Financial help
What you can expect from us
Our Customer Care team and specially trained WaterCare Support teams understand that everyone’s situation is different. They’ll work with you to find a solution to fit your unique situation and challenges. Please contact us to discuss available options.
Language and translation services
| Arabic العربية | 1300 914 361 | Greek Eλληνικά | 1300 931 364 |
| Cantonese 廣東話 | 1300 921 362 | Mandarin 普通话 | 1300 927 363 |
| Interpreter services | 03 9046 4173 | National relay service website | 1300 304 688 |
| 24-hour TTY voice calls | 133 677 | 24-hour Speak and Listen | 1300 555 727 |
View written information in 24 languages
View Easy English 'Help to pay your water bills' (PDF 1.24MB)
Concessions and Utility Relief Grants
Customers with a pension or eligible concession card may be entitled to a discount of up to 50% on usage charges up to an annual maximum, but you will need to register it with us.
If you’re part of a low-income household and unable to pay your current water bill, a Utility Relief Grant may be able to help by providing up to $650 off your water bills over a 2 year period. We can assist you to apply for this.
Find out more about Utility Relief Grants and see if you’re eligible
Concessions more information
Am I eligible?
If you hold one of these cards, you may be eligible for a concession discount:
- Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card
- Centrelink Health Care Card
- Department of Veteran Affairs Pension Card
You cannot claim a concession discount on:
- The Parks Charge
- The Waterways and Drainage Charge
- If you are a landlord not living at the property
How much is the concession discount?
You can get a 50% deduction on water and sewerage charges up to a yearly maximum of $363. If you are only billed for a single service, such as water only, you will receive 50% off water charges up to a maximum of $181.50.
We’ll backdate your concession for past bills from the start date on your card, or up to 12 months if your card is older than 12 months, and credit this amount to your account. You can also contact Centrelink to request a backdated concession discount for more than 12 months.
How do I register?
You can register your concession online, by logging into MyAccount or calling us on 1300 304 688.
Flexible payment plans
Pay your bill in instalments or let us know if you need more time to pay. If none of the options below feel right for you, please get in touch and we can discuss another way we can help you manage your bills.
Payment plans
If you find smaller, more frequent payments easier to manage, why not set up a SmoothPay plan? You can choose to pay fortnightly or monthly, and we’ll calculate your payment amount based on your prior usage.
Apply online or call us on 1300 304 688 to set up a plan that works for you.
Payment extensions
If you need a little more time to pay, you can apply for a payment extension for up to 30 days.
Apply online or, if you need to request an extension of more than 30 days, you pay using Direct Debit, or have a payment plan call us on 1300 441 248.
CentrePay
If you receive a Centrelink benefit, you can choose to pay your Yarra Valley Water bills through regular deductions from your Centrelink payments. You can also choose to combine this with a Yarra Valley Water payment plan to make payment and budgeting even easier. Once you’ve registered, you’ll just need to let us know if you move.
Find out more about how to set up Centrepay deductions or contact us to register.
Domestic and family violence support
Our dedicated WaterCare Support Team is specially trained to assist people who are experiencing family violence. Your safety and privacy will always be respected and we can place additional privacy protections on your account. If a family violence situation has left you in debt we’ll work with you to find a solution. We can also help refer you to other services for immediate and more long-term assistance.
Find out more about our available support services and external specialist organisations we can refer customers to.
If you’re experiencing domestic or family violence and have an existing debt with us, you might be eligible for a Utility Relief Grant of up to $650.
See if you’re eligible and apply
Unexpected high bills
If you’ve received an unexpectedly high bill, it’s worth conducting a leak test as a first step. Alternatively, get in touch and our team can help you conduct a leak test, and in some instances can assist with arranging repair, or reducing your bill.
Please call us on 1300 304 688, or enquire online.
Medical conditions and life support machines that require high water use
The health and safety of our customers is paramount. If you have a medical condition or life support equipment that requires high water use, there are options to help reduce the cost of your bill.
Discounts
If you are a concession holder and have a haemodialysis machine, you may qualify for a concession of 42 kilolitres per quarter on your account. This is in addition to your existing concession discount.
To apply, we require a Life Support Concession application or Notification of Installation of Life Support machine to update your record in our system. This notification is generally provided by your hospital if it’s in our area. This discount does not apply to peritoneal dialysis or oxygen concentrators.
You can get an application form from the Department of Human Services website.
If you require large amounts of water for other health reasons, you may be eligible for a discount of up to 20% on your usage charges. To apply, simply get in touch with , and if we think you are eligible we will ask you to provide a doctor’s certificate, which will need to be updated every 12 months. This discount is in addition to other concessions you may receive.
Consistent water supply
We do our best to maintain a consistent water supply to all customers but understand this can be especially important for customers with certain medical conditions. Please contact us to ensure we are aware of your needs, and we can take extra steps to ensure you have adequate notice for any service disruptions, or an alternative water supply is provided if necessary.
Support for small business customers
We know many small businesses also face financial pressures. That's why we offer a range of support options to help keep you on top of your bills.
Flexible payment plans
Pay your bill in instalments or let us know if you need more time to pay. If none of the options below feel right for you, please get in touch and we can discuss another way we can help you manage your bills.
Payment plans
If you find smaller, more frequent payments easier to manage, why not set up a SmoothPay plan? You can choose to pay fortnightly or monthly, and we’ll calculate your payment amount based on your prior usage.
Apply online or call us on 1300 304 688 to set up a plan that works for you.
Payment extensions
If you need a little more time to pay, you can apply for a payment extension for up to 30 days.
Apply online or, if you need to request an extension of more than 30 days, you pay using Direct Debit, or have a payment plan call us on 1300 441 248.
Referrals
If you need additional support, there are a range of additional services we can refer you to.
Financial counselling
We work in partnership with community organisations that offer free financial counselling services. Please let us know if this would be helpful for you.
One Stop One Story Hub
If you’re experiencing domestic or family violence and/or financial hardship you’ll only need to tell your story once and get access to holistic, wrap-around support through the One Stop One Story Hub. With your permission, we can share this information with other participating service providers including utility providers, banks, tollways, legal service providers and telecommunications companies.
Check out the growing list of partners here.
Further information
For more information about our commitment to supporting customers, see our Customer Support Policy or our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy.