Paying household bills
Moving into a house for the first time?
Excited about sharing with your friends?
Looking forward to the freedom and independence of being totally in control of when you eat, come in and go out?
That's great, but don't forget that you have to pay the bills as well as the rent!
If you move from halls of residence into a privately rented house or appartment, it is important that you understand how to deal with utility bills. These pages are based on a web site created by students who completed the Nottingham Advantage Award, Building Financial Capability module. They should give you an idea of how to responsibly manage your household bills.
Utility bills
The main household utility bills are:
Others bills you could have are:
- Landline telephone
- Satellite TV (packages can include telephone and internet)
- TV License - needed if you watch TV on a television or via a laptop/computer. This includes live TV and some catch up services.
- Insurance for your possessions - particularly for your laptop and other electronic gadgets
Luckily student households, where everyone is on a full time course, do not have to pay council tax.
Comparison sites
To help you find the right contract to suit your needs try a comparison website; some are listed below:
NB: The University is not responsible for the content of external websites and a link to such a website does not necessarily imply an endorsement of its content.
Budgeting
When sorting out your budget for the year you need to take these household bills into account. The students who set up the original site found from their experience that the average cost of the basic utility bills was around £40 per month, however this is likely to have increased since then. The costs will vary depending on the number of people in your house, how much energy you consume, and the number of bills you have to pay.
We have some useful tools you can use to help you with your budgeting.
Shared Housing
Living in a shared house with other students can be a great experience, but can come with challenges. You will be responsible for making decisions with your housemates and you may be responsible for paying the bills.
Remember that The Students' Union Advice team can offer all kinds of help in relation to housing. This includes:
Checking your tenancy agreement before you sign it
Helping if you have problems with landlords, letting agents or housemates
Advice and support with bills and deposit issues
SUAdvice@nottingham.ac.uk
+44 (0)115 84 68730
Our free Moodle course, Understanding your Budget, Living in a Shared House, will prepare you for the realities of shared living and help you to plan for your individual situation.