How much are bills ?

Maverickmonster_2

Hi all

I wanna move from the family home , and move into a little 1 bed flat which is about 550 - 600 pounds a month in rent, in my area.

Never done anything like this before , how much roughly are all my bills going to be ?

I think that food ( for one ) will be about 100 a month.

What about water , gas , electric, council tax (anything else i dont know about)

Can any one say from experience how much all the utilities are a month ?

As a reference , this is in newbury , berkshire.

Thanks in advance.

Chris

dalepearson

The best thing to do if your a first time buyer is to ask the current owners if you can have a look at some bills to get an idea of cost.

I am sure they will be happy to help, its only a rough idea as yours will be dependant on what you use.

Ally

Have a look on the debt free wannabe thread, many users have listed their outgoings and you can get a rough idea. As for council tax, contact your local council to find out what band it is in and how much it'll cost you a month (payable over 10 months).

Ask your family how much they pay for utilities etc, I'm not sure about asking strangers - I'd find it odd if someone asked me to show them my bills! Besides, the previous tenant may not be around to ask. You can try the landlord, they may be able to help you more - you should also check to see if your rent will include an amount for council tax too.

PoorDave

I would estimate water £30pcm
Gas & electric £150 a quarter, so £50pcm
Council tax £80-100pcm

This is (from memory) what i paid for my 1 bed about 4 yrs ago though.

I'd set aside £200 in total for the above, personally, and see how things go

wigginsmum

If you're in a flat with a management company and paying a maintenance fee, you may find it includes water rates and buildings insurance - mine did. Back in 1999 I paid around £50/month for the maintenance.

If you live alone in a flat, I believe you're entitled to a 25% reduction on council tax.

PoorDave

wigginsmum wrote:

If you're in a flat with a management company and paying a maintenance fee, you may find it includes water rates and buildings insurance - mine did. Back in 1999 I paid around £50/month for the maintenance.

If you live alone in a flat, I believe you're entitled to a 25% reduction on council tax.

To clarify the last point, there is a single occupancy discount of 25% on your council tax at any property where you live alone, including flats and houses. Doesn't have to be a flat

sarah_elton

PoorDave wrote:

I would estimate water £30pcm
Gas & electric £150 a quarter, so £50pcm
Council tax £80-100pcm

This is (from memory) what i paid for my 1 bed about 4 yrs ago though.

I'd set aside £200 in total for the above, personally, and see how things go

Not far off despite stupid hikes in electricity prices lately. I'm on my own in a 2 bed flat and water is £34/month (they can't put me on a meter which would save me money ) and electricity now about £70.

Normally if there is a maintenance/service charge the landlord pays so it's included in your rent, but double check when viewing.

Also don't forget TV license, phone, broadband (?), cable/satellite (?).