can work with you to set up a payment plan if you need longer than this.
If you can't pay the full amount all at once, you can pay a smaller amount, any time, without a formal payment plan. Just remember, any remaining balance is still due by its due date.
You can pay via the website, BPAY or at Australia Post. Find out more about how to pay your bill.
If you ever need more time or support to pay your bill, we offer payment plans and extensions, visit our financial support page for more information.
These payment support options will also be listed on your bill.
If you currently have a weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment plan set up, payments will continue to come out as agreed on your plan.
These plans run for 12 months and will end automatically after that period, but you can start a new one at any time by giving us a call on 13 44 99.
If a payment doesn’t come out as expected, please contact us.
We paused taking direct debits in full because some bills covered more than one quarter due to billing delays. This pause prevented customers being charged for multiple bills at once.
We've now switched off the service and existing direct debit agreements have been cancelled. This was the first step in preparing to safely restart.
We've contacted impacted customers directly to let them know we've switched off the service and will contact them again to let them know when and how they can re-register. For now, you can pay your bill using our other payment options.
While your direct debit is paused, you might notice your bill still shows ‘direct debit’ as the payment method. This is a display issue and no money will be taken during this time.
If you need support with your bills, or if paying by direct debit in full isn't right for you anymore, we can help. Call our temporary direct debit helpline on 1800 805 301, to discuss weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment options.
Thank you for your continued patience while we work to fix this issue.
About your account number
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As part of our billing system upgrade in May 2024, all customers were given a new account number. You’ll find this on your bill.
If you need your account number before your next bill arrives, give us a call on 13 44 99 and we can help.
Your payment will still come through for now. For all future payments, please use your new account number.
Information for business customers
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Small businesses are eligible to receive the same bill credits and waivers, extended bill due date (4 months) and flexible payment options and support as residential customers.
We understand your bills may be complex and you may have a lot of bills coming, so we’re here to help.
In line with our enforceable undertaking (the commitment we made with the Essential Services Commission to fix our billing issues), large commercial customers are not eligible for the credits or waivers that apply to residential and small business customers.
We’re focused on giving you clear, consistent information and supporting you to get back on track with billing. That includes an automatic 4 months to pay to help you manage your accounts, along with flexible payment plans and extra time if needed.
We've set up a dedicated large commercial customer help line and inbox, so if you have any questions, please call 1800 093 558 from 9am to 5pm on weekdays (closed public holidays), or email commercialbilling@gww.com.au
