Bills

Living costs you need to consider when living away from home, and how you could save money

What living costs should I expect?

There are many different types of accommodation available in the local area from a room in someone's home to a luxury self-contained apartment. In general, rental costs in Newcastle area can be around £300-£500 a month, depending on the type of room/property that you get. You may find cheaper rooms in shared houses, but it is unusual. The luxury places will cost a lot more!

Many student landlords and apartment style accommodation include bills in the rent, up to a certain specified amount. If you have to pay your own bills, it will depend how many people live in the house, the size and age of the property. Larger properties may use more gas and electricity and therefore cost more.

You may also need to factor in travel costs. Some properties are within walking distance, but most require public transport. At the moment, a a monthly pass is £59. Taxi rides can certainly add up to an expensive way to travel!

You'll also need to condsider the cost of food and other essentials. Save the Student has a guide to the average student living costs, to give you an idea of what you might spend. It's vital to consider all these things while deciding whether you can afford accommodation before signing up.

Setting up utilities

Some landlords include bills with the cost of rent, which would mean they are in charge of arranging utilities. However, if you are in charge of paying them you will have the choice of which supplier to use.

When you move into your new home there should already be an electricity and gas supplier and often a telephone/internet provider, but they may not have the best deal for you. You can go to price comparison websites to see the different services offered:

Make sure you take meter readings when you first move in and when you leave, so that you're only paying for the energy you've used.

Water

The water provider for this area is Severn Trent Water. Water bills are usually included with rent, but if they are not included you will need to contact Severn Trent to set up an account. If you're not living in the Keele area you can look up your supplier on Water UK.

How do I manage my bills?

If you've never lived in privately rented accommodation before, keeping on top of household bills can feel daunting. It's important to understand what you need to pay, when payments are due, and how responsibility is shared between everyone in the house.

Many students rely on Student Finance, which is usually paid in three instalments during the academic year. While this can work well in halls, it can become more challenging when household bills need to be paid monthly. Planning ahead and budgeting carefully can help you avoid running short of money between payments.

Unless your tenancy agreement includes bills, you will normally need to budget for:

Gas
Electricity
Water
Phone and broadband services
Contents insurance
A TV Licence (if required)

Keep a record of when each bill needs to be paid. Some payments may be monthly, others quarterly, and some may be one-off costs.

It can be helpful to keep a shared calendar in a communal area, or use a group app, so that payment dates are visible to everyone in the house.

Try to share responsibility for managing the household bills. For example, each tenant could take responsibility for organising one bill. This can reduce the pressure on one person and help everyone stay involved.

Where possible, consider having all tenants named on utility accounts. This can help ensure responsibility is shared and encourage everyone to contribute their fair share of the household costs.

Make sure you know where the gas and electricity meters are located and submit meter readings regularly. This helps ensure you are billed accurately and can reduce the risk of unexpected charges at the end of your tenancy.

You can visit our Budgeting page for advice on how to budget for the essentials.

What can I do to reduce my energy bills?

Check out the NUS Ready to Rent guidance, which has information on Energy Performance Certificates, avoiding damp and mould, smart meters, tips on wasting less energy and getting the best deal from the suppliers:

Shop around to look for the best deal for your utilities. You will probably need the permission of your landlord to change suppliers so check your contract and check directly with your landlord. Money Saving Expert has a dedicated section advising you on getting good deals and how to switch.

What can I do if I can't pay the bills?

If you’re in debt with your energy supplier, you might be able to get a grant to help pay off those debts. If your supplier doesn’t offer grants, you might be able to get one from the British Gas energy trust.

If you’re struggling to pay your energy bills you can tell your supplier that you want to set up a payment plan. Your supplier has to take into account how much you can afford to pay and how much energy you’ll use in the future, so make sure you do a budget to work out what you can afford - see our Budgeting page for tips.