Moving into your own student house feels very exciting, until you realise you now have to deal with bills. If you lived in halls before, chances are you never even thought about water, gas, or internet because it was all included in your rent. But in private housing, it’s usually on you (and your housemates) to set it all up. It sounds stressful at first, but honestly, once you’ve done it, it’s pretty straightforward. Here’s what you actually need to know.
The bills you’ll probably have
So, what do students even pay for? Usually, it’s these:
- Gas and electricity: this is the big one. You’ll need both, but most people go for a “dual fuel” deal (where they’re bundled together). This makes life easier and usually cheaper. But also some accommodations are now electricity only, so make sure you check!
- Water: you don’t get to choose your provider; it depends on the area. Some houses are on meters (you pay for what you use), others just have a standard charge.
- Broadband: an absolute must. Don’t leave this too late, because it can take a while for engineers to sort it.
- TV licence: only if you watch live TV or BBC iPlayer. If you just stick to Netflix, you don’t need one.
- Council tax: full-time students don’t pay this, but you do need to apply for the exemption. Don’t just ignore it, otherwise you’ll get letters through the door.
Optional extras: contents insurance (worth it if you’ve got expensive laptops, cameras, etc.), or faster broadband if your whole house is constantly streaming and gaming.
What to check BEFORE you move in
Check your tenancy agreement to see if anything is already included in your rent. Some landlords give you internet or water and some properties include gas/electric bills in your rent (to a certain cap), but don’t assume.
First things to do when you move in
The day you move in, before you even start unpacking, do this:
- Take meter readings for gas and electricity. If you don’t, you could end up paying for the last tenant’s usage.
- Find out who your current energy supplier is. Your landlord or agent should know, but if not, you can look it up online.
- Register with your water supplier. Just check your contract or ask your agent; if not you could also just Google the water supplier in your area and you’ll find it.
After that, it’s time to start setting things up properly.
Setting up energy & broadband
With gas and electricity, once you’ve got your first bill sorted, you can always shop around and switch if it’s too expensive. Websites like Compare the Market or uSwitch are good for this. If you can, get a smart meter fitted as it makes bills way easier to track.
Broadband is one you’ll want to organise quickly. Look for 9–12 month contracts, not 18-month ones (student houses rarely last that long). Virgin, BT, and Sky are common options, but check who has the best speeds in your area as there’s no point paying for “superfast” if your house barely gets any signal. You can check your internet speed with the test here.
Splitting bills without falling out
This is where it gets interesting. Sharing bills with housemates can either be smooth sailing or absolute chaos. To keep things fair:
- Divide them up. For example, you pay gas, someone else does broadband, another person does water. Everyone just transfers each other their share each month.
- Or, one person sets up all the direct debits, and the others send them money. If you do this, use a tracker, like Google Docs, Splitwise app (my absolute favourite as I used to use this even for shared groceries or a shared restaurant bill), or even banking app pots, so no one “forgets.”
- Avoid bill-splitting companies. They look convenient, but most of the time they massively overcharge. Seriously, people end up paying double what they should.
How much you’re likely to spend
On average, students spend around £110–£120 a month on bills (that’s on top of rent). It usually breaks down like this:
- Gas & electricity: £80–90
- Water: £10-20
- Broadband: £7–15
- TV licence (if you need it): £3–4
It doesn’t sound bad individually, but add it all up and it’s a decent chunk of money, so budget for it.
Little tips that make a difference
- Always compare before you commit to any deal, it’s so easy to save money this way.
- Watch the contract lengths on broadband. Nothing worse than being tied in for months after you’ve moved out.
- Student discounts exist! Check Unidays, Student Beans, or just ask the provider.
- If your housemates are forgetful, set up a standing order so everyone’s share goes out on the same day each month.
- Keep an eye on price hikes, energy and broadband almost always go up in spring, so expect bills to change.
Remember that setting up bills might not be the most fun part of student life, but it’s definitely one of the most important. Get it all done early, agree on a fair way to split things, and you’ll avoid awkward money chats later on. Once everything’s in place, it basically runs in the background, and you can get back to worrying about the fun stuff like decorating your new room or deciding where your first house party’s going to be.
