Nature of the service
UtilityWatch.NZ is a free, non-commercial community project. It is not a registered business, financial service, or government entity.
The tools provided are for educational and informational purposes only. They help Aucklanders benchmark their water usage but do not constitute legal or financial advice. Always verify important decisions with qualified professionals.
How it works
To ensure statistical accuracy, the system relies on community contributions. Users are asked to contribute data (by uploading a bill) to make the averages meaningful for everyone. This "give a little, get a lot" approach keeps the dataset robust and useful.
You can browse general information without uploading, but personalised comparisons require a contribution. Uploading is always your choice.
Your responsibilities
When using the service, you agree to:
- Only upload bills and information you have the right to share
- Obtain consent before uploading bills containing other people's information
- Use the service lawfully and respectfully
- Provide accurate information to help ensure accurate comparisons
Your data and permissions
You own your data.
By uploading a bill, you give UtilityWatch.NZ permission to:
- Analyse the data to show you a comparison
- Include anonymous usage data in the community aggregate (e.g., "Average usage for a 3-person home")
- Use anonymised, aggregated data for public interest purposes as described in our Privacy Policy
No ownership is claimed over your documents. Your raw bills will not be published publicly.
Privacy and data use
The Privacy Policy explains how information is collected, used, and protected. By using the service, you agree to the Privacy Policy.
Service availability
Best efforts are made to keep things running, but:
- Features may be modified or improved over time
- The service may occasionally go offline for maintenance
- Uninterrupted access cannot be guaranteed
Disclaimer of liability
As this is a free community tool, the service is provided "as is."
To the maximum extent permitted by New Zealand law, UtilityWatch.NZ is not liable for any decisions made based on this data, or for any errors in the analysis. Always check your actual bills with your provider.
Nothing in these Terms limits your rights under New Zealand consumer protection law where such rights cannot be excluded.
Termination
You may stop using the service at any time. Access may be suspended if there is reasonable belief that the service is being misused in ways that harm the project or other users.
Changes to these terms
These Terms may be updated from time to time. When changes are made, the date at the top of this page will be updated.
Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand.
Contact
Questions? Contact contact@utilitywatch.nz