Utility Rates & Billing

You can pay your utility bill through most financial institution’s online banking service. To obtain access to online banking services, please contact your financial institution. Once you have access, add the City as a Bill Payee for your respective bill. Search for ‘Victoria (BC) City Utilities’. The exact format may differ at each financial institution.

VISA, Mastercard, or American Express are accepted for utility bills.

Online Payments

The pre-authorized withdrawal program makes budgeting easier and helps you avoid the risk of a penalty.

Once you sign up for the pre-authorized payment program for your utility bill, your financial institution will automatically withdraw the balance of your utility bill on the due date. You will still receive a copy of your bill in the mail for your records, but you won't have to wait in line, write cheques or pay postage or late fees. Your bill will always be paid on time - even when you're on vacation.

Apply for Pre-Authorized Withdrawals [PDF/533KB]

Pay by mail with remittance, allow five business days for payment to reach us. Make cheques payable to "City of Victoria", cheques may be post-dated to due date .

Pay in person at the Public Service Centre in City Hall, 1 Centennial Square, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., or drop box after hours located at the Pandora Street entrance. 

Access your utility account information online 24 hours a day to review billing history. Go to MyCity Online to register.

If you are moving or changing your name or mailing address please contact utility billing for a special reading, email us at utilities@victoria.ca or phone 250.361.0226.

Utilities are billed every 4 months; there are 4 different billing groups:

• January, May and September 15
• February, June and October 15
• March, July and November 15
• April, August and December 15

The utility bill is due and payable by the due date indicated on the front of the utility bill. A late payment charge will be imposed on overdue accounts. As of December 31, any outstanding amount billed before November will be transferred to the property tax roll as property arrears. It then owes on the property taxes as arrears on the property. Interest accumulates at the going tax rate from the 1st of January until the date of payment is received.

No. Utilities are exempt from GST.

Water consumption and service charge, City of Victoria and CRD sewer, and residential garbage if applicable.

The tenant, property manager or the owner can receive the utility bill, but the owner is always responsible for any outstanding amounts.

Utilities are a charge against the property and any outstanding amounts incurred by the previous owner stays outstanding against the property to where the water was delivered. 

Owners are required to give notice to the Utility Billing Department of any change of ownership. Persons purchasing property should see that utility rates are paid; the current property owner is responsible for utility accounts unpaid by former owners or occupants.

A new tenant is not responsible for arrears owing prior to their occupancy date, but this amount will stay outstanding on the bill until it is paid. It is the owners' responsibility.

The homeowner must maintain clear access to the water meter to minimum of three feet on each side of the meter box and four feet above. Should it become necessary for the Water Department to clear the access to the water meter box to obtain a reading, these costs will be added to your water account.

The consumption charge covers the cost of water supplied by the Capital Regional District (CRD). The service charge covers the cost to maintain the City of Victoria and Esquimalt waterworks system.

Please contact Public Works at 250.361.0400.

An underground leak on private property between the meter and the building or inside the building is the owners' responsibility and should be repaired by a plumber. If the plumber exposes the leak and notes it is on City property, please contact Public Works immediately at 250.361.0400 while the leak is exposed.

The sewer charge is for sewage disposal. 

There is a sewer frontage charge on City of Victoria property taxes. This money is used to maintain the City of Victoria sewer system.

No, the sewer charges on the utility bill are only based on your water consumption. Any inquiries regarding sewer problems or repairs should be directed to Public Works at 250.361.0400.

Impervious Area refers to hard surfaces such as roofs, parking areas and driveways. Rainwater flows off these areas and is diverted into the stormwater system. Imperious surface areas were measured through building plans, aerial photography and GIS mapping technology. 
The impervious area rate is $0.7597 per square metre.  

Keeping our streets clean goes a long way to keeping our stormwater clean. This is determined by the length of your property’s street frontage and your street type.

The street cleaning rate is charge per metre of street frontage and rates very by street type:

• local streets: $1.90
• collector streets: $4.04
• arterial streets: $4.56
• downtown streets: $45.50

Note: Low Density Residential properties are charged the Local Streets rate regardless of street type.

Intensity Code refers to the impact a property has on the stormwater system, based on the property type. This rate is a flat fee by property type, as determined by B.C. Assessment:

• low density residential: $0
• multi-family residential: $84.73
• civic / institutional: $75.04
• commercial / industrial: $155.20

This is a program to clean stormwater before it leaves a property. Properties will be registered in the program if they:

• have 10 or more parking spaces
• are automotive businesses, recreation facilities, recycling operations or storage yards
• have construction activities on site

The annual rate per registered property is $172.55.

Learn more about stormwater management and the Codes of Practice