Precinct apartments, like most apartment buildings, have fixed utility providers that offer bulk discount pricing to all residents and common areas. As such, you will be limited in previous services when moving in to an apartment complex. There are also providers that Government assign to specific services within an area, i.e. gas may be serviced in an area by only one company, or water.
Precinct has the following providers that service resident utilities:
- Active Utilites – Electrical services.
- Origin Energy – Gas hot water.
- Great Western Water – Cold water supply.
Internet
Apartment complexes are fortunate with Internet connectivity, in that providers run high speed fibre services to cater high density living. Simply, you will get superior speeds from specific providers instead of using NBN.
Pineapple Internet are the recommended provider for Internet within Precinct, as you get the same up speed as you do down at an affordable price. Up speed is as important today as down speed, especially with most things being cloud based. For example, Pineapple is Fibre To The Building (FTTB) with a 150/150 connection at $65 a month, up-to a 1000/1000 at only $120 monthly – TPG also have FTTB and their cheapest is $70 monthly for 50/15. Yup, just 15Mbps UP speed. Other providers are similar, none providing what Pineapple provide.
Your choice, stick with NBN and its ordinary speeds or switch to Pineapple Internet when living in Precinct and enjoy amazing Internet quality.
Electricity
It can be daunting to think that you’re fixed to a specific provider, but remember, this is bulk pricing that is not available to households. Active do not have tiered pricing, just the one flat rate, which is close to the wholesale rate. For example, most providers offer off-peak and peak pricing. Off-peak you pay below the wholesale price, but the majority of your electricity is during peak rates, thus the rate is often much higher than wholesale to compensate for off-peak rates.
As at June 2023 – Active anytime rate is: $0.2118/kWh and the wholesale Victorian City Power rate is $0.2170. Active daily supply charge is $1.1611 and wholesale City Power is $1.1623. The prices are respectable.
Can you get normal electricity offers? Yes, as an owner you can opt to change your meter from a private owned meter to one with an National Meter Identifier (NMI) so you can choose your provider. The cost is your own for an electrician to change the meter and register it, around $1500 – $2000. You will still pay Active Utilities line charge for use of the power lines in which they are maintaining, but otherwise you can flip around to any provider after that.
Gas Hot Water
On the roof of each building is an instant gas water system and water tanks. Outside each apartment in the roof is a water meter on the hot pipe. This meter reads your hot water throughput which Origin Energy then calculates your share against that buildings gas usage to heat the hot water.
You do not pay for the water that comes through your hot pipes, that is paid collectively by all owners in OC fees. Renters pay this as part of their rent. This will change during 2024/2025, where Origin will bill owners as part of their gas usage, the hot water usage, once apartment metering systems are upgraded.
The listing for this on your gas bill is typically “Stovetop” or wording to that affect.
Cold Water
The cold water line is metered and controlled by Great Western Water. This is apartment based consumption.
Gas Kitchen Cooktop
Residents do not pay for the gas consumed through their kitchen cooktops, it is a combined cost to all owners via OC fees. Renters pay this in their rent.