IPART conducted a household survey in 2006 in Sydney Water Corporation’s area of operation, which includes the Sydney metropolitan area, Illawarra and Blue Mountains. The aim of the project was to provide IPART with a better understanding of the impact of its pricing decisions on residential households in these areas. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect information on household characteristics, including household size, income, appliance ownership and use, awareness of energy retail competition, awareness of the two-tier water pricing structure and energy efficiency packs. Households were asked to sign a consent form allowing their water and energy utilities to release their consumption data. The two sets of data were matched by Taverner Research, the consultant appointed by IPART to conduct the survey, and all personal information has been permanently deleted from the data files. A report on the findings of the survey was released on IPART’s website on 5 December 2007. Research Paper 29 - RP29