Advice needed please on student gas & electricity!

**sd**

Hello,

I am totally clueless on this topic and would love to nab a great deal, so I am hoping some of you experts might be able to help me...

I have just moved into a student house in Exeter with four other girls, and we are currently trying to sort out our gas and electricity supplier. I have absolutely no idea how to go about doing this unfortunately!
Last year the tennants were with N Power, so I am guessing that I could ring them with bank details and set this up? I saw on their website that you can save money by doing this online and paying by diect debit, which we would be more than happy to do.
I would like to get a good deal though, but as I have no previous information about how much electricity was used last year (i am thinking we will use pretty much the same amount!) then I cannot go onto a comparison website.

I am just in a bit of a muddle at the moment, so any advice anyone has for me would be fantastic!

Thanks very much xxx

rcooke

If the supplier was previously nPower ring them up and tell them you've moved in, don't both with direct debit just ask for cheque prompt as I recommend moving to a cheaper supplier. With nPower you will only get the £70 direct debit discount after 12 months, nothing at all if you move.

Online dual fuel direct debit products are the cheapest. Good examples are BG's Click Energy 4 and Scottish Power's Online Energy Saver 4.

ChumpusRex

You just need to ring them, give them your details, date you moved in (and if you have it the meter reading on that date).

However, Npower aren't particularly competent. When I moved home, I rang them about half-a-dozen times and they couldn't set up an account:
- There's no such address
- We don't supply electricity to that address
- That account's been closed
(It's not like it was a new build property - they even supplied the electricity for the previous occupiers)

After 3 months they sent a bill to 'the occupier' , and I was then able to get the details changed.

Terrylw1

Hi,

You would be best ringing your local Distributor first and speaking to their MPAS. They can then tell you who the current Supplier is.

Make sure you tenancy agreement doesn't cover gas & electricity because if it does, your landlord would pay to the Supplier and you pay him/her instead. This means you have no control over the tariff unless you pay the Supplier direct.

Have a look at this thread, not related but it's very important you understand when sharing how things can go badly wrong:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=575990

Make sure ALL of you are listed on the bill (if not covered in the tenancy agreement) as the billed names are the parties liable. This will avoid problems later. Most Suppliers canot split bills for shared properties so it's either a) 1 of you accepted liability (not recommended) or b) all of you on the bill making you all liable (recommended)

Take a reading straight away to get an accurate starting bill, ring up your current Supplier and set an account up.

Remember, if you want to set up a DD you have consider how this would happen. Are you thinking about accepting the money off the others and paying for it out of your bank account? Just make sure you can cover the payments on your own then because if you have to gather cash off the others, thats not the Suppliers problem if they make you go overdrawn due to say 1 student not paying you.

Give it all some thought to avoid the pitfalls.

Remember, it's not the Suppliers fault if 1 of you defaults payment so they will chase debts on all of you. Then it's a matter of explaining you've paid your share.

So, it's going to come down to you all working together to make it smooth.

Daisey-Duke

Take a reading straight away to get an accurate starting bill, ring up your current Supplier and set an account up.

Remember, if you want to set up a DD you have consider how this would happen. Are you thinking about accepting the money off the others and paying for it out of your bank account? Just make sure you can cover the payments on your own then because if you have to gather cash off the others, thats not the Suppliers problem if they make you go overdrawn due to say 1 student not paying you.

Give it all some thought to avoid the pitfalls.

Remember, it's not the Suppliers fault if 1 of you defaults payment so they will chase debts on all of you. Then it's a matter of explaining you've paid your share.

So, it's going to come down to you all working together to make it smooth.[/quote]


Great advice.
My friend shared but they had meters.

AWinner

Check with your landlord who is supplying the property.

Take the meter readings before contacting any supplier as you are not liable for any usage prior to moving in.

All the other advice given is correct so I won't add more

stimpo

Terrylw1 wrote: »

Hi,
Remember, it's not the Suppliers fault if 1 of you defaults payment so they will chase debts on all of you. Then it's a matter of explaining you've paid your share.

Heres my tuppenth, we dont care if one person hasnt paid theyre share and everyone else has. We'll chase everyone. Its up to whoever is named on the bill to make sure its paid, if everyone is named on the bill you are all liable if one person doesnt pay.

Terrylw1

stimpo wrote: »

Heres my tuppenth, we dont care if one person hasnt paid theyre share and everyone else has. We'll chase everyone. Its up to whoever is named on the bill to make sure its paid, if everyone is named on the bill you are all liable if one person doesnt pay.

Thats very true. Certainly if the account is in a live state, it's up to the students to sort it even if 1 of them has to pay twice...just not the Suppliers problem.

However, in a closed account status where the students can prove some of them have paid an equal share leaving just 1 of them owing the final amount this can be highlighted on the account and any resulting debt passed to the 1 student only. May mean setting up an account to do it though and it's always messy!