How much can I expect to pay in monthly bills? Glasgow, Scotland.

themapletree

I will be moving in somewhere with my girlfriend for the first time in the next month or two. I have only ever had student accommodation before, so we are confused as to how much we should expect to be paying for bills on a monthly basis when renting a house.

The place will probably be OUTSIDE Glasgow city centre, and will be a house, likely semi-detached, with 2 bedrooms, and ideally no more than £600 a month or so on rent.

Does anyone have any ideas how much we would be expecting to pay for the likes of electric, heating, council tax etc on top of the rent, at the very worst? We need to figure out even rough figures so we know what is achievable. It won't be a big place, but not as small as a flat.

It would be especially great if anyone who lives in this sort of area/house type can supply some information.

Many thanks.

Notmyrealname

Rough guide:

Gas/Electric £70-£80
Council Tax £120 (10 months)
Water £30-£40
TV Licence £12
Phone/Internet can vary wildly but call it £20 for both.
Food - £200-£300

rentergirl

Agree mostly with the above, but go to an online comparison site, and don't be afraid to shop around. Food costs? well, obviously, that's cheaper if you cook from scratch (learn...) and ask for a water meter - it's cheaper inn the long term.

jennifernil

Water and sewerage is paid along with CT in Scotland, very few people have water meters up here.

CT will depend on the band, a band D house in Glasgow was approx £1600 this year.

Don't forget you will need some contents insurance.

themapletree

Thanks for the replies.

Can you ALWAYS change your energy providers, or are there instances where you have to go with what the landlord or letting agent has set up/what was set up prior to you arriving?

Also, should all places on the market have an Energy Performance Certificate I can look at, or only the new builds? From what I gather, I want to have a good EPC as it will cut down on energy consumption (for obvious reasons).

Notmyrealname

Whether you can change depends on the LL/LA. An EPC TBH is a complete and utter waste of space. It doesn't mean you'll use less and the savings from a grade C to grade A are so minimal as to be basically immeasurable. Changing all the lightbulbs from standard to low energy will cut your bills just as much as renting a grade B over a C.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Gas/Electric will vary considerably depending on the type of heating you have, how often you're home, how efficient you are at cost saving, and whether the house is well insulated and draft free or not. Somewhere between £75 and £150 a month on average.

Council tax in Scotland should in most cases include water usage, and will probably be £1600 or so a year.

TV Licence, Phone, Internet, etc figure another £50 or so a month.

Food and drink vary wildly depending upon your tastes but assume £400 a month for two at least, and don't forget to figure in transport costs or parking permit costs if there are any.