Student Bills: Your Fail-Safe Guide.

So, it’s that time of the year when many students have their student housing sorted. Perhaps you’re that student or you’ve been lucky and had an overlapping tenancy with another property and you just need to “transfer” your belongings from one house to the other. Oh, how I envy you. This year, all my stuff was shipped home to then be shipped back to Nottingham in the upcoming weeks. Regardless, the bills needed to be sorted. This is the first step in your adult life. Who do I call? What provider do I go with? What rates are best? Fear not. I am going to give you my top three tips to make your student bills as stress free as possible. You’re welcome xo

1. Look around.

Ever heard of moneysavingexpert.com? That guy who pops up on This Morning every now and again? Martin Lewis? Well, if you haven’t it’s soon to become your best friend. Oh, the joy. This website allows you to shop around for the best deals. It might not give you all the information you need but it certainly acts as a starting point for you to get your head around the mind boggling world that is bills. Under the ‘Utilities & Phones’ section there is lots and lots of information about gas and electricity, providers and rates. Go ahead, indulge yourself, have a look around the website.

2. Start Early.

This would be my best piece of advice: start as early as possible. Your landlord, on the first day you move in, will most likely make you write down all the meter readings in the house. My best advice is, as soon as the first person moves in, is to make those calls to the providers you have chosen. Explain that you’re a student, you need information on rates and prices, and give them all the relevant information such as your address, contract start date and end date. Also, make sure they know when you move out and ask about cancellation costs. There is nothing worse than realising you have signed onto a 24 month contract when you’re only living in the place for 9 months…

3. Keep organised.

I would also advise you to keep organised throughout the whole process. Keep a folder dedicated to your student bills and housing. When I do my bills for my student house, I tend to write down a list of account numbers and passwords (kept secret, of course!) and all the rates I have decided to use. I also file away my statements and bills; that way, there is a permanent record of communication. Thankfully, If something goes wrong along the way, you’ll have all your information in a folder. You’ll thank me in the long run.

Best of luck!