Your student guide to utility bills

Once you move out of halls and into a shared student house, you'll be responsible for paying the utility bills for the property you're renting. If you've never set up utility bills in your name before, this might feel a little intimidating. Luckily, there are lots of approaches that make the process much simpler for students.

First, you and your housemates need to decide whether you'd like to rent your property with bills included or excluded. There are pros and cons to each, so it really depends on your personal preferences.

Bills included 

When you sign a tenancy agreement with bills included, you will only need to make one payment a month, which will cover the cost of your rent and all your utility bills. The utilities included will usually be energy, gas, water, Wi-Fi, and sometimes a TV licence too. You don't need to worry about paying council tax, no matter whether you sign a tenancy with bills included or not, as all students are exempt. 

The main benefit of having bills included is convenience. You don't need to worry about researching utilities providers, setting up bills in your name, or making multiple payments per month to different companies. You just make one payment (your rent) directly to your property manager, and everything will be covered for you.

On the other hand, having bills included does tend to drive up the cost of your rent. This is because your property manager has to predict your usage in advance to ensure that the price they are charging covers it. 

Bills excluded 

Alternatively, you can choose to rent a house that doesn't have bills included in the cost of the rent. This means that you and your housemates will be fully responsible for managing and paying your utility bills. You'll need to think about the providers you'd like to use for gas, electricity, water, and Wi-Fi, and set up contracts with them that will cover your time in the property. This might involve switching away from the providers that the previous tenants were using. You'll also need to set up direct debits, or you'll be liable for any missed payments.

While this requires slightly more admin, it does tend to be a cheaper option. For gas and electricity, the price you pay will depend on your usage. If you take careful steps to limit your usage, you can keep prices down. This is a significant added benefit of signing a tenancy agreement without bills included.

What about splitting the bills?

As lots of students live in shared houses, you'll need to figure out a way to split the cost of bills between you equally. Of course, you can just work it out amongst yourselves, but this can quickly become confusing, particularly if different people have taken responsibility for different bills. An app like Splitwise could help you make the process more efficient if you're struggling.

Alternatively, there are lots of bill-splitting services, like The Student Energy Group and The Bunch, which have specifically designed student utilities packages. You just need to enter the utilities you need covered, and you'll get an instant quote. If you proceed, you'll then receive a monthly bill for just your share of the utilities. Say goodbye to any confusion or petty arguments over bills. 

When you book your student house through StuRents, you can select a tailored student utilities package as part of the booking flow, making it quick and simple to set up your gas, electricity, water, and Wi-Fi. Why not browse the many properties on StuRents.com and see if you find your next home?