First Time Buyer (what prices to expect)

thomasdown

Hello Guys,

Me and my fiancee have just bought a 3 bed semi in Havering (Greater London just inside M25). Was wondering what sort of prices to expect with regards to all 3 utilities (Elec,Water and Gas). How much does someone with the same type of house pay quarterly? I have budgeted £300 a 1/4 or £1200 yearly? Obviously winter bills will probably be more than summer bills. Is this reasonable? Good news is that fiancees dad is a builder so new double glazed windows and loads of insulation is going in? Aswell as a potterton gold boiler? Rewire will be carried out so new modern electrics! Only myself and fiancee at the moment but buba is due next March. Just need your thoughts really guys as to what to expect? I have been looking and there is 100's of tariffs available? If you were starting out which tariff would you choose and why? Price will probably be more important than service? I have tried comparison sites but it asks for readings and what tariff you're currently on etc etc which I have no idea about? lol.

Any comments or thoughts would be absolutely fantastic because you guys have done it and know what you're talking about?

Thanks & Regards

Tom

p.s. sorry about the long post

dogshome

Your £1200 pa looks OK for Gas & Elec and may even fall a bit when the Insulation & Glazing are fitted - Try to get these in before Winter arrives

However the £1200 won't cover the water as well.
If the house already has a Water Meter, with just 2 in the house you will be looking appx. £200 a year - If there isn't a meter the water bill will be based on the Rateable value which will cost £500+
The water Co's aim to fit unmetered houses with meters when there is a change of ownership, but this could take some time

DirectDebacle

From this website:

http://www.energychoices.co.uk/managing-your-energy-suppliers-when-moving-house-ask-our-expert.html



After you move

1. Moving day – On the day you move in to your new home, make sure you take a gas and an electricity meter reading, and keep a copy of these as well as giving them to your new supplier. This will allow them to send you an accurate first bill.
2. Who supplies you? – If the old occupants of the house haven’t been kind enough to leave you with the supplier details, it’s easy to find them. To find out who supplies the gas to your new home, or your Gas Meter Point Reference Number, contact the meter number helpline on 0870 608 1524. To find out who supplies the electricity to your new home, or your Electricity Supply Number, contact the local electricity distribution company. The number will be in the telephone directory under ‘Electricity’. You should ask for the company’s Meter Point Administration Service (MPAS).
3. ‘Deemed contract’ – When you move into your new home, your energy supply will be under a ‘deemed contract’. This means that the gas and electricity supplier for the previous owner will automatically become yours. This may not necessarily be the best supplier for your usage, or the area so check using our Energy Comparison tool. If you don’t know how much energy you’re likely to be using in your new home, because it is either bigger or smaller, our tool can estimate it for you - just select the number of bedrooms in your home. This will provide you with an indication of which suppliers may be cheapest.