Utility Bills

[hcafc_laura]

Me and my bf are looking to move out. I'm trying to work out a rough budget to see how much we can afford for rent but I have no idea how much gas, electricty and water bills are going to cost.

Can anyone give me any sites that might help??

[purplebutterfly]

I dont about utilites but you do need to consider council tax. If you have an idea what rating band the place your renting will be, the council website should be able to give you a rough yearly figure (which is payable over ten months for some reason)

[LuckyStrike]

since me and my girlfriend got our own place we've had bills for:

telephone: £40 a quarter line rental
Council tax: £110 a month
house insurance: £11 a month
Internet: £15 a month
tv licence: havent got one yet, ahem
water and electric: havent had a bill for this yet, had the option of paying £65 a month tho or waiting and getting a proper bill off the meter every quarter, so doesnt look like its gonna be too cheap.

on top of that i still have my phone, car finance and car insurance.

plus about £100 a month on food.

its not cheap i'll tell you that, but its worth it

[Calvin]

Your gas and electricity bills will be dependent on how you heat your home and how your cook. If the answer to the is gas, then I would set aside about £40 a month (based on 2 bed house)

Then you would have an electricity bill ontop.

If your uncertain about the costs and not keen on having bills, you could always have a prepay meter. Then you wont have to worry about not being able to pay the bills.

[hcafc_laura]

this council tax thing is confusing me a bit. i don't have to pay it do i because i'm at uni? but my bfs working so he will have to. can i get round it by just doing it all in my name?

i haven't really looked into this at all yet.

[purplebutterfly]

this council tax thing is confusing me a bit. i don't have to pay it do i because i'm at uni? but my bfs working so he will have to. can i get round it by just doing it all in my name?

No because thats fraud and is to risky. If you have the bill in both your names you can get a reduction on your council tax because your a student but your boyfriend will still be liable to pay.

[Kazbo]

Your b/f will get the equivallent of single persons discount if you're a student. It means he'll be paying 75% of the council tax rate.

For 2 bed flats recently, I've been paying roughly the following monthly:
Gas: £20
Electric: £28
Water: £28
Telephone: £11

On top of that you've got tv licence, insurance, mobiles, food etc.

[hcafc_laura]

No because thats fraud and is to risky. If you have the bill in both your names you can get a reduction on your council tax because your a student but your boyfriend will still be liable to pay.

oh i look a bit thick now don't i.

these are things i hadn't even thought about because until today i was moving out on my own.

cheers for your help.

[Calvin]

this council tax thing is confusing me a bit. i don't have to pay it do i because i'm at uni? but my bfs working so he will have to. can i get round it by just doing it all in my name?

i haven't really looked into this at all yet.

Yeah its piss easy. Just get the expemption letter from uni and the council will be satisfied.

We got away with it for a year :D

[hcafc_laura]

Yeah its piss easy. Just get the expemption letter from uni and the council will be satisfied.

We got away with it for a year :D


don't think i dare risk it.

did you have to pay any money back when you got caught?

[Calvin]

don't think i dare risk it.

did you have to pay any money back when you got caught?

I didnt get caught.

[hcafc_laura]

I didnt get caught.

Ah right. Just presumed :rolleyes: :blush: