Moving into Electric only flat,

cakesandshakes

I’m moving into an electric only flat next week and looking at setting up my bills. The flat company have offered to set me up on a monthly payment plan for my electric, council tax and 

jbuchanangb

You message was cut short. General advice would be that it is better to be in charge of your own destiny. Pay the rent to the landlord, and manage your own council tax, utility bills etc. Any monthly payment plan which the landlord or agent set up will include some aspect of paying them to administer it for you. For electricity you will need to read the meter when you move in, and contact whichever company already supplies the flat. Open an account with them on their standard variable tariff. Same rule applies for water. For council tax, contact the local council. If you're on your own don't forget you get single-occupancy discount.

cakesandshakes

First post and this has not gone well! 

cakesandshakes said:

I’m moving into an electric only flat next week and looking at setting up my bills. The flat company have offered to set me up on a monthly payment plan for my electric, council tax and 

To finish post: they’ve offered a monthly payment option with my utilities combined (council tax, water, electric) of £255 a month (on top of rent) 

however, I did a price check with Scottish power, the supplier of the apartments, and quoted monthly price of £79 per month, fixed for a year. Is this a reasonable estimate? I have no idea about potential usage and the EPC of the flat is rated B. 

With the way things are going I guess my main concern is that I will be paying a lot more than £255 a month. Worried about the price surges for energy and trying to figure out what’s best. 

Robin9

cakesandshakes said:

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however, I did a price check with Scottish power, the supplier of the apartments, and quoted monthly price of £79 per month, fixed for a year. Is this a reasonable estimate? I have no idea about potential usage and the EPC of the flat is rated B. 

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What info did you give SP ? Unless its on known consumption is pretty worthless.  On face value £79 is a gross underestimate - it may have been true last Autumn but not now.  -  budget for £200 - this year is going to be very rocky (and expensive)

jbuchanangb

You need to understand that the quoted £79 per month fixed for a year is NOT a fixed payment which will cover all your electricity bills. It is a guesstimate of an amount which you should pay, which goes into your account monthly and the bills for the actual usage come out of the account monthly. Scottish Power should also tell you whether their charges for usage (made up of a daily rate and a rate per kWh) are to be fixed for the year. What can't be fixed or predicted is the usage. If £79 per month is not enough you will build up a debit balance, and later have to increase your payments to catch up. I stand by my opinion that you should manage these things yourself, not pay someone else to do it.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

don't go with the management company, they don't do it to save you money, they do to make themselves money, and don't really care if they get you a good deal or not and any problems later with suppliers you will probably need to sort out yourself.

Set up your own electricity account, as advised above.

Take regular meter readings, at very least once a month, though daily/weekly to start with, and give regular monthly readings to supplier to avoid estimates.

Set up a wee spreadsheet and use readings to keep an eye on usage and payments.

Now is a good time to start a DD as hopefully will start to use less for heating, so will allow you to build up your 'kitty' over the warmer months, for next winter.

Good luck in new flat.

Ultrasonic

cakesandshakes said:
To finish post: they’ve offered a monthly payment option with my utilities combined (council tax, water, electric) of £255 a month (on top of rent) 

Just know that no landlord is ultimately going to choose to lose money through any 'offer' they may give you. Decline this and get everything in your own name. It's the only way you'll know you're actually paying the real costs. Also, how much electricity and water (assuming there is a meter) you actually use will determine your bills.

luvchocolate

Just a thought if they pay your council tax you may not get the £150 rebate 

[Deleted User]

cakesandshakes said:

I’m moving into an electric only flat next week and looking at setting up my bills. The flat company have offered to set me up on a monthly payment plan for my electric, council tax and 

I echo what others have said. Take charge of your own bills as the landlord could be getting a kick back for offering to do this for you. Keeping a record of your meter readings is really important, even now we have moved to online accounts. If there is a technical problem and all your online readings are deleted, at least you can prove what you have used.