Utility Bills and Council Tax Explained
You have now moved into your property. Firstly, you need to take metre readings. You need to do this for the electricity, gas, and water. Secondly, they will need to set up an account with the new supplier. Please find below some utility companies to choose from. However, we do not recommend any one company. In the first instance it is down to the individual tenant to choose. Thirdly, it is totally a matter for them.
Who is my gas supplier?
There are various services to use to find out the current supplier. These include meter point administrations online service. Find my supplier. Meter point telephone administration service. The telephone number is 0870-6081524
Who is my electricity supplier?
You will need to find out who your electricity supplier is for the property. However, you could contact the local electricity distribution company. In addition, you can use the energy association postcode search tool. This can be found on www.energynetworks.org. There is a postcode finder that will also tell you who the suppliers are.
Gas & Electric Companies
British Gas
0800 048 0202
Transco
0800 111 999
Southern Electric
0800 107 9639
www.southern-electric.co.uk
N-Power
0800 316 9331
E-on
0345 052 0000
www.eonenergy.com
Scottish Power
0800 027 0404
If you have any queries about gas supply, you can call Southern Gas Networks on 0845 070 1431
Water
Southern Water 0845 270 1508 www.southernwater.co.uk
Council Tax
The Council need to be aware that the property has new tenants. Firstly, as per utilities you need to inform them you have moved in. Secondary, ou will need to call them and set up an account. Brighton’s Telephone number: 01273 290000. Thirdly, there are various council tax rules for different groups. It would be best to read our article on our website here.
Council tax for students
Will you be living in Student accommodation in Brighton?
If you are a student and full time you may be able to get a discount. Therefore, you need to inform the local authority.
It is not automatic that you would be entitled to not pay any council tax. There are exemptions for students. For instance, each individual council is different. Above all, you should apply to the local authority. In addition, any discount would need to be applied. This can only be done by the local authority.
The link is for Brighton Borough Council. It explains what you need to do.
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-discounts/council-tax-discounts-students
Update
It is very important that you deal with your utilities prior to you moving in. We often find that tenants contact us after they have moved in and potentially some considerable time after to find out who their supplier it and what their meter readings are. Whilst we do our best to try to achieve the readings and put on the inventory if there is one. There is never a guarantee. It is so important for you to ensure that you do meter readings as soon as you move in. To include the gas, electricity and water at your property. This ensure the most up to date readings.
However, these are not the only costs you need to take into account. You also need to look at your potential TV license and broadband. With the cost of living crisis it is important you find out what it is going to cost you before you move into the property. We would suggest that you also take regular meter readings to ensure that your bills are correct. It is absolutely critical that you do this on a month to month basis so it gives you an idea of what the cost will be.
What you don’t want is the risk of an unexpected bill.
Water bill.
There are two types of water tariff in the United Kingdom. These are as follows;
Metered tariff.
A meter tariff is your typical type of water bill, equating the amount of water your house uses and they can charge you for this.
Standard tariff.
These are very different to metered tariffs in the sense they don’t record how much water your home is using. The government estimates how much your water your house would use based on a survey they conducted some considerable time ago. Then charge you this amount. It is down to you to decide whether you want a standard tariff or a metered one.
You should contact the local utility provider to ascertain what bill you are on.
What about council tax?
Council tax is a fee paid annually for services provided by the council. These include such things as rubbish collection, upkeep of public spaces and maintenance of buildings etc.
Council tax is effect a tax on domestic property and is paid by the occupant of the property. This is usually priced depending on the value but it is not always the same.
It is important you understand how council tax exemptions work. Do not immediately assume that you get an exemption. You need to apply to the local authority and for them to confirm that you are exempt.
What about broadband speed? What is best for me?
You need to consider this very carefully. It can depend on the amount of people in the house. The more people in the house the more the usage will be. You might find that the lower end of the broadband is slower if there is more people using it.
You need to factor in what each person uses the internet for and how intensely they use it. Streaming services like Netflix can considerably use much more broadband than google documents or social media. This depends on each house mates usage habits and it may be worth considering what devices they are going to bring in such as computers, laptops, mobile phones, smart watches and anything else. It is so important you take all of the above into account.
At Harringtons Lettings we do not deal with utilities. It is solely down to the tenant to deal with these.
However, we have a provider that we can set up on your behalf in advance to help you and the current rates for 2023 – 2024 are as follows;
| Energy & Water | Additional Extras | ||||
| Bedrooms | Weekly Cost (Per Person) | TV License | 350 MBPS Broadband | 500 MBPS Broadband | 800 MBPS Broadband |
| 1 | £73.96 | £3.23 | £11.54 | £16.15 | £17.31 |
| 2 | £40.60 | £1.62 | £5.77 | £8.08 | £8.65 |
| 3 | £31.92 | £1.08 | £3.85 | £5.38 | £5.77 |
| 4 | £26.96 | £0.81 | £2.88 | £4.04 | £4.33 |
| 5 | £25.16 | £0.65 | £2.31 | £3.23 | £3.46 |
| 6 | £23.97 | £0.54 | £1.92 | £2.69 | £2.88 |
| 7 | £23.49 | £0.46 | £1.65 | £2.31 | £2.47 |
| 8 | £23.18 | £0.40 | £1.44 | £2.02 | £2.16 |
In order to obtain these rates you do need to speak to Harringtons Lettings direct in order for us to arrange this for you.
Energy saving tips
Save money on your energy bills and help benefit the environment with these handy top tips.
Tip 1
Turn the thermostat down. Turning it down by just 1% should save you over £200 per year.
Tip 2
Use the timer on your central heating system and set it for the morning and evening rather than leaving it on all day. Try not to use electricity fan heaters.
Tip 3
Save energy on your cuppa. Put cold water into a mug first then into the kettle so gage the correct amount of water for the number of cups.
Tip 4
Turn your washing machine down reduce the temperature to 30 degrees to save energy.
Tip 5
Try to use less hot water. Having a shower instead of a bath can result in a huge saving over the year.
Tip 6
When cooking meals in the oven, try and share it with a house mate and cook multiple meals at once to save energy.
Tip 7
Turn appliances off at the plug to save an average of £30 per year. Households with more gadgets could see annual savings between £50-£80.
Tip 8
Wasting warm water charges you twice. Once for water and once for heating it. Unnecessarily adding to your bill.
Tip 9
Turning your combi boiler flow temperature down to 60% could save you up to £100 per year. Flow temperature is the temperature of the water that your boiler sends to radiators. Reducing flow temperature is not the same as lowering your thermostat. It may increase the time it takes to reach the temperature of your thermostat
Tip 10
Turning down radiators in rooms you are not using or use less could save up to £70 a year.
When you are not using rooms, turning the radiator valves down to between 2.5-3 roughly 18 degrees. Whilst you are using a room, increase the temperature to a comfortable level by turning the valve up. Turning off radiators completely in rooms you are not using is less energy efficient as this means your boiler has to work harder to increase the temperature again if kept on a low setting.
Tip 11
Using your tumble dryer less could save you £70.00 a year. Tumble dryers are the most energy efficient devices in the home. Use your tumble dryer less frequently by ensuring you have a full load, around ¾ of the drum. Or use a clothes airer to dry clothes outside.
Tip 12
Closing all your curtains and blinds at night. By closing your curtains and blinds, you can help stop warm air escaping through windows and reduce heating costs. Especially, if you have radiators situated below your windows.
Tip 13
Track your energy use using an app. If you have a smart meter, there are apps which are free and allow you to track your hourly energy use over days, weeks, months or years. This can help you find the best way to reduce usage and save on your energy bills in a safe and manageable way.
Tip 14
Turn off lights – why do you leave lights on if you are not using them? This can save you up to £25.00 per annum.
Tip 15
Take a 4 minute shower – this can save you up to £95.00 per year by just taking a 4 minute shower.
Tip 16
Reduce the use of the dishwasher by washing up. This can save up to £17.00 per year.
Tip 17
Switch off stand by. You can save around £65 a year by just remembering to turn your appliances off stand by mode. Almost all appliances can be turned off at the plug without upsetting their programming. You may want to think about getting a stand by saver or smart plug which allows you to turn your appliances off stand by in one go. Check the instructions from the appliances or supplier you are not sure about. Some satellite and digital TV recorders may need to be left plugged in to keep track of any programmes you want to record.
Review