A water service charge is a component of each account that I received from Sydney Water (about $40.00). It is not clear to me whether this is a charge per unit or per water meter. If it is per water meter and the water supply to a number of units runs from this one meter, then it would appear that there is an overall saving to each unit, with one only service charge divided between them all as opposed to a service charge per unit. The water usage charge is then presumably divided between all units connected to this one meter – presumably on a unit entitlement basis.
While the costs might not be perfectly fairly divided as there is no way of knowing exactly how much water each unit uses, nonetheless the savings are likely worthwhile as each $40 saved equates to a significant amount of water.
An area where savings may be substantially more significant is that of gas meters and gas usage – particularly if the gas is only used for cooking. I regularly receive gas bills of less than $50 and the charge just to have the gas meter sitting there is in excess of $40. I am aware of at least one block of units where the Owners Corporation and all units are attached to the one meter. As gas bills are quarterly there is a saving in excess of $160 per annum for each gas meter that is not there. Of course if anyone has gas heating the potential for abuse of such a communal gas supply system exists. But in the block of units that I’m aware of the owners come out well ahead in terms of gas supply costs.