Clarifications

We’ve seen a bit of confusion about HBRC rates for 2025–2026, so here are two quick clarifications:

1. Sustainable Homes loans
If your rates invoice looks much higher than last year, in most cases it’s likely because your Sustainable Homes loan now forms part of your Total Rates Invoice (instead of being shown separately on last year’s invoice). The amount hasn’t suddenly gone up. We are just required by law to show it now as a combined total.

2. Direct Debit (DD) payments
These are a voluntary payment option which helps ratepayers break their rates into smaller and more manageable amounts spread out over time. They do, however, operate on a “payment in advance basis.”

Your 2025/2026 rates are due on 20 September. You could pay that and then set up a DD moving forward over the next 12 months to set aside funds towards your 2026/2027 rates due next September.

Alternatively, you could choose to combine both your 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 rates together.  Under this option: During the next 6 months you will be paying off your 2025/2026 rates that were due on 20 September. Then the following 6 months you would be setting aside funds towards the 2026/2027 rates that become due on 20 September 2026.  Your DD would then reduce from October 2026 as you start to accrue towards the following year.

Key:

Codes are used on rates invoices to explain different lines on the invoice and they are found on the back of the document.

For web users the main ones are:

L – Land Value

U – Uniform Targeted Rate

C – Capital Value

A – Area (Hectares)