Advice on paying utility bills
We recently wrote to our new student tenants on the subject of utilities.
Lots of tenants have questions about utility bills but no worries - we're here to help!
We've answered your most frequently asked questions below.
What are utility bills?
Your utilities are the supplies of gas, electricity and water to the property. If the cost of your utilities are included in your rent, it will be stated in your contract. But if the cost of your utilities are not included, you will need to arrange payment of each one accordingly.
Who supplies my gas, electricity and water?
As utility suppliers can be changed from one tenancy to the next, we don’t keep a record of who supplies to each property but you can find out your current suppliers by calling the telephone numbers below;
Find out your electricity supplier – 01752 502299 or Western Power
Find out your gas supplier – 0870 608 1524 or FindMySupplier
Please note that the above two telephone numbers are automated, so you will need to know the postcode and first line of your address before calling.
Your water supply will be with Welsh Water, who can be contacted on 0800 052 0145.
How do I set-up my utility accounts?
The vast majority of properties have gas and electricity meters installed so you’ll first need to locate these. Please take your meter readings as soon as you first enter the property. Once found, take a record of each reading and the date on which you’ve taken them. It’s also worth noting the meter serial numbers at this time.
Next, make contact with each supplier and provide them with the readings you have taken. It’s advisable to do this via telephone, but you can also do it online.
The suppliers will need to know what date to open your account from, so please ensure you provide them with your tenancy start date rather than the day you moved in.
Water bills are typically based on a set charge determined by Welsh Water, so you’re unlikely to have a meter for this. Please contact Welsh Water and set-up your account from your tenancy start date.
When should I set-up my utility accounts?
Immediately. As soon as you move in, you should take your meter readings and make contact with your suppliers. Please don’t delay on this.
When and how do I pay my utility bills?
How often you’re required to pay your bills will need to be agreed direct with your supplier but they will all accept payment by way of Direct Debit, bank transfer or debit/credit card.
Some tenants choose to set up a ‘household bank account’ which everybody pays into, whereas others will have one person pay the total bill and then collect payment from the other tenants.
Where I’ve been paying half-rent and living elsewhere, do I need to pay for the utilities?
Yes you do but as the property will have been empty for this period, any usage will be zero to minimal so that part of your bill will be extremely low.
Pretty much every utility company will apply ‘standing charges’ on top regardless of whether the property was occupied or not and there’s no avoiding these.
Are there companies that can organise my bills for me?
Yes, there are plenty of companies that can take the hassle out of bill payments for you. We may have emailed you about UniHomes if you've recently signed a contract with us. Check your emails for a link to help you sign up to UniHomes.
Am I allowed to change my utility suppliers?
Yes, you are. You can use a website like Money Saving Expert to compare prices across suppliers. Due to the current climate surrounding utility costs, their advice is that there is no effective price competition as all suppliers charge the same based on the price guarantee rate.
Worth keeping an eye though, in case the situation changes!
If your questions haven’t been answered by this, please contact us via 02920 668585 or enquiries@cpshomes.co.uk.
The information contained within this article was correct at the date of publishing and is not guaranteed to remain correct in the present day.
