A guide to the best way to pay bills in your student house

When going to uni, thinking about what bills you’ll need to pay and how you can pay them, can be a bit daunting.

Luckily, there are many student properties that offer accommodation with all bills included! However, if you choose a property where your bills are separate you (and your housemates) will need to figure out the best ways to pay each charge.  

We’ve put together some top tips below to help you with paying your bills!

What are utility bills? 

Utility bills are things like electricity, gas, and water. They’re the basic costs associated with running a household. 

They’re usually paid monthly and can vary on the amount that you (or your house) user  – unless of course, you’ve opted for an all bills included property where you’ll typically pay the same amount each month. Most utility bills are fixed for a specific time (usually 12 months), so you know roughly how much you’ll need to pay each month.

Of course, there are other bills that you’ll likely have to pay as well, such as your broadband or a TV licence. 

Where to start 

The first thing you’ll need to do is decide how you’ll pay your bills. 

The easiest option is to choose accommodation which comes with all bills included. All-inclusive accommodation makes budgeting super easy because you’ll know exactly how much you’ll pay each month. You also won’t have to deal with the stress of setting up direct debits or phoning utility providers. 
If your accommodation doesn’t include household bills (or come with that as an option), you and your housemates will have to set these up yourselves.

You’ll need to split these bills with your housemates unless you live alone.

How to split bills 

There are a couple of different options for splitting bills.

Bill-splitting service 🏡

If splitting bills already sounds daunting, you might want to use a bill-splitting service. This quick and easy service will do all the hard work for you! They’ll set up the accounts, and evenly split the bills automatically between housemates. So, all you have to think about is one simple monthly payment! 

Direct debits 💰

If you decide to pay bills yourself, the easiest way to do this is to set up direct debits. One person from the house will need to be responsible for a specific bill (like the electricity bill). They can set up an account and then set up a direct debit, so the money comes out automatically each month. 

Joint bank account 🫂

Another option is to set up a joint bank account. Each person can then pay a set amount into the bank account each month, and then the bills will be paid from the joint account. This is probably only beneficial if you live with one or two other people. However, it’s important to note that joint bank accounts can be risky!

You need to make sure that you completely trust your housemates - there’s a risk that one person might not pay their share, and then the direct debit doesn’t get paid. This can result in consequences for you personally, even if you paid your half into the account. There’s even the risk of your housemate completely emptying the account, so we’d advise using other methods.

Tips for splitting bills 

• Split the bills equally among all people living together. This is the fairest and simplest way. You can use bill-splitting apps to do the maths for you.    
• Make each housemate responsible for paying a different bill - this ensures that no one is left with all the responsibility.
• Put everyone’s names on all the accounts. Even if you oversaw setting up the account, make sure the rest of your housemates' names are on there too. This means that you’re all legally responsible for paying the bill rather than just you.
• Get your bills set up as soon as possible. You don’t want to risk not having electricity or water!
• Make sure you pay your bills on time. If you don’t, it can affect your credit rating in the future. You can also be charged more for late payments. 

How to set up individual bills 

If you’ve chosen an accommodation that doesn’t come with all bills included, you’ll have to find the suppliers yourself and create an account with each of them. This will also mean you’ll have to do your research and look around for the cheapest and best options for you. If you’re in a shared household, it’s best if you share this responsibility amongst your housemates. 

If you decide that paying for bills yourself is too much unnecessary stress, you should consider looking for student accommodation that comes with all bills included. This means you’ll know exactly how much you must pay each month and don’t have to spend hours calling utility providers trying to set up accounts or when things go wrong – your accommodation provider will do that for you. Plus, if you’re sharing a house with others, you’ve no need to worry about their monthly payments – just make sure yours are paid on time and in full!

It's good to bear in mind that if your accommodation is not all bills included, you can be charged for exactly what you use depending on the tariff and supplier you choose. Whereas property that are all bills included typically have a set rate that you pay each month.

Setting up the individual bills can be confusing as each bill has a slightly different process that you need to follow. Luckily, we’ve created a quick guide below.

Gas and electricity ⚡️

Your student house will have just electricity, or both gas and electricity. There are many energy suppliers, so you can shop around for the best deal and save money.You’ll be asked to take a meter reading when you set up your account with your energy provider. You’ll need to locate your electricity meter (this might be hidden in a cupboard, in the basement or attached to an outside wall) and then make a note of the numbers. 

Recently energy bills have increased dramatically, which might mean that your energy bills are higher than you expect. If you’re worried about high energy bills, try reducing your energy usage (e.g. turning off lights and not leaving things in standby mode) and encourage your housemates to do the same.

Water and sewerage 💦

This is the charge for water that comes into your house and the dirty water that is taken away.
You’ll be assigned a water provider that is in your area, so you’ll need to contact them to set up an account and pay your water bill. They can tell you if you’re on a metered or standard tariff. 

If you’re on a metered tariff, you’ll need to locate your water metre and read as you did for your electricity meter.

If you’re on a standard tariff, the government estimates how much water you’ll use, and your water company provider charges you monthly or quarterly. 

Internet 💻

As well as energy and water, you’ll most likely consider having an internet connection a necessity. If so, you’ll need to set up broadband. 

There are many internet providers and packages available. Shop around for the best deal but consider how you’ll use your internet. If you're likely to stream many HD videos or play games online, you’ll probably want the fastest broadband available. 

Council tax 🏠

Council tax is the one bill students never need to pay! If your household is made up of full-time students, then that household is exempt from paying council tax. So, council tax is one bill you don’t need to worry about.  

TV licence 📺

In the UK, you need a TV licence if you want to watch or record any live TV programmes or use BBC iPlayer. You need one regardless of what device you are watching on (whether that’s a phone, a computer, a games console, or a TV). You don't need a TV licence if you’re just watching streaming services (like Netflix). 

The good news is that if you’ve got a joint tenancy, your household only needs one TV licence to cover the whole house. Also, if the house you chose comes supplied with a TV, it’s the landlord's responsibility to pay for the TV licence for the property.

For more information on student bills, check out our breakdown of exactly what you need to pay for.

All bills included

UniHomes has thousands of student properties across the UK (from experienced and trusted landlords), with bills included. You won’t have to worry about paying for gas, electricity, water, internet, or even your TV Licence! Everything is included in one neat monthly payment. 

Have a look at our range of amazing properties and find your ideal student home without any of the stress.