First time tenant role, what to do with bills?

PHARR

Hi MSE, I move into a flat in May with my OH. We are renting and this will be the first time we have done this.

Its private renting and have gone through the contract and things however i dont know how the bills will work? The landlord said they'd explain closer to the date however id like somewhat knowledge beforehand.

I will enter the property, on the first day is it up to me to search around for energy suppliers and set direct debits up with them? Then will i be able use the gas etc immediately after?

I know this could sound like a stupid question, im just very unsure how it will work.

Appreciate any feedback.

princeofpounds

The gas and electric should be 'on' already. You should take meter readings and contact your supplier (there are central phone numbers you can get this info from if the LL doesn't know) on day 1.

You will be operating under a 'deemed contract' initially, which you should switch away from within the first few days onto a deal you choose if you have time.

You can choose how to be billed by the suppliers. Have your bank details ready if you want to set up a direct debit.

This assumes you don't have a pre-pay meter installed.

[Deleted User]

I'm a lazy person so I always put bills and stuff off when moving, a lot of people are lazy like me and the suppliers are well aware of this. If you just ignore the entire thing eventually you'll get letters from the suppliers saying that you owe them money and then you can phone and set up an account.

If you want to be a responsible tenant then do what princeofpounds said but don't panic if you forget or leave it a week or two. Electricity and gas suppliers are very flexible, unlike phone / broadband / tv, it's tied to a property and not a person. To cut off service they have to jump through hoops and can't just cut it off on a whim, whereas with broadband the responsibility is entirely on the tenant.

Also you'll need to sort out council tax and water, they work in the same way -- either phone or wait for a letter.

PHARR

Thank you both for very detailed answers, reassured me at the least.

The LL did mention when entering the property we take readings then its up to me then, how does that work, do i give the reading to the company and they just bill from then? Can it be taken out monthly i assume?

As for water we pay for what we use (not sure if thats a benefit)

I know this is a very long winded question but for a 2 bedroom ground floor flat, would our energy bills monthly be costly?

We would put the heater on for an hour in the morning and maybe 3 after work thats about it, we wont have the washing machine on the go all the time etc. Would £400 will cover the energy bills monthly? I understand its a 'How long is a piece of string' question.

Werdnal

The day yuou get the keys check all the meters, take readings and dated photosgraphs of them if you want to be really "belt and braces". Contact each supplier and put the bills in your name. Do this as a matter of urgency as if there is any overlap in usage from the previous tenant, the utilities will bill you for that on your next bill.

Once you have set up the accounts, you will be able to shop around, change suppliers, set up DD payments etc for each, but don't be slow in setting up the bills in your name as it can be a pain back-tracking and proving you are not responsible for charges left over from previous tenants!

Don't forget council tax and TV license too if you need one.

~Beanie~

Well just to give you an idea, I live in a 2 bed house and I pay £56 pm for gas, £24pm electricity and £22pm water so £400 would more than cover it :-)

Don't forget about council tax and everything else though!

PHARR

Again thank you all, Myself and the LL are going around taking Photos on the first day and she will take a copy of the reading the same with me. On this topic would anyone recommend MSE Energy saving club? Or just go straight into finding a provider for now?

~Beanie~ wrote: »

Well just to give you an idea, I live in a 2 bed house and I pay £56 pm for gas, £24pm electricity and £22pm water so £400 would more than cover it :-)

Don't forget about council tax and everything else though!

Thats very good, i hope my usage is within that boundary. Are you very tight with your usage may i ask or just lenient?


Edit* Can a TV license be obtained a week into our move? Or should be not be watching any TV within the property until purchased?

Werdnal

Just as a aside from your specific questions in this thread, there is an excellent "sticky thread" at top of the forum - A Tenant's Guide to Renting, which is full of useful info for first timers like you. Have a good read, as it might throw up some other things you have not thought about ...

You can buy your TV license online, with monthly, quarterly (best value) or outright for the year payment options. It is in force from the moment you pay, so you can either buy it a few days ahead of your move to get it out of the way, or on the move in date. Legally, if you have a TV, you must have a license, even if you are not actually watching it!

[Deleted User]

Paddy_H wrote: »

Thank you both for very detailed answers, reassured me at the least.

The LL did mention when entering the property we take readings then its up to me then, how does that work, do i give the reading to the company and they just bill from then? Can it be taken out monthly i assume?

As for water we pay for what we use (not sure if thats a benefit)

I know this is a very long winded question but for a 2 bedroom ground floor flat, would our energy bills monthly be costly?

We would put the heater on for an hour in the morning and maybe 3 after work thats about it, we wont have the washing machine on the go all the time etc. Would £400 will cover the energy bills monthly? I understand its a 'How long is a piece of string' question.

Yes, if you contact the supplier they will ask you for the readings however if you don't have them they will estimate based on previous usage and the last figure they have on file. Taking the readings is the way to ensure you only pay what you use, if you don't you might end up paying a few quid extra for the previous usage that wasn't billed (while the flat was empty and the letting agent had lights on for viewings).

I can give you my bill amounts if that will help you, I am currently in a 2 bedroom flat and my previous flat was also 2 bedrooms. This apartment has a gas cooker and electric heating (underfloor):

British Gas:

March 2012 - December 2012: £80.18 (~£10 per month)
December 2012 - February 2013: £46.80 (~£15 per month)

Southern Electric:

March 2012 - October 2012: £53.88 (~£8 per month)
August 2012 - November 2012: £62.51 (~£15 per month)
December 2012 - February 2013: £60.35 (~£20 per month)

I don't use my heating at all but have very heavy usage for my computer, based on my own experience I would (if I was in your situation) budget £30 per month for electricity and £20 per month for gas. However if you use your heating often it will shoot up, but your utilities costs should never exceed £100 per month unless you're running a marijuana farm in your spare room!

[Deleted User]

Werdnal wrote: »

Legally, if you have a TV, you must have a license, even if you are not actually watching it!

No, that is not true!

You are only required to have a TV license if you watch live. You do not need a TV license if you:

- Own a television
- Watch catch up services online (eg: iplayer, 4od)

You do need a TV license if you:

- Watch live TV either online (eg: live iplayer) or with a TV

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/

Watching TV on the internet
You need to be covered by a licence if you watch TV online at the same time as it's being broadcast on conventional TV in the UK or the Channel Islands.

Video recorders and digital recorders like Sky+
You need a licence if you record TV as it's broadcast, whether that's on a conventional video recorder or digital box.

Mobile phones
A licence covers you to watch TV as it's broadcast on a mobile phone, whether you're at home or out and about.

~Beanie~

Paddy_H wrote: »

Thats very good, i hope my usage is within that boundary. Are you very tight with your usage may i ask or just lenient?

My heating is on for an hour when I get up and then between 5pm and midnight. If I'm cold at weekends, I might put it in during the day but only occasionally (and occasionally forget that it's on permanently and leave it on when I'm at work )

For electricity, I am at work all day so only use in the evening, the cooker is used (electric one not gas) and then other than the TV and lights, I probably don't use anything else. I don't have a tumble dryer or dishwasher so if you have these they might bump your consumption up.

I wouldn't say I'm tight, I just don't tend to use much really!