How to budget and choose supplier for a first-time renter

sjreynolds143

Hello.

My son is about to rent on his own for the first time - a 1 bed flat in the Hastings area. We don't yet know where, because we aren't quite at that point. What we do need to know, though, is how much it is likely to cost - that could affect what he can afford to rent, and I want to put figures into a budget that I'm helping him draw up.

I cannot find, though, any guidance on what sort of usage I might need to estimate. All the online tools I've found (including Energy Club) seem designed to help you switch, and want to know what energy you already use as well as the address you live at and who your current supplier is. My four-bedroom house (and his previous four-bedroom student flat) aren't exactly useful in that respect.

So can you point me at some guidance that will help, or suggest a good supplier for someone starting out. He will be employed, so dual-fuel, direct debit, etc are all available and keep the cost down.

Neil_Jones

The current suppliesrs you can find out here once you move in:
https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/who-is-my-energy-supplier/

And make contact with those suppliers, and then you're free to switch. Note that while you're switching the gas and electricity used will still need to be paid for.

As to actual usage, start with the national average - 16k kWh of gas and 3.3k kWh of electricity. Once he's lived there a while he'll know roughly what his usage is for future information.

Re: costs - depends on the region and the usage. Use less, pay less. Simple as that.

Biscuit_Tin

Neil_Jones wrote: »

...

As to actual usage, start with the national average - 16k kWh of gas and 3.3k kWh of electricity. Once he's lived there a while he'll know roughly what his usage is for future information.

..

I thought the average was 12000kWh of gas and 3100kWh per year?

Anyway, most comparison sites, including the MSE CEC, offer the ability to estimate your annual usage if you don't know what it is.

That's probably better than using a nationwide average, as a 1 bed flat with a single occupier may well be different to the national average, especially as many 1 bed flats do not have any gas.

Robin9

sjreynolds143 wrote: »

................, so dual-fuel, direct debit, etc are all available and keep the cost down.

Dual fuel isn't generally the best way to go - different suppliers for elec and gas can be more beneficial.

Get into the habit of reading his meter at least monthly and read and understand his bills.

sjreynolds143

Robin9 wrote: »

Dual fuel isn't generally the best way to go - different suppliers for elec and gas can be more beneficial.

Did not know that - I had always assumed that both from the same supplier was more cost effective. So thank you. May well have to check my own supplier now!

Talldave

If it's any help, my last flat rent was a 2 bed flat in a purpose built block (2008 build) with gas central heating/hot water but electric cooker & hob. It was well insulated by the surrounding flats so I considered the heating bill low, but with 2 adults and 1 baby we used 5000kWh of gas and 3100 kWh of electricity per year.


In terms of affordability, the bills in highest to lowest order for us were:
Council Tax
Water (combi boiler pushed this up)
Electricity
Gas
TV Licence
Contents Insurance


If you want a landline for broadband, that probably slips in between Electricity and Gas.


Look out for modern purpose built flats with double glazing and gas central heating.

PiperLime223

 There are so many ins and outs to choosing a new supplier I didn't want to make a mistake. I feel happy with my choice. There a lots of articles out there to help you. I tried to add a link to the one i read but it wont let me.

JJ_Egan

Lets hope the OP has not waited for you through cold winters .

Plenty of info on here and i would suggest a lot more knowledge than many articles .

MattMattMattUK

It is fairly difficult to calculate energy usage accurately, for instance my property is a large (150sqm) two bed flat, modern build, well insulated, electric only. My energy bills over a year averages around £45 pcm. A friend lives in a normal sized two bed flat, gas and electric, his energy bills are around £70 pcm. Now his property is less well insulated, but he also has gas which is cheaper to heat both the property and hot water with. I have been at home more than him over the last year as I have been working from home due to Covid, whilst he is out of the house for 8-10 hours a day. Other variables are how good one is at turning things off, length of showers, running washing with a full load vs a few items, energy efficiency of appliances, light bulbs etc. all factor in. 

Based on my gut, I would say it is better to take a conservative estimate and then be pleasantly surprised, rather than an optimistic estimate and then find the cost is more than he hoped. On that basis I would say put in £70 pcm for combined energy and it is unlikely that he will exceed those levels unless he manages his energy usage very badly, then with any luck in a year's time he will be able to revise the ongoing costs downwards (make sure it is a year, so he is not lulled into a false sense of the real cost over the warmer summer months).