THE number of ratepayers paying instalments has almost quadrupled in 12 months.

Daily News readers are among those paying in instalments.

Yolande Cave said in the past she had paid her rates in full by the due date.

"This year can't even afford 6 months so paying it monthly," she wrote.

Richard Hogan said the increase in rates made it hard for the average family to pay out a lump sum.

"The discount previously did present enough of a carrot to make it worthwhile," he wrote.

"Currently, the discount is pittance and I am better off holding the money for the second instalment even if I do have it as the interest I can get on it would be close the discount anyway."

Tara Louise is also paying the six monthly instalments.

"That extra money is better sitting against our home loan than the meagre discount that was offered," she wrote.

The increase has prompted some readers to call for a quarterly payment option.

"With Southern Downs rates being so high a quarterly option like normal councils offer would be a great idea," Jamie Nicol wrote.

What other readers had to say:

We paid them in full just because we couldn't see giving them extra money just to pay it in instalments.

Still have not recovered from that. Broke as these days.

- Rhiannon E Clark

Ours is paid fortnightly.

Been doing that for 6yrs or more.

Majority of it is paid before we get the stupid bill.

- Kirra Davidson

Isn't that an indication of how expensive they are and the financial situation of most people, this can't continue.

- Warren Webster

I pay my Logan rates quarterly... so much easier.

That's how they bill us.

- Justin Russell

It's because more and more people can't pay it in a lump sum and the big discount they gave.

- Robert Devereux

Pit falls of owning a home.

- Helen Fitch