How to set up bills in a student house
Hi, I’m new to moving into a student flat with bills not included. (2 of us). I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice on how to set bills up? Do i just call them up? How do I set an account with them and is it necessary to switch providers (If i do, how much will I save and how do I do it).
I would like to hear your stories on how you set up your student bills and experiences with bills e.g unexpected charge or anything else.
Thank you in advance!
I would like to hear your stories on how you set up your student bills and experiences with bills e.g unexpected charge or anything else.
Thank you in advance!
Original post by Krystal1000
Hi, I’m new to moving into a student flat with bills not included. (2 of us). I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice on how to set bills up? Do i just call them up? How do I set an account with them and is it necessary to switch providers (If i do, how much will I save and how do I do it).
I would like to hear your stories on how you set up your student bills and experiences with bills e.g unexpected charge or anything else.
Thank you in advance!
I would like to hear your stories on how you set up your student bills and experiences with bills e.g unexpected charge or anything else.
Thank you in advance!
Internet; Call up a provider, normally its very easy. They send you a modem in the mail takes 30 minutes to setup and you setup a direct debit for 10-12 months.
Water & gas, take a meter reading when you move in. Then you call them up (or sign up online) then every 3 months you tell them the meter reading (and occasionally they'll send someone out to check, and then you pay it.
Electricity, there are meters which work like water and gas or sticks. A stick is just something you top up at a shop then put in the box (these are very easy tbh).
basically one of you will make an account with each provider then you transfer the money between you, its mostly common sense and you figure it as you go through the motions the first time.
My flatmates and I have just set up our bills (water, gas, electric, broadband and TV licence) through Glide. It's all in one app/account where we can all check our usage and who has/hasn't paid.
It's a relatively speedy and simple process, definitely worth a look I think 🙂
It's a relatively speedy and simple process, definitely worth a look I think 🙂
Original post by mnot
Internet; Call up a provider, normally its very easy. They send you a modem in the mail takes 30 minutes to setup and you setup a direct debit for 10-12 months.
Water & gas, take a meter reading when you move in. Then you call them up (or sign up online) then every 3 months you tell them the meter reading (and occasionally they'll send someone out to check, and then you pay it.
Electricity, there are meters which work like water and gas or sticks. A stick is just something you top up at a shop then put in the box (these are very easy tbh).
basically one of you will make an account with each provider then you transfer the money between you, its mostly common sense and you figure it as you go through the motions the first time.
Water & gas, take a meter reading when you move in. Then you call them up (or sign up online) then every 3 months you tell them the meter reading (and occasionally they'll send someone out to check, and then you pay it.
Electricity, there are meters which work like water and gas or sticks. A stick is just something you top up at a shop then put in the box (these are very easy tbh).
basically one of you will make an account with each provider then you transfer the money between you, its mostly common sense and you figure it as you go through the motions the first time.
Ahh that makes much more sense, thank you. Would the electricity/gas/water be direct debit too or would it be bank transfer or something else?
Original post by CosimasDelphine
My flatmates and I have just set up our bills (water, gas, electric, broadband and TV licence) through Glide. It's all in one app/account where we can all check our usage and who has/hasn't paid.
It's a relatively speedy and simple process, definitely worth a look I think 🙂
It's a relatively speedy and simple process, definitely worth a look I think 🙂
But you pay massively over the odds with this, and what for - to save a couple of phone calls? If you're students who need to watch their cash (i.e. 99.9% of them), paying a company to do something which is entirely unnecessary seems quite a luxury (of course, if it worked for you then fair enough
)Original post by Krystal1000
Ahh that makes much more sense, thank you. Would the electricity/gas/water be direct debit too or would it be bank transfer or something else?
In my experience if its done on a meter then they can debit it or card payment, but because its done on a meter you have to set money aside then pay every quarter or similar after you've used it.
If you use a 'stick' then its a bit like pay as you go, you pay in advance then top up as your running low.
Original post by Reality Check
But you pay massively over the odds with this, and what for - to save a couple of phone calls? If you're students who need to watch their cash (i.e. 99.9% of them), paying a company to do something which is entirely unnecessary seems quite a luxury (of course, if it worked for you then fair enough )
)This is true and something I guess I'm ignorant to - renting in a dirt cheap area of South Wales I can afford to pay through an ease of use app that may not be the best rates!
OP, take this into consideration. Make sure to shop around before setting anything up
Original post by Krystal1000
Hi, I’m new to moving into a student flat with bills not included. (2 of us). I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice on how to set bills up? Do i just call them up? How do I set an account with them and is it necessary to switch providers (If i do, how much will I save and how do I do it).
I would like to hear your stories on how you set up your student bills and experiences with bills e.g unexpected charge or anything else.
Thank you in advance!
I would like to hear your stories on how you set up your student bills and experiences with bills e.g unexpected charge or anything else.
Thank you in advance!
Hey @Krystal1000!
My housemates and I went through the company 'Glide' as they made the process super simple and would save us a lot of arguments (I imagine). There is five of us, however, so maybe it wouldn't be that useful for just two of you. They do charge more than sorting the bills out yourself, however, it is an option which would save you time if you wanted
Courtney -- Official Student Rep
Original post by mnot
In my experience if its done on a meter then they can debit it or card payment, but because its done on a meter you have to set money aside then pay every quarter or similar after you've used it.
If you use a 'stick' then its a bit like pay as you go, you pay in advance then top up as your running low.
If you use a 'stick' then its a bit like pay as you go, you pay in advance then top up as your running low.
generally the 'stick' way has much higher unit costs so you will pay more for your fuel - and if you forget to top up then you could spend an evening in the dark or cold till that gets resolved. Direct debit is cheaper and you can always submit meter readings on a monthly basis to keep it up to date (otherwise estimates will be based on what the people in the house last year used which could be way out). Just make sure you don't have all the bills in one name or the other one could do a bunk leaving you liable for everything. Good management of bills will contribute to your credit history which will help you once you enter the world of work (similarly bad management will have an adverse effect).
Original post by mnot
A stick is just something you top up at a shop then put in the box (these are very easy tbh).
Original post by CosimasDelphine
My flatmates and I have just set up our bills (water, gas, electric, broadband and TV licence) through Glide. It's all in one app/account where we can all check our usage and who has/hasn't paid.
It's a relatively speedy and simple process, definitely worth a look I think 🙂
It's a relatively speedy and simple process, definitely worth a look I think 🙂
Obviously if you're at all money conscious, don't do these things.
The stick is intended for people who have such bad credit rating they can't set up a direct debit, and its pretty amazing that a company can actually make money from people for doing something as simple as set up some bills!
There are good websites/apps for recording costs are sharing them equally - I think we used Ioweyou. Obviously its not just bills that you will want to share, but also household expenses like washing up liquid, condiments, maybe kitchen utensils, light bulbs etc so it can get complicated.
Having Top Up metres will help you prevent unwanted surprises at the end of the year. Keep topping up whatever is used for heating even during the summer to buildup a warm cushion for the winter. Be careful when switching providers they may offer you "cheaper" KW/h but might try to sneak in a weekly fee.
Smarty.co.uk offers really cheap and unlimited 4G without the need of signing a contract.
Smarty.co.uk offers really cheap and unlimited 4G without the need of signing a contract.
Ring providers you want, ask about setting up accounts, they'll walk you through it. Largely easy stuff, mostly going through the motions. Biggest piece of admin is working out who's bank account it all goes out of: I had the luxury of moving in with my best mates so we basically picked the most obsessively finance-minded among us as the man who's account the bills go out of. Some people use third party apps/orgs instead to split them.
Original post by Mojmeer
Having Top Up metres will help you prevent unwanted surprises at the end of the year. Keep topping up whatever is used for heating even during the summer to buildup a warm cushion for the winter. Be careful when switching providers they may offer you "cheaper" KW/h but might try to sneak in a weekly fee.
Smarty.co.uk offers really cheap and unlimited 4G without the need of signing a contract.
Smarty.co.uk offers really cheap and unlimited 4G without the need of signing a contract.
just to say we did this and the landlord got *****y for not informing him that we were switching from direct debit to metered.
Thanks for all the help guys, it’s really appreciated . If it was top up meter would you say it’s topping it up every month with a certain amount & what would the avg amount be topped up per month usually?
. If it was top up meter would you say it’s topping it up every month with a certain amount & what would the avg amount be topped up per month usually?Original post by Noodlzzz
just to say we did this and the landlord got *****y for not informing him that we were switching from direct debit to metered.
Some landlords are shifty and might try to rob you. Metered is much better for you.
Original post by Krystal1000
Thanks for all the help guys, it’s really appreciated . If it was top up meter would you say it’s topping it up every month with a certain amount & what would the avg amount be topped up per month usually?
. If it was top up meter would you say it’s topping it up every month with a certain amount & what would the avg amount be topped up per month usually?About £200 more per year than if you weren't in such an unfortunate position and had a direct debit.
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