utilities for students - heeeeeeeeeeeelp!!

catherinemohan

hi!!

I guess a lot of others reading this will be in the same position as I am at the moment. In just over a month I am moving into my first student house after living in halls for a year and my new housemates and I have no idea where to start in the whole gas, electricity, phone line, internet etc etc setting up!!
We obviously want to save as much money as possible, being students, but there's going to be 7 of us living together, all girls, and so really need something that isn't going to let us run up huge bills and really something that will allow us to budget each month.
Like I say, we are completely over our heads at the moment but we really need to get things sorted ASAP so any helpful hints in the right direction would be very greatfully recieved!!

Thanks in advance

catxx

idiot_3

ok, one tip is to get a phone line for broadband but no phone. use your mobiles, that way a bill cannot be run up (except ine rental). then there will be no argument about who has to pay what.

student100

Have a look at the Utilities Board and Telephones board.

If you have a landline, it's a LOT cheaper to use it than use your mobiles (look in the Telephones board, it's possible to make unlimited length national calls for just pennies).

Midget_Karen

I think you need to start by speaking to the people in teh house at the moment. It will be much easier to take over bills from them ie electric etc and just get them transferred into your name than to have them disconnect then try to reconnect etc. You can phone the companies on the day your contract starts with the readings from meters etc, and they will send the bill up till then to the others, and from then on to you.
The companies should know about students - they deal with them lots.

Once you have it transferred to your name, you can then start shopping around for deals etc.

eml_3

Make sure you take meter readings when you move in and notify the relevant companies. Then, try and get EVERYONE's name put on the bill - then you will all have a joint and several liability and one person doesn't get lumbered if everyone else decides not to pay.

Check your tenancy agreement and check with your Landlord if you want to change supplier as quite a few will not allow it.

Be careful of people who knock on the door from utility companies. They often target student areas at the start of term and some have been known to ask students to sign up for more information. Next thing they know, they have been switched to another supplier!

catherinemohan

Thanks everyone, would likely have never thought to take meter readings but it seems so obvious now, like I say we really are complete novices!! Just one more thing are we responsible for informing the companies of the change of tenancy or are the current tenants?? Just scared they may have already informed them and so we're in danger of being disconnected anyway. Finally we do want a home phone but purely for incoming calls and emergencies does anyone know of a package that includes broadband access and local rate calls or something of the sort??!!

Thanks again

catxx

rchddap1

One thing you didn't mention on your list was water. Don't forget this one.

catherinemohan

luckily that's been sorted for us, we had to pay £50 each for the year, meaning water is going to cost us £350 for the year between the 7 of us, no idea whether thats a fair price but it was one less thing to sort out!!

catxx

Goat

catherinemohan wrote:

luckily that's been sorted for us, we had to pay £50 each for the year, meaning water is going to cost us £350 for the year between the 7 of us, no idea whether thats a fair price but it was one less thing to sort out!!

catxx

Seems like a lot! Our water is included in the rent - which is £48.50 a week each. (4 people.)

Phonix

To be honest with 7 people living in one house you'll save alot.

It would be alot worse if you were living on your own.

And just as well there's seven of you if you have to pay for water.

BWZN93

Goat wrote:

Seems like a lot! Our water is included in the rent - which is £48.50 a week each. (4 people.)

Bloody hell - thats cheap!! Ive just finished at bristol, Academic Year 2002 - 2003, rent was £68 per week, not inc bills!

Our water for a 6 bedroom house was about £320 for the entire year, estimate, not metered usage.

I personally found Broadband and Phone costs to be the worst! Make sure EVERYONES name is on the Bill, I got stiffed with that one and now i have a lovely British Gas default on my credit record, when I moved out months before everyone else and told them to change the names, which they did not do, and which I am now trying to get removed. Might be worth having a bill account for the house which everone pays £25 a month into, and then gets DD out. This is working for us currently... Natwest gave us a basic 'Step' account for the 6 of us.

Jo xx